Londrina, Brazil
City population: 575377
Duration: 2021 – 2022
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Public Greenspace Area
Last updated: June 2022

The project has seen the "installation of rock structures to reduce the energy of the water that is drained by conventional rainwater galleries and the strategic planting of certain plant species that, through phytoremediation, can mitigate the diffuse pollution that affects the body of the river" (Ref. 1). In combination, "these solutions aim to prevent erosion and landslides on the banks, stop the siltation of the river, improve water quality and strengthen the linear park as a leisure space increasingly demanded by the population in its surroundings" (Ref. 1). A demonstration project which occurred under ICLEI's INTERACT-Bio project, the implementation of NBS has also been accompanied by other measures which saw Lake Cabrinha be de-silted, a walking path, benches, and playground be built and LED lighting be installed" (Ref. 1).

Lago Cabrinha
Lago Cabrinha
https://americadosul.iclei.org/how-brazilian-cities-are-implementing-nature-based-solutions/

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Blue infrastructure
  • Lakes/ponds
  • Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
  • Green areas for water management
  • Other
  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Riverbank/Lakeside greens
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests

Key challenges

  • Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
  • Climate change adaptation
  • Environmental quality
  • Soil quality improvement
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity conservation
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Flood protection
  • Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
  • Improvements to water quality

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas, Ecological restoration of degraded ecosystems

Project objectives

The project was undertaken to mitigate issues related to flooding and the occurrence of landslides and also to control pollution (Ref. 3). Specifically, implementation of the project pertains to the following objective: "the energy of the waters -which flow from the galleries of the conventional rainwater drainage system- lose speed, volume and strength, avoiding damage along the way, possible floods and landslides on the banks of the stream, as well as erosion of the soil and the silting up of Lago Cabrinha. With the planting of adequate and native vegetation, it is expected to have water purification agents, which may be contaminated or polluted by the deposit of organic and inorganic substances" (Ref. 4). With this, the Londrina City Hall "seeks to reduce the effects of environmental degradation in the stream and optimize the capacity of the drainage system" (Ref. 4). The project falls under the wider ICLEI INTERACT-Bio project, which has the broader goals of "aim[ing] to support local governments in several countries for the correct use of nature for the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems and environmental and economic sustainability" (Ref. 3). Whilst work had already been undertaken by the Londrina Municipality which sought to revitalise Lake Cabrinha, for example, desilting of the lake, the source of the river had yet to be included; hence it was this area that the project specifically focused on (Refs. 3 & 4).

Implementation activities

Rock structures were installed/rearranged at the source of Lake Cabrinha in order to "reduce the energy of the water that is drained by conventional rainwater galleries" (Ref. 1), and specific plant species were introduced which facilitate phytoremediation and mitigate diffuse pollution (Ref. 1). The rearrangement of rachão stones which exist in the lake was performed in a way that saw the formation of small staggered pools, the first being deeper than the following (Ref. 2). A dam was constructed, comprised of large semi-grounded stones and logs for the base; the soil was filled with embedded smaller stones embedded, and a slope/containment barrier was also created for "the later planting of vegetation" (Ref. 2). The containment barrier had a geotextile blanket (of vegetable fibres) installed to serve as the base of the slope into which plants could be introduced (Ref. 2). Riparian and rhizomatous plants were chosen due to their being "resistant to water", and their ability to perform phytoremediation of both organic and inorganic pollutants (Ref. 2). On the bank of the lake, "the stones will continue to play their role of containment", with the intention that erosion/landslides will be prevented, and that the shape of the lake "can be preserved and that it does not return to the shape it had in past years" (Ref. 2).

