Last updated: May 2025
San Borja has 1,347,000 square metres of green areas, equivalent to 12 square metres of green space per inhabitant, one of the highest ratios in the capital (1, 2). In total, there are 75 parks within its jurisdiction (1, 3). However, in recent years it has consolidated its role as a metropolitan urban centre and has become denser with new multi-family construction projects replacing traditional single-family homes with gardens (2). As a result, tree cover has decreased, affecting the creation of shaded areas and air quality, putting the health of residents at risk (2). Nevertheless, this municipality has reaffirmed its participation in the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, committing to implement policies and take measures to reduce (or limit where appropriate) greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the impacts of climate change, as it is vulnerable to heat waves and droughts, as well as high wind and thunderstorm hazards and fires (1). Thus, since 2014, 56,000 trees have been planted, which is one tree for every two residents in the district (2). The mitigation programme includes 40 measures, including the creation and conservation of green areas, which involve planting trees to create urban forests to help regulate temperature, prevent heat waves, improve CO2 absorption, and preserve endemic species (1). In addition, the programme promotes the use of organic farming practices and the propagation of plants using natural methods (1). One of the sectors where there has been the most progress is Sector 12, with 31% of the green areas created (3). Within this sector, the district is planting and creating an urban forest within the premises of the Army Headquarters, better known as ‘Pentagonito’. Its objective is to educate neighbours and promote greater environmental awareness (3, 4, 5).
Urban forest project on the grounds of the Army Headquarters.
Perú 21
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Improving physical health
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Heat stress & Extreme temperatures
- Forest fires and wildfires
- Extreme weather events (e.g. storms, hurricanes)
- Environmental Degradation
- Deforestation and forest degradation
- Air pollution
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Rapid urbanization
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration)
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of large parks and urban and peri-urban forests, Strategy, plan or policy development, Creation of city-wide or neighborhood climate adaptation or mitigation strategies/programs, Creation of eco-district plans, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity, Habitat mapping, restoration and monitoring-focused management
Project objectives
- To establish areas to create green spaces and boundaries through reforestation and tree planting (1, 2)
- To take advantage of the shade effect of trees to reduce the temperature radiated from the streets (2), and prevent heat waves (1)
- To strengthen carbon sequestration (1, 3)
- To create a new green lung for the district of San Borja and Lima (2)
- To educate neighbours and promote greater awareness about the protection of the planet (3)
- To provide spaces for the well-being and health of the inhabitants (3)
- To preserve endemic species to maintain their conservation (1)
- To communicate about climate hazards to the population (1)
Implementation activities
The project encompasses a comprehensive plan to sectorize the district, delineating specific areas for tree planting (2). The municipal nursery has been expanded to prioritise drought-resistant tree species and plants, well-suited to Lima's climate (1, 4). Additionally, the project emphasises the cultivation of perennial plants to encourage their use in landscape design, thereby reducing reliance on seasonal plants that can adversely impact existing green cover (1).
The tree planting plan is strategically designed to create windbreaks (1) and promote plant propagation through seeds, cuttings, and tall stems to enhance CO2 capture (1). For effective maintenance, irrigation channels have been installed (1), organic pesticides have been encouraged to minimise toxic compound exposure, and stricter regulations have been implemented for agrochemical purchases to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions (1).
Furthermore, the project is integrated with a water management plan, utilizing treated water for irrigation of green areas to address drought and forest fire risks (1). To monitor the project's impact, sensors have been strategically placed to measure CO2 capture, temperature, and air quality (2). Additionally, online monitoring and reporting are facilitated through an application (2).
Finally, to ensure the project's sustainability, regulations have been defined to ensure that the green areas on the land are not valorised and lost when there is a change of ownership (1).
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
Climate change mitigation:
- Increase the availability of green urban space for carbon storage (street tree cover)
- Improve carbon sequestration through selection of more adaptable species
- Raise public awareness of behaviours, lifestyle and cultural changes with mitigation potential
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Yes
Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities
Urban heat islands
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Create new habitats
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect native species
- Means for conservation governance
- Raise public awareness
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Co-management/Joint management
- Citizen monitoring and review
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
Municipalidad de San Borja: initiating and implementing actor (1, 2)
Grupo Qaira S. A. C: Start-up with which the district formed a partnership. This company provides the resources for real-time air quality monitoring. It also contributes to urban tree management and health promotion (2)
Peruvian Army: implementing actor, provider of the land and maintenance of the urban forest (4)
Citizens: can monitor air quality in real-time (2)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
No
... a national policy or strategy?
No
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(Climate change mitigation plan for San Borja (1, 2))
Type of enablers
Capacity-building projects, Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships)
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of land
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Expected lowered local temperature
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Expected enhanced carbon sequestration
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Achieved improved access to urban green space
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved physical health
- Expected improved physical health
- Education
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Expected increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
(n.d.). MUNICIPALIDAD DISTRITAL DE SAN BORJA, LIMA, PERÚ: MEDIDAS DE MITIGACIÓN Y ADAPTACIÓN AL CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO . Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Zucchetti, A., Gutierrez, C., Gonzales, P., Alcantara, T., Hartmann, N. (2021). GUÍA: INFRAESTRUCTURA VERDE Y SOLUCIONES BASADAS EN LA NATURALEZA PARA LA ADAPTACIÓN AL CAMBIO CLIMÁTICO . Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Radio Nacional Perú (2018). San Borja cuenta con más de 56 mil árboles de 130 especies en su jurisdicción. Accessed on August 27, 2024, [Source link];
4.
El Comercio (2018). San Borja: plantarán 550 árboles en bosque dentro del ‘Pentagonito’. Accessed on August 28, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Perú21 (2019). Siembran 550 árboles en tres hectáreas cedidas por el Ejército del Perú en San Borja. Accessed on August 28, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Health Ministry (2024). Estadística poblacional. Accessed on August 28, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (2020). Planos Estratificados de Lima Metropolitana a Nivel de Manzanas 2020. Accessed on August 28, 2024, [Source link];
Urban forest on the grounds of the Army Headquarters.
Perú 21
Urban forest on the grounds of the Army Headquarters
El Comercio Perú
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.