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Implementing the Green City Accord in Torres Vedras: current status and future directions for Nature & Biodiversity domain
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Due to the growth of urban areas, there is increased pressure on natural resources. Habitat loss,
degradation, and fragmentation have a negative effect on urban biodiversity and ecosystem services.
The urban green infrastructure (UGI) is composed of urban green and blue spaces, which includes a
heterogeneous and complex network of habitats that supports urban biodiversity and promotes
connectivity between urban and rural areas. In response to the challenges caused by urbanisation, several
global policies have been developed. At the local or city level, the European Commission has developed
the Green City Accord (GCA), which addresses various areas of environmental management and is
committed to safeguarding the natural environment. The GCA will support the delivery of the European
Green Deal and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. By signing this agreement, city leaders agree
to take further action to make their cities greener, cleaner, and healthier.
The GCA is divided into 5 environmental management domains: Air, Water, Noise, Waste &
Circular Economy, and Biodiversity & Nature. The aim of this work was to provide the baseline
assessment for the Nature & Biodiversity domain of the Green City Accord for the Municipality of
Torres Vedras. This was done by selecting 7 indicators and the respective methods, quantifying, and
mapping the indicators for Torres Vedras, and finally submitting the baseline to the GCA. The indicators
concern protected areas, restored areas, tree cover, vegetation changes over time, bird diversity,
pollination ecosystem service, and accessibility to urban green spaces. A baseline was calculated for
each of these indicators, using remote sensing products (processed ArcGIS) bird sampling, and InVest
software (for ecosystem services).
Results have shown that while the majority of the municipality (78.89%) is under some
protection status, the highest-level protection covers only 2.95% of the municipality's land area,
suggesting that the highest protection status could be extended to other areas. Restoration of degraded
areas can contribute to the GCA, and although few areas in Torres Vedras have been restored (0.014
km2
), several restoration actions are ongoing and inspired by nearby rural areas. In terms of tree canopy
cover, although the area has increased in some areas, it decreased on average by 14.5% of the urban
perimeter between 2012 and 2018, probably due to street tree removal and fire control strip. Looking at
the changes in vegetation type, these were most likely caused by ecological succession, such as grassland
turning into shrubs. Bird sampling revealed that there were more species and individuals in parks and
gardens compared to fewer species and individuals in eucalyptus plantations. This highlighted the value
of urban green spaces for urban biodiversity. The analysis of pollination ecosystem services revealed
that the maximum potential of pollination provision does not exist in the Torres Vedras Urban Perimeter,
but that the oak trees and other semi-natural areas provided the most, while the built vertical areas do
not present pollination potential. In general, results suggest that habitats with a high diversity of floristic
resources favour pollination potential. Finally, in terms of population accessibility to green areas, the
results show that approximately 52% of the population is within a maximum distance of 300 metres
from an urban green space, allowing the identification of areas further away from green spaces and
where a high population density may exceed the availability of green areas.
Finally, to propose measures that can improve the current status, actions that promote
biodiversity and nature conservation have been selected and discussed, these being in the scope of
ecological restoration, adoption of more heterogeneous and complex vegetation that promotes
connectivity and increase of protected areas and urban green parks.
Smart planning supported by policy instruments such as GCA can drive innovative forms of
urban development that are both environmentally sustainable and beneficial to human well-being. This
work contributed to the conclusion of the Nature & Biodiversity task of the Green City Accord, however the results and conclusions can be applied for cooperation of other agreements and initiatives, such as
the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and European Union Biodiversity Strategy 2030.
Descrição
Relatório de estágio de mestrado, Ecologia e Gestão Ambiental , 2023, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências
Palavras-chave
Ecologia Urbana Gestão Ambiental Infraestrutura Verde Urbana Serviços de Ecossistema Desenvolvimento Sustentável Relatórios de estágio de mestrado - 2023