Last updated: May 2025
Bayou La Batre, also known as the seafood capital of Alabama, has been facing severe flooding problems, including the occurence of combined sewerage overflows. The Nature Conservancy has secured funding to install a green stormwater project in Bayou La Batre, adjacent to the library, sports fields and the community center. Alongside the aim of the green stormwater project to decrease flooding events in the community by infiltrating water, it also serves as an education and engagement project [1]
Before construction green stormwater at Lucille Zirlott Park
Source: Anouk Fransen
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Green areas for water management
- Rain gardens
- Swales and filter strips
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Coastal resilience and marine protection (SDG 14)
- Coastal protection / hazard mitigation
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Improvements to water quality
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Coastal flooding
- Urban flooding (stormwater)
- Coastal hazards (e.g. erosion, flooding)
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation)
Focus
Maintenance and management of urban nature, Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks), Creation of semi-natural blue areas, Implementation of green areas for water management (e.g. rain gardens)
Project objectives
With the green stormwater construction at the Lucille Zirlott Park, the project aims to improve the resiliency of the community to coastal flooding and stormwater runoff while improving water quality. The project also serves educational and engagement purposes, aiming to become a pilot that could be replicated in Bayou La Batre [1].
Implementation activities
-Installation of a green stormwater project adjacent to the library, sports fields, and community center in Bayou La Batre.
-Implementation of infrastructure that allows for the infiltration of water to reduce flooding events and prevent combined sewerage overflows.
-Establishment of the project as a pilot that could be replicated in other areas of Bayou La Batre.
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Yes
Specification of climate or environmentally vulnerable communities
Low-income neighborhoods, Coastal communities, Communities located in floodplains, Minority or marginalized ethnic groups
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Non-government organisation/Civil Society
- Coastal-dependent communities (e.g. small-scale fishers, coastal farmers, and indigenous peoples)
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The Nature Conservancy leads the project; Environmental Protection Agency the funder and partner; engineers on the project; constructor of the project
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Yes
(Bayou La Batre Watershed Management Plan )
... a national policy or strategy?
No
... a local policy or strategy?
Type of enablers
Other
Financing
Total cost
€100,000 - €500,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public national budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Expected strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Enhanced protection against extreme weather events (e.g. storms, cyclones, tidal surges, coastal erosion)
- Expected enhanced protection against extreme weather events (e.g. storms, cyclones, tidal surges, coastal erosion)
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved water quality
- Expected improved water quality
- Increased protection against flooding
- Expected increased protection against flooding
- Improved stormwater management
- Expected improved stormwater management
- Enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems
- Expected enhanced protection and restoration of coastal and marine ecosystems
Economic impacts
- Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
- Expected increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
- Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
- Expected generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved liveability
- Expected improved liveability
- Education
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Expected increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
- Safety
- Improved community safety to climate-related hazards
- Expected improved community safety to climate-related hazards
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
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
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
(n.d.). Milestone (M4.1) Naturescapes Case study report Mobile (confidential).;
Before construction green stormwater at Lucille Zirlott Park
Source: Anouk Fransen
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.