Last updated: March 2025
To reduce the risk of urban flooding, the city of Seville, through its metropolitan water company Emasesa, established several "sustainable urban drainage systems". One of the pilot locations is on the Avenida de las Ascociaciones de Vecinos, where a rain garden complemented by an infiltration zone was established. The main aim of the project is to reduce the risk of flooding, but the system can also improve the urban landscape by offering green space, preventing desertification and reducing pollutants carried by runoff [Ref. 1-4]. After implementation, the project was shown to be effective during heavy rain [Ref. 5]. The system can store up to 34 m2 of water and reduce flow rates to the sewage network by 69 % and the total runoff to sewage by 93 % [Ref. 3-5]. The project was initiated and led by Emamesa, while two different companies were employed to design and construct the system [Ref. 1, 2, 6, 7]. The total budget of the project, which also included some renovations of grey infrastructure along the street, was 165000 EUR [Ref. 1].
The rain garden/bioretention zone of the drainage system.
Ref. 5
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Green areas for water management
- Rain gardens
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Improvements to water quality
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Urban flooding (stormwater)
- Environmental Degradation
- Biodiversity loss
- Poor water quality
- Desertification
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Rapid urbanization
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation)
Focus
Creation of semi-natural blue areas, Implementation of green areas for water management (e.g. rain gardens)
Project objectives
- Reduce the risk of flooding and the pressure on sanitation networks
- Test the effects of the sustainable urban drainage system and its potential to be implemented in other locations
- Reduce pollution in runoff water
- Renovate a degraded public space and increase life quality in the neighbourhood
[Ref. 1, 2]
Implementation activities
1. The renovation of the Avenida de Las Asociaciones de Vecinos was planned by the City of Seville and the municipal water company Emasesa [Ref. 1, 2]
2. The sustainable urban drainage system was designed by the company GreenBlue Management [Ref. 6].
3. The system was constructed, consisting of a rain garden, called a bioretention zone, with durable plants and two permeable infiltration zones leading water to the rain garden.
4. The system was equipped with a control system collecting data on the flow and water quality of water flowing into and out of the bioretention zone to evaluate the efficacy of the system [Ref. 1, 3, 4].
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Government-led
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The municipal water and sewage company, Emasesa, initiated and implemented the project [Ref. 1-5]. A company called GreenBlue Management, specialising in nature-based water management solutions, was involved in designing the drainage system [Ref. 6]. A construction company, Villa Flores Martin, was employed to build the system [Ref. 7]. It is stated that the project of renovating the avenue was requested by local citizens, but it is unclear how citizen participation was conducted [Ref. 1].
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
Collaboration with other projects that implemented NBS
Financing
Total cost
€100,000 - €500,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Storm / wave induced erosion and flooding
- Achieved storm / wave induced erosion and flooding
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved water quality
- Expected improved water quality
- Increased protection against flooding
- Achieved increased protection against flooding
- Improved stormwater management
- Achieved improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
- Achieved increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Reduce financial cost for urban management
- Achieved reduce financial cost for urban management
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved liveability
- Achieved improved liveability
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
City of Seville (2020). Obras de reurbanización en la Avenida de Las Asociaciones de Vecinos del Distrito Norte con la renovación de redes y la puesta en marcha de una prueba piloto de sistema de drenaje urbano sostenible en parterres. Accessed on September 30, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Emamesa (n.d.). Drenaje urbano sostenible. Accessed on September 30, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Sevilla Actualidad (2020). Emasesa apuesta por los sistemas urbanos de drenaje sostenible en Sevilla. Accessed on September 30, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Europa Press (2020). Emasesa instala un sistema de drenaje sostenible en parterres de la avenida de las Asociaciones de Vecinos de Sevilla. Accessed on September 30, 2024, [Source link];
5.
Emamesa (2020). Excelente respuesta del Sistema de Drenaje Sostenible (SUDS) situado en la Avda. de las Asociaciones de Vecinos ante las intensas lluvias que se producían el día de ayer en nuestra ciudad. Accessed on September 30, 2024, [Source link];
6.
GreenBlue Management (2020). SUDS en Avda. de las Asociaciones de Vecinos, Sevilla. Accessed on September 30, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Villa Flores Martín (2020). Sistema de drenaje urbano sostenible en Sevilla para EMASESA. Accessed on September 30, 2024, [Source link];
8.
City of Seville (2022). Anuario Estadístico de la Ciudad de Sevilla, 2022.;
The infiltration zone of the system, from which water will be led to the bioretention zone.
Ref. 5
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.