Biodiversity and ecosystem services monitoring system for the canton of Curridabat, Costa Rica.

The Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Monitoring System in Curridabat is an instrument for monitoring the environmental quality of the territory. It seeks to reintroduce biodiversity in the urban space according to the natural location of Curridabat, prioritizing biodiversity conservation as a fundamental basis for the continuity of ecosystem services. This system is part of a development model called Ciudad Dulce that has the canton that seeks the transformation of urban spaces. The objective of Ciudad Dulce is to logically integrate the sustainable development of a medium-sized city, improving the experience of the canton's citizens by addressing five dimensions: biodiversity, habitat, infrastructure, coexistence and productivity. The monitoring system makes it possible to evaluate the social and environmental benefits of the actions implemented and goes hand in hand with an urban planning process to improve the canton's ecosystem services.

Overview

Type of instrument:

Knowledge, communication and innovation instruments›Knowledge and/or innovation

Challenges addressed

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

Consideration of nature-based solutions:

The instrument is intended to : 1. Achieve a biodiverse city immersed in a natural system. A safe city by stabilizing climate impacts and achieving a reduction of runoff and controlling the impact of storms, wind gusts and temperature. 3. Spaces for healthy recreation and social interaction with quality water and air. A more attractive city that favors contact with nature. 5. A city that promotes food security and resource availability. 6. 6.A sustainable city ensuring carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation.

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

Urban green space connected to grey infrastructure

Good practice characteristics:

Effective

Multifunctional NBS support

Sustainable in the long-term

Locally appropriate

Potential to be replicated / upscaled

Innovative

Governance

Government body/bodies

Initiating body:

Municipality of Curridabat

Instrument design:

Details about how the instrument was designed:

The instrument was developed by a consulting team and an interdisciplinary team of the Municipality of Curridabat.

Instrument implementation:

Type of involvement:

In order to apply the instrument and verify the indicators, it is necessary to collect information from various stakeholders in the territory. This implies that the municipality establishes alliances that allow access to the information, since during the elaboration of the Monitoring System it was determined that the information is largely in the hands of other actors such as the Ministry of Public Education, the Costa Rican Air Quality Index Monitoring Network, the National Energy Control Center, among others, and that it is necessary to include the inhabitants of the canton in the implementation stage of the system.

Type of non-governmental actors involved:

Citizen monitoring and review

Targeted actors:

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

Private: household, real estate developer, business , financial

Researchers, university

Financing

Budget:

Unknown

Details about instrument financing:

There is no publicly available information on program costs.

Monitoring, evaluation and impacts

Is a monitoring framework in place?:

Did an evaluation take place?:

Achieved outcomes and impacts:

As part of the implementation of the Monitoring System, Human Development Centers were created where vulnerable actors are trained in environmental education and quality of life. Additional results include : A population sensitized on environmental issues. Technological tools to collect information and know the state of the canton's ecosystems (Curridabat Biological Monitoring App "I NATURALIST"). Inter-institutional agreements for the exchange of technical information on environmental issues. Technical information on heat islands, air quality and water quality in Curridabat.

Success factors and lessons learned:

Working together with other institutions is a key element in implementing the instrument. It is important to consider that the implementation of the monitoring system should seek to include not only other government institutions or academic institutions, but also the inhabitants of the canton. In order for there to be an exchange between public policy and science, it is recommended that the municipality actively participate in academic exchange activities to improve the application and update the instrument. It is recommended that institutional agreements be signed for the exchange of information with other institutions.

Sources and further information

References

List of references:

Municipality of Curridabat ( 2019) Biodiversity and ecosystem services monitoring system for the municipality of Curridabat Available at https://repositorio.catie.ac.cr/bitstream/handle/11554/9344/Sistema_de_monitoreo_de_la_biodiversidad.pdf?sequence=1 (Accessed June 29, 2022) Municipality of Curridabat ( 2018) Municipal Strategic Plan 2028-2022. Available at: https://www.curridabat.go.cr/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Plan-Estratégico-Municipal-2018-2022.pdf (Accessed June 29, 2022)

Interview(s):

José Manuel Retana Vindas , Municipality of Curridabat

Photos

Municipality of Curridabat, 2021