Salvador, Capital of the Atlantic Forest

Creation of new green areas, Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Protection of natural ecosystems, Transformation of previously derelict areas

The Secretariat of Sustainability, Innovation and Resilience intended that the intervention should "boost awareness of the critical roles trees play in cities—not just urban trees within city limits, but the forests outside of them as well" (Ref. 1). Acknowledging the severe deforestation which the Atlantic Forest had been subject to - with <20% of the original forest remaining, and only 7% remaining "in good condition" - the city intended that urban reforestation should increase the resilience of Salvador's residents by increasing the provision of potential ecosystem services which could be garnered from forests (Ref. 1). With this project, the city hopes to increase the provision of critical ecosystem services which the Atlantic Forest can provide to its urban residents, including "ensuring a consistent and clean water supply, regulating temperature, purifying the air, improving hydroelectric generation, limiting flooding, safeguarding unique plant and animal species, and encouraging local economic development" (Ref. 1).

The project seeks to articulate several initiatives, integrating actions and transforming public and institutional spaces to promote sustainability of the Atlantic Forest, especially so through the physical implementation of parks for the System of Areas of Environmental and Cultural Value – SAVAM, member of the current Urban Development Master Plan, Act 9.069/2016, which is part of a climate resilience strategy for communities" (Ref. 2). Through the implementation of a local reforestation strategy that surpassed national requirements, Salvador city's initiative "help[s to] ensure [that] global and national goals to end deforestation, restore forests and fight climate change succeed on the ground" (Ref. 1). Within the umbrella programme, several initiatives exist and a total of 15 actions are drawn up to realise the objectives of the programme. As illustrated by Ref. 2, these are: - Recovery of Salvador’s Botanical Garden, including installation of a roof garden; - Municipal Plan for the Atlantic Forest Conservation and Recovery (PCRMA); - Center for Interpretation of the Atlantic Forest; - Please Water Me (media campaign); - Atlantic Forest Caravan (community tree planting, where saplings are delivered to residents by a "green-roofed vehicle loaded with tree seedlings, topsoil, and fertilizer"); - Barra’s Marine Park (creation of a marine life nursery); - My Tree (creation of an open web/mobile georeferencing platform for residents and the state to register and monitor plantings); - Forest Restoration of the Canabrava Landfill (reforestation of "an old open skies landfill that used to keep all the waste produced by Salvador, and that remained active for 30 years"); - Green Eco-Corridors (reforest areas which would connect spaces and preserve biodiversity); - Biodiversity in Parks and Squares (introduce birds, butterflies and other insects across the city, stimulating local biodiversity and community engagement); - Wind Park (creation of a social co-existence wind park on an area of 86,500m2); - Vale Encantado Ecological Park (renovation of the park); - "Ilha dos Frades" Eco-Station (implementation of an eco-station in "a privileged space for Atlantic Forest conservation". Through the implementation of these activities, numerous following sustainability challenges are intended to be addressed. Sustainability challenges addressed and one or two examples of (an) action/intervention which hopes to achieve each of these challenges are presented below: - Climate change adaptation; Municipal Plan for the Atlantic Forest Conservation and Recovery (Ref. 2), also see Ref. 1 for a summary of how the programme as a whole promotes climate change adaptation; - Flood protection; programme as a whole (Ref. 1); - Improvements to water quality; programme as a whole (Ref. 1); - Habitat and biodiversity conservation and restoration; Green Eco-Corridors (Ref. 2) - Green space creation and/or management; Green Eco-Corridors and Atlantic Forest Caravan (Ref. 2); - Air quality improvement; programme as a whole (Ref. 1); - Social cohesion and social interaction; Biodiversity in parks and squares (Ref. 2); - Environmental education; My Tree and Centre for Interpretation of the Atlantic Forest (Ref. 2); - Enabling physical activity and creating opportunities for relaxation and recreation; “Parque dos Ventos” (Wind Park) and Vale Encantado Ecological Park (Ref. 2); - Tourism support; Barra’s Marine Park (Ref. 2);

• Citizens or community groups