Barcelona Nature Plan 2021-2030

Development of the main targets on biodiversity in the local and international context.

Drafting, co-designing, technical contrast and citizen participation process of the Nature Plan

The Barcelona Nature Plan 2021-2030 is a participatory strategy defining the commitments of the Barcelona (Spain) municipal government and citizens for the conservation of its green environment and biological diversity. The 10-year Plan, published by the Barcelona City Council, is structured into three core and two cross-cutting areas which encompass twenty actions and 100 projects. Ten priority projects will be implemented in the initial Action Program for 2021-2025.The Plan’s general goals are to: (1) increase the city’s green infrastructure and maximize its services, especially the those concerning adaptation to climate change and to improve the access of citizens to urban nature; (2) develop and consolidate ecological management and naturalization in nature management to benefit public health and support the conservation of biodiversity; (3) conserve and promote biodiversity; and (4) develop knowledge, enjoyment and care of urban nature and to facilitate and promote citizen involvement in its conservation and improvement.

Overview

Type of instrument:

Legislative, regulatory and strategic instruments›Dedicated strategy, plan, or law

Challenges addressed

Ecologic connectivity
Soil quality
Water management (e.g. reuse)
Green space management (e.g. accessibility)
Watershed restoration/water quality
Drought and fire risk
Flood risk: pluvial and fluvial / soil permeability
Heat stress and heat island effect
Air quality
Social cohesion
Social equity
Reconnection to the biosphere / environmental education
Human health, comfort and well-being
Other, please specify

Biodiversity, native fauna and flora species protection, nature conservation, develop knowledge

Consideration of nature-based solutions:

The Plan contains a set of qualitative and quantitative targets relating to the support of nature-based solutions, including: to increase the city’s green infrastructure and thereby maximize its services, above all those of adapting to climate change, and improve the access of all citizens to urban nature; to conserve and promote biodiversity, protecting species and improving their habitats and connectivity; to deploy and consolidate ecological management and naturalization in nature management, at the service of citizen health and the conservation of biodiversity on Earth; and to develop knowledge, enjoyment and care of urban nature and to facilitate and promote citizen involvement in its conservation and improvement. Quantitative targets include: to increase the green area by 160 hectares from 2015 and honor the 2015 Climate Commitment: 1 m2 more greenery per resident (equivalent to 40 new hectares during this term of office); to start 40 new projects under the program “All hands to greenery”; to create 10 biodiversity shelters; to increase the naturalized area by 100 hectares; and to double the number of participants in nature activities.

Targeted (peri-)urban areas:

Parks and (semi)natural urban green areas

Allotments, community gardens or agricultural areas

Blue areas

Green areas for water management

External building greens

Good practice characteristics:

Effective

Support multifunctional NBS

Sustainable in the long-term

Locally appropriate

Inclusivity

Participation of stakeholders

Governance

Government body/bodies

Initiating body:

Municipality of Barcelona, Urban Ecology Area

Instrument design:

Details about how the instrument was designed:

The Plan was drafted in several stages, with the participation of actors inside and outside of the municipal council. The ﬁrst stage involved internal municipal work that included the experience acquired by the Greenery and Diversity Team during the drafting and implementation of the previous plan, as well as benchmarking on other cities. Work was also carried out with the More Sustainable Barcelona Greenery and Biodiversity Work Group (linked to the Citizen Sustainability Council), which drafted a manifesto in June 2020 - considered in the preparation of the current plan. During the second stage, co-design with several of the City Council’s services took place over six one-day sessions. These sessions consisted of discussions and brought in a total of 71 participants who were informed of the plan’s new structure and contributed proposals for speciﬁc projects to be implemented by 2030. During the third stage, once several actions had been deﬁned with a few speciﬁc projects for carrying them out, two technical contrast sessions were thought up and streamlined, not just from the City Council but also from other authorities and organisations relating to greenery and biodiversity in Barcelona. Internal technical meetings were also held, involving a total of 42 people.

Involvement of non-governmental actors:

Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)

Researchers, university

Citizens or community groups / NGOs

Type of actor involvement:

Co-planning or co-design of instrument (e.g. boards, advisory role)

Expert task force consultation

Civil society consultation through e.g. workshops, surveys

Instrument implementation:

Type of involvement:

A creation and debate space has been created through the "Decidim" platform (a website where citizens can express their opinion and actively participate), together with two information and discussion sessions with citizens in general. Participants in the drafting of the Nature Plan 2021-2030 also included: the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB), the Area of Urban Ecology (UE), the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB), Barcelona Cicle de l’Aigua (BCASA), Barcelona Regional (BR), the Ecological Research and Forest Applications Centre (CREAF), the El Besòs Consortium, the Parc Natural de la Serra de Collserola Consortium, Barcelona Provincial Council (DIBA), Galanthus, the Catalan government, the Catalan Institute of Ornithology (ICO), Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA), Barcelona Institute of Global Health (ISGLOBAL), Museu de Ciències Naturals de Barcelona (MCNB), Barcelona Zoo, Barcelona Municipal Institute of Parks and Gardens (PIJBIM), More Sustainable Barcelona Technical Secretariat, University of Barcelona (UB), Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), and the Nature Conservation Network (XCN).

Type of non-governmental actors involved:

Citizen councils or consultation for co-planning (e.g. workshops, surveys)

Citizen oversight (e.g. boards, advisory role)

Co-design of NBS, implemented by government

Citizen monitoring and review

Targeted actors:

Private: household, real estate developer, business , financial

Financing

Budget:

Unknown

Monitoring, evaluation and impacts

Achieved outcomes and impacts:

Too early to assess.

Success factors and lessons learned:

The Nature Plan is the result of the evaluation of the previous Barcelona Green Infrastructure and Biodiversity Plan 2013-2020. The Plan 2030 has a section regarding its assessment, also in comparison to the current needs and current events.

Sources and further information

References

List of references:

Ecology. Urban Planning, Infrastructures and Mobility https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/ecologiaurbana/en/what-we-do-and-why/green-city-and-biodiversity/nature-plan Plan Natura Barcelona 2021-2030 https://www.decidim.barcelona/processes/PlaNaturaBCN?locale=es

Photos

@https://bcnroc.ajuntament.barcelona.cat/jspui/handle/11703/123630