Speaker
Description
Under the dual challenges of climate change and urban sustainable development, Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) are one of the modern approaches to address environmental and social challenges. As an innovative strategy for urban sustainability, NbS has garnered widespread international attention (Nugent et al., 2015), and many countries have actively promoted its broad application. The Urban Nature Atlas (UNA) categorizes NbS based on the challenges faced by different regions and emphasizes the importance of bottom-up NbS implementation strategies. Also, in urban governance, uncertainties posed by climate change and the lack of site-specific governance strategies highlight the need for a comprehensive implementation framework (Castelo et al., 2023). Therefore, how to systematically and effectively incorporate NbS into urban planning statutory systems and practices remains a pressing topic in academic and practical fields.
In Taiwan, the "Nature-Based Solutions for Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan" meeting was firstly held in 2022 and followed by the Executive Yuan approved the "National Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan (2023–2026)" in 2023. The NbS was officially announced as a key concept in climate change adaptation strategies (Shih, 2024). Despite strategies of ecological protection and disaster prevention have been compulsory contents in the current statutory plan by law, the systematic application of ecological foundations integrated with NbS remains insufficient (Chou et al., 2023).
Furthermore, the practical application of NbS in Taiwan faces challenges due to urban spatial heterogeneity and high-density development. The local applications of NbS remain controversial. Kaohsiung City, the second largest municipality in Taiwan, has actively sought to transition from a heavy-industrial city toward a vision of smart innovation and green sustainable development in recent years, presenting an excellent opportunity for the introduction of NbS.
The study focuses on Kaohsiung City's urban planning system, selecting three types of spatial areas facing distinct challenges: industrial transformation and emerging urban zones (e.g., Asia New Bay Area), existing ecological protection zones (e.g., Shoushan Conservation Area), and historical cultural landscape areas (e.g., Yancheng District). The research employs Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) combined with an NbS relevance matrix to quantify the current state of NbS applications in urban planning documents. Additionally, through international case comparisons, this study examines differences in policy frameworks, technological applications, and social benefits, evaluating the status of NbS applications in various spatial contexts in Kaohsiung's urban planning while analyzing the potential and deficiencies in its implementation.
The expected outcomes of this study include: (1) clarifying the current status and limitations of NbS applications across different urban planning areas in Kaohsiung; (2) proposing policy integration and suggesting possible planning regulations/ zoning codes for the current urban planning statutory system for delivering feasible NbS strategies to enhance Kaohsiung City's resilience and sustainability. These findings aim to serve as a policy and practical reference for other cities, contributing to the dual goals of climate adaptation and sustainable development.
References
References:
1.Castelo, S., Amado, M., & Ferreira, F. (2023). Challenges and Opportunities in the Use of Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Adaptation. Sustainability, 15(9), 7243.
2.Nugent, N., & Rhinard, M. (2015). The european commission. Bloomsbury Publishing.
3.周素卿、盧鏡臣、鄭詠晨、林培安（2023）。臺北市沿山都市緩衝帶的再自然化及其效益分析。都市與計劃，50(2)，297-320。
4.施友元（2024）。以自然解方推動氣候變遷調適行動之國際合作趨勢與啟示。國際開發援助現場季刊，(17)，22-30。
| Keywords | Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) ; Urban Planning ; Sustainable Urban Development |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
