Municipal Green Infrastructure Plan

Creation of new green areas, Maintenance and management of urban nature, Strategy, plan or policy development, Improved governance of green or blue areas

The goal of the Municipal Green Infrastructure Plan was to "strengthen the green infrastructure system through planning, design and implementation of urban strategies at different scales of actions and projects that contribute to enriching ecosystem services in the public and private space of the Municipality of Mérida" (Ref. 1). It sought to integrate nature-based strategies into city planning and the design of public spaces for climate change adaptation and mitigation (Ref. 1). In combination with the 'Arborizando Yucatán' strategy, the Green Infrastructure Plan seeks to "help reduce the effects of climate change, have more areas green and a better climate for the benefit of current and future generations of Yucatecans" (Refs. 3 & 4). In harmony with the city council's pledge to plant at least 200,000 native trees in the City of Merida (Declaration for Mérida 2050) (Ref. 2), the Municipal Green Infrastructure Plan similarly places emphasis on tree planting in order to mitigate the impacts of climate change, as illustrated by the four axes and respective sub-sections of which the plan is comprised (extracted from Ref. 1): Axis 1. Urban technical studies and documents: inventory of urban trees of the City of Mérida; tree study in parks; and multicriteria analysis. Axis 2. Programs and projects to be implemented: tree planting guide; table synthesis for planting; proper pruning for trees. Axis 3. Promotion of Citizen Culture: trees of Mérida. Axis 4. Strengthening of the Legal Framework: regulation for the protection and conservation of urban trees; construction regulations; law of conservation and development of urban trees in the state of Yutacán. 'Guía de plantación de árboles', which sits under the second axis of the plan, highlights numerous benefits which the Plan hoped to achieve (Ref. 1), including: - air purification; - formation of barriers which prevent noise and dust contamination; - provision of fruits; - provision of shade from the sun; - prevention of soil erosion; - absorption of "gases that harm us"; - production of oxygen; - "refresh[ing of] the environment; - provision of habitat for wildlife; and - filtration and purification of groundwater.

By pursuing tree planting in particular, it was recognised that many of the above sustainability challenges could be addressed. More information on this can be found under 'Guía de plantación de árboles', Ref. 1. As tree planting formed the main focus of the Plan, the following implementation activities were defined prior to rollout of the Plan (extracted from Ref. 1): - Undertaking of urban technical studies and documents: inventory of urban trees of the City of Mérida; tree study in parks; and multicriteria analysis; - Implementation of programmes and projects: tree planting guide; table synthesis for planting; proper pruning for trees; - Promotion of Citizen Culture: through 'trees of Mérida'; and - Strengthening of the Legal Framework: regulation for the protection and conservation of urban trees; construction regulations; law of conservation and development of urban trees in the state of Yutacán. Ref. 5 further shows that the plan was updated during 2019. During the first year of the plan rollout, "...work [w]as been done in different work groups to evaluate the plan and define new strategies and lines of action for the current dynamics of the city", and whereas "the previous plan was focused on trees [it was updated to include] the different types of services and environmental benefits provided by green infrastructure" (Ref. 5). Progress was also "made in updating the inventory of trees, in order to prioritize areas for arborization and in which more green infrastructure is required" (Ref. 5).

• Citizens or community groups