Climate-focused activities

Climate change adaptation:

  • Implement measures that prevent/manage desertification, soil erosion and landslides
  • Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
  • Restore wetlands and/or coastal ecosystems to dissipate the effects of flooding and/or storms
  • Implement sustainable urban drainage infrastructure (e.g. to make space for water)
  • Renaturalization of rivers and other water bodies

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

  • Protect and enhance urban habitats
  • Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
  • Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
  • Protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect native species
  • Means for conservation governance
  • Raise public awareness
  • Public engagement

Main beneficiaries

  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • National government
  • Local government/municipality
  • Transnational network

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Other

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

According to the Mayor of Londrina, Mayor Marcelo Belinati, the NBS was "proposed by the City of Londrina in partnership with several international institutes, such as ICLEI and the German Government" (Ref. 2). For project realisation, these actors were further joined by "the São Paulo company Guajava Arquitetura da Landscape e Urbanismo...to design the project, which was designed by urban architects, biologists, civil and environmental engineers and by professors and researchers from the University of São Paulo" (Ref. 2). Further actors involved in project implementation included "the municipal secretariats for the Environment (Sema) and for Works and Paving (SMOP); Municipal Transit and Urbanization Company (CMTU) and Institute of Research and Urban Planning of Londrina (Ippul) (Ref. 3).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? No
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Unknown

Financing

Total cost

€10,000 - €50,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Multilateral funds/international funding
  • Other

Type of funding

  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Climate change
  • Lowered local temperature
  • Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
  • Water management and blue areas
  • Improved water quality
  • Increased protection against flooding
  • Improved stormwater management
  • Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
  • Green space and habitat
  • Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
  • Increased number of species present

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved liveability
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Education
  • Increased support for education and scientific research
  • Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References

1. Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) (2021). How Brazilian Cities Are Implementing Nature-Based Solutions. São Paulo: ICLEI América do Sul. Source link
2. Hedler, A. P. (2021). Prefeitura de Londrina apresenta projeto pioneiro para o Lago Cabrinha; 'Londrina City Hall presents a pioneering project for Lago Cabrinha'. Londrina: Prefeitura de Londrina. Source link
3. Sawczuk, U. (2022). Prefeitura entrega revitalização da nascente do Lago Cabrinha nesta quinta (17); 'City hall delivers revitalization of Lago Cabrinha spring this Thursday (17)'. Londrina: Prefeitura de Londrina. Source link
4. União: Journal Do Norte Do Parana (2021). Prefeitura de Londrina apresenta projeto pioneiro para o Lago Cabrinha; 'Londrina City Hall presents a pioneering project for Lago Cabrinha'. Londrina: Camargo Publishing Ltd. Source link
5. Orikasa, M. (2022). Melhorias trazem movimento ao Lago Cabrinha em Londrina; 'Improvements bring movement to Lago Cabrinha in Londrina'. Londrina: Folha de Londrina. Source link
6. Paiquerê FM News (2022). Nascente do Lago Cabrinha é revitalizada e entregue para a comunidade; 'Lago Cabrinha spring is revitalized and delivered to the community'. Londrina: Paiquerê FM. Source link
7. Tem Londrina (2022). Revitalização da nascente do Lago Cabrinha é entregue; 'Revitalization of the Lago Cabrinha spring is delivered'. Londrina: Tem Londrina. Source link
8. Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) (2020). TERMO DE REFERÊNCIA – Seleção nº 24/2020: Projeto e execução de requalificação das margens do córrego Cabrinha, a ser desenvolvida a partir de Soluções Baseadas na Natureza, no município de Londrina-PR; 'TERM OF REFERENCE - Selection nº 24/2020: Project and execution of requalification of the banks of the Cabrinha stream, to be developed from Nature-Based Solutions, in the municipality of Londrina-PR'. São Paulo: ICLEI América do Sul. Source link.
River margins without vegetation, prior to NBS implementation
River margins without vegetation, prior to NBS implementation
https://americadosul.iclei.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/78/2020/09/tdr-projetodemonstrativo-ldna-2.pdf
Diffuse pollution, prior to intervention
Diffuse pollution, prior to intervention
https://americadosul.iclei.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/78/2020/09/tdr-projetodemonstrativo-ldna-2.pdf
River margins, post NBS implementation
River margins, post NBS implementation
https://temlondrina.com.br/meio-ambiente/revitalizacao-da-nascente-do-lago-cabrinha-e-entregue/
River margins, post NBS implementation
River margins, post NBS implementation
https://www.folhadelondrina.com.br/cidades/melhorias-trazem-movimento-ao-lago-cabrinha-em-londrina-3166150e.html
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the UNA global extension project funded by the British Academy. The case study was identified through ICLEI's Cities with Nature initiative.