Sponge City in San Salvador

Maintenance and management of urban nature, Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas, Ecological restoration of ecosystems

The goals of the project include: -To retain rainwater and thus improve infiltration [1]. -To enhance storm-water drainage systems [1]. -To reduce soil erosion, stabilize and regenerate soils on slopes and at the same time improve crop productivity, increase biodiversity and reduce risks from landslides, erosion and flood risk [1]. -To improve water flow and stabilize creek slopes while simultaneously reducing the risk of flooding and improving the connectivity of green areas in the city [1]. -To create a resilient community garden and school gardens as an ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) capable of meeting the needs of a community [1].

1. 36 farms are applying a system of live and dead barriers to prevent erosion and ditches in the middle of the coffee plantations to help retain rainwater and thus improve infiltration [1,2]. 2.Implementation of 5 school gardens and community gardens with drip water system [1,2]. 3. Restoring coffee plantations, forest, and digging infiltration ditches [7]. The project has already made progress, some of the data on their web page include [1,2]: - 432 hectares have been restored on 36 coffee farm -34,217 linear meters of infiltration trench. -4,790 m3 of water infiltrated in the ditches, - 49,875 trees, of which 46,850 are coffee trees and 3,125 are fruit trees, - number of beneficiaries: 2,811 - 280,190.07 m3 of potential infiltration during 1 year (considering 147.7 days of rain) 4. Restoration of urban and peri-urban streams-connectivity. 5,183 linear meters of urban streams, 4,565 plants between forest and fruit trees, number of beneficiaries 11,639 [1]. 5. Of the 30 absorption wells, 7 wells have been built. An infiltrated volume is estimated 28,117 m3 [1]. 6. Restoration of 150 hectares of critical ecosystems. 17.93 ha have been sampled for the identification of flora and fauna. A nursery has also been created for the restoration of flora and fauna [1,2]. 7. Community harvest water system and ecological sanitation systems in schools and communities. 10 harvest systems and 2 ecological sanitation systems have been created [1,2]. 8. Construction of drinking water well [2].

• Local government/Municipality
• Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
• Non-government organisation/Civil Society
• Researchers/University
• Citizens or community groups
• Food producers and cultivators (i.e. farmers, gardeners)