Green Infrastructure Plan for the city of Esmeraldas

The instrument is an ecological master plan that aims to define short- and long-term strategies to protect natural areas, introduce new green spaces in the urban area, and promote the use of nature-based solutions to prevent disaster risks. This last part is especially important because the city of Esmeraldas is heavily exposed to multiple risks (floods, landslides, fires, earthquakes and tsunamis), some of which are aggravated by climate change. The plan includes a portfolio of projects, a list of financing instruments, a municipal ordinance to implement it, and strategies to integrate it into the local land use regime. It promotes the use of nature-based solutions as an urban planning tool on the same level as traditional gray infrastructure. This green infrastructure plan is the first of its kind in Ecuador.

Overview

Type of instrument:

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

Challenges addressed

Ecologic connectivity
Green space management (e.g. accessibility)
Watershed restoration/water quality
Flood risk: pluvial and fluvial / soil permeability
Landslide risk
Nature appropriation / stewardship
Reconnection to the biosphere / environmental education

Consideration of nature-based solutions:

"The instrument seeks to achieve the following impacts: - Reconnect the city with its unique biodiversity - Reconciling life with climate and non-climate risk - Ensuring quality of life in an inclusive and climate resilient city - Supporting the city's nature-related socio-economic attractiveness - Fostering sustainable and climate-smart urban planning In particular, the program dedicated to ecosystem protection and restoration focuses on the following objectives: - Climate change adaptation and mitigation. - Delimitation and management of protection zones to ensure the integrity of Emerald Coast's most valuable natural capital (uniqueness, ecosystem services, etc.). - Prevent and mitigate landslides and forest fires. - Prevent risks associated with the refinery and thermoelectric plant infrastructure. - Reduce vulnerability to flooding - Reduce environmental and zoonosis risks".

Targeted (peri-)urban areas:

Parks and (semi)natural urban green areas

Blue areas

Green areas for water management

Derelict areas

External building greens

Urban green space connected to grey infrastructure

Good practice characteristics:

Effective

Multifunctional NBS support

Sustainable in the long-term

Governance

Government body/bodies

Initiating body:

Ministry of the Environment, UNDP Ecuador, Municipality of Esmeraldas

Instrument design:

Details about how the instrument was designed:

An international bidding process was carried out to select a consulting firm to design the instrument. The selected consulting firm (YES Innovation, Ecuador) designed the instrument in 6 products that considered a work plan, a diagnosis, the green infrastructure plan, the development of a specific preliminary project, an implementation and financing plan, and the integration of the plan into the municipal land use and management plan. These products were made in a constant dialogue with the initiators of the instrument, in particular the Municipality of Esmeraldas, and with a process of dialogue with representatives of neighborhoods and local communities, as well as with a process of consultation with key public and private companies in the city. The two local universities were also consulted on both the plan itself and their potential participation in its implementation.

Involvement of non-governmental actors:

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

Private sector, corporate, business

Researchers, university

Citizens or community groups / NGOs

Type of actor involvement:

Expert task force consultation

Civil society consultation through e.g. workshops, surveys, etc.

Instrument implementation:

Type of involvement:

Public participation was timely and specific. The implementation of the instrument is a municipal responsibility, but UNDP, as initiator of the project, has an important role in the implementation of the instrument thanks to the framework project that involves the development of some of its projects. This process is carried out in a transparent cooperation with the local municipality, and seeks to establish a permanent balance between the complexity of the local situation and the ambition of the international framework that finances the framework project based on climate risk prevention. The participation of private and especially public companies, which play a key role in Esmeraldas (refinery, thermoelectric plant, oil port), have land relevant to the instrument and invest in initiatives locally, is also considered key to the implementation of the instrument.

Targeted actors:

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

Private: household, real estate developer, business , financial

Citizens or community groups (CBOs), NGOs, NGOs, etc.

Financing

Sources of funding:

Corporate investment

Funds provided by non-governmental organization

Budget:

5 000 000€ - 10 000 000€

Details about instrument financing:

The instrument includes a guide detailing potential sources of external financing, considering international development banks, bilateral cooperation entities, specific local calls for proposals, multilateral fund managers, as well as funds from foundations and other private initiatives. In addition to these opportunities, which are organized in general by theme and by calls for proposals, a model of cooperation with local actors as vectors of potential co-financing was proposed and a model for integrating the plan's budget into the municipality's annual budget program was designed.

Monitoring, evaluation and impacts

Is a monitoring framework in place?:

Yes

The instrument includes a methodology for monitoring and evaluation of its application, both at the level of its implementation (municipal management process) and at the level of its impacts (with a dedicated system of indicators): details are presented in chapter 9 of the following document: https://www.yes-innovation.com/kopie-von-publicaciones?pgid=kwqt97x6-783bb334-4cce-4a71-8dbd-487a0a4d9a7f

Did an evaluation take place?:

Yes

If yes, please provide more information and, if possible, a link.the instrument includes a methodology for monitoring and evaluating its application, both at the level of its implementation (municipal management process) and at the level of its impacts (with a dedicated system of indicators).

Achieved outcomes and impacts:

The instrument was approved at the beginning of 2022 so the implementation process is just beginning, so we do not have results at this time.

Success factors and lessons learned:

It is still too early to evaluate the relevance of the instrument in relation to the objectives that were initially set. But it is possible to mention that the very process of designing the instrument allowed the integration of nature in a totally new position in the planning of the city of Esmeraldas, with a focus on ecosystem services and long-term development that takes into account the risks of climate change in the area. The good reception locally reserved for this initiative and the rapid approval of the ordinance demonstrates the local interest in new proposals for the management of the city. The fact that an implementation plan - including a draft ordinance, a management model and a financing plan - was integrated into the design of the instrument, has made it possible to accelerate the officialization of the plan as a regulatory document.

Sources and further information

References

List of references:

Yepez G., Salmon N., Aragundi S., Duque M., Barros JL., Vasconez M., Verduga L., Arcos V., Suarez AB., Flores C. (2021) - Proposal for a Green Infrastructure Plan for the city of Esmeraldas. A tool in the face of climate change. ADAPTACLIMA Project, UNDP Ecuador.

Interview(s):

YES Innovation

Further documents

Documents:

Plan de infraestructura verde para la ciudad de Esmeraldas - 2021.pdf

Weblinks:

https://www.yes-innovation.com/kopie-von-publicaciones?pgid=kwqt97x6-783bb334-4c…

https://adaptaclima.org/

Photos

@YES Innovation