El Corredor Biológico Interurbano María Aguilar (CBIMA), established in 2009, comprises five municipalities in the Greater Metropolitan Area of Costa Rica with a combined population of around 400,000. CBIMA spans 39 km2 of modified and natural habitats interconnecting the watershed of the María Aguilar River and contains part of the only Key Biodiversity Area within an urban area in Costa Rica.
The rapid expansion of residential and commercial land uses, including illegal encroachment, has affected riverbanks and fragmented the landscape, creating disaster risk, threatening biodiversity and affecting surface water quality. Insufficient ecosystem connectivity increases species vulnerability in adapting to highly altered urban ecosystems.
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This case study was delivered as part of INTERLACE: an EU-funded project to strengthen urban ecosystem restoration in the European Union and Latin America.
Through participation in INTERLACE, CBIMA sought to build a platform to foster systemic, extensive participation in the planning of green public space, based on viable restoration solutions responding to citizen needs to create a safe, clean and inclusive city. As a long-term goal, the municipalities of CBIMA want to turn the area into the most accessible and greenest corridor in Latin America, hoping the planned interventions will become models to be followed in other urban environments in the country.
Key aims:
- Enhance environmental sustainability and community well-being in the area
- Implement reforestation projects
- Address urban water runoff issues through nature-based solutions
- Integrate green walls into urban infrastructure
- Convene events and conferences for knowledge exchange
- Co-develop a pilot new governance instruments
- Engage the general public, including young people and school children
CBIMA has undertaken various activities and NbS initiatives to enhance environmental sustainability and community well-being in the area. Notable among these efforts is the implementation of reforestation projects aimed at restoring ecological balance and promoting biodiversity (June to September 2022), exemplified by the establishment of a mini-forest in San José and the cultivation of an Urban Orchard in Alajuelita to bolster environmental sustainability in the area. The Urban Orchard provides a verdant and natural enclave within the urban milieu, fostering a meaningful connection between residents and their environment.
Additionally, CBIMA has addressed urban water runoff issues through the installation of NbS like permeable pavements, contributing to sustainable water management. The integration of green walls into CBIMA's urban infrastructure not only enhances aesthetics but also contributes to air purification and overall environmental well-being.
Alongside these interventions, significant events around and related to NbS have taken place, such as the World Environment Day celebrations in June 2022 and the Latin American Cities Talk Nature Engagement Event in May 2022. In September 2022, a collaborative tree planting exercise involving various community stakeholders was organized as part of the INTERLACE project.
Furthermore, CBIMA's engagement with the Committee of Environmental Education and its efforts in policy co-creation workshops demonstrate a holistic approach to environmental stewardship and highlighted the value and understanding of NbS. These endeavours have engaged a diversity of stakeholders, including university students, schools, civil society groups, international cooperation agencies, public institutions, and private companies, highlighting a collective commitment to sustainable urban development and environmental conservation in CBIMA.
Examples of these engagement events and activities are summarised below:
Tree planting in Hatillo (2022). The CBIMA team carried out a tree planting exercise with the community of Hatillo, in collaboration with the Municipality of San José, the Public Force, the National Institute of Housing and Urbanism, the National University and the company Namaterra Travel.
Citizen science (2023). As part of the Citizen Biological Monitoring Network for Climate Change, the first CBIMA bat count was conducted. Thanks to the INTERLACE Project, the biological monitoring program has been strengthened, adding more and more species to be monitored. The IV CBIMA Christmas Bird Count was also held the same year.
Inauguration of Mariana Park (2024). After a process of months to transform this site in partnership with the community, a festival was held to inaugurate the work done. Further NbS activities included maintaining the CBIMA Mini Forest. As part of the follow-up to the growth of this forest, the project team joined with the community to see the progress and ensure continued fertilizing of the trees and clean up on site. The event was attended by local businesses and included artistic and cultural activities.
Global Big Day in CBIMA (2024). The project joined two global activities for bird watching and recording. This included a citizen science in collaboration with eBird and a number of biodiversity tours were conducted as part of an international event, promoted by Inaturalist, called “La Gran Semana” of biodiversity. These activities contributed to CBIMA's environmental education efforts to help the community learn about the flora and fauna that inhabit the city, and to raise awareness and understanding of nature-based solutions. Participation in these global events is now part of the CBIMA team’s annual planning.
Arts programme. Murals were painted by local citizens as part of the INTERLACE Arts Programme. One of the characteristics of the programme in CBIMA has been the integration of different ages in the implementation of the activities. Citizens of all age groups, from school children to senior citizens were involved, which brought together different worldviews and perspectives on the multifaceted challenges the communities are facing. More than 100 people participated in the programme.
Butterfly count (2024). As part of the updating of the CBIMA Monitoring Program, the team consolidated different butterfly counting tours throughout the year, in both dry and rainy seasons. These events and activities involved a broad range of stakeholders including university students, schools and colleges, organized civil society groups (development associations, scout movement), international cooperation (Colombian embassy, Japan International Cooperation Agency, UNDP), public institutions and private companies.
The INTERLACE CBIMA project has been successful in establishing a mini-forest in San José and the cultivation of an Urban Orchard in Alajuelita to bolster environmental sustainability in the area. The Urban Orchard provides a verdant and natural enclave within the urban milieu, fostering a meaningful connection between residents and their environment. Additionally, CBIMA has addressed urban water runoff issues through the installation of natural permeable pavements, contributing to sustainable water management. The integration of green walls into CBIMA's urban infrastructure has not only enhanced aesthetics but also contributes to air purification and overall environmental well-being. Alongside these interventions, the project has been proactive in engaging local communities through art, digital gaming and citizen science activities.
Key impacts include:
- Public engagement in co-producing and promoting ownership of nature-based solutions
- Increased capacity of local government to implement integrated and ecologically coherent urban planning and governance approaches
- Raised awareness and understanding of the benefits of healthy (peri)urban ecosystems for social, cultural and economic wellbeing
- Strengthened cooperation between European and CELAC communities of practice on (peri)urban ecological restoration and rehabilitation
- Participation in European and CELAC city and regional networks to inspire and support learning and exchange on restorative NBS
Most if not all of the methods used in CBIMA are transferrable to other cities working on the topic of urban ecosystem restoration.
- Working with diverse stakeholders adds tangible benefits to the design and implementation of nature-based solutions in terms of ideation and planning, and notably in terms of ownership.
- Innovative approaches to engagement not only benefit education and understanding, but also empower communities to actively participate in shaping sustainable urban futures. These approaches have helped to foster a stronger connection between people, places and nature - and their interdependencies.
- Art and gamification have proven to be powerful tools for working with young people. The quality of ideas from young people has been exceptional, varying with age but consistently innovative and imaginative.
- Citizen science can be used to support biodiversity recording. It’s a great way to engage the general public and can lead to cost-effective and sustainable solutions for long-term monitoring.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 869324.