Last updated: March 2023
Spanning over 32000 square meters and featuring a landscaped rainwater catchment basin [5], the Rain Garden was created in 2014 in the Nuvali district of Santa Rosa. The garden offers an example of eco-friendly urban planning in the Philippines, as the Nuvali district is an eco-city itself with residential, business and commercial areas. Besides the Evozone Rain Garden, Nuvali also has various nature amenities, including a multi-functional lake, cycling and hiking paths, a wildlife and bird sanctuary and camping grounds. The Evozone Rain Garden was established in a commercial development area and it includes spacious open areas and cycling paths, along with the footbridge and view deck and adjacent to the manmade lake in Nuvali [2]. The Rain garden also serves as a rainwater catchment basin, rainwater harvesting system, and fire reserve, providing recycled water for landscaping, irrigation and other non-potable water uses [1]. In addition, the garden has been developed to serve as a habitat for various bamboo varieties and birds [4], also making the garden an ideal birdwatching spot [3]. The EvoZone Rain garden is free and open to the public [2].
Evozone Rain Garden
https://ebonph.wordpress.com/2019/11/01/newbie-notes-2-solo-birding-in-nuvali-evoliving/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Lakes/ponds
- Green areas for water management
- Rain gardens
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of semi-natural blue areas
Project objectives
The Evozone rain-garden project had the following objectives:
- serve as a rainwater catchment basin made from a natural plant-based filtration system and sand and stones to form a landscape area [2,5]
- help with rainwater harvesting, serve as a fire reserve and provide recycled water for landscaping irrigation and other uses which do not require potable water [1]
- accommodate visitors and nature lovers who are looking for an escape from urban life [2]
- serve as a habitat for bamboo varieties, and birds [4]
- serve as a birdwatching area [4]
Implementation activities
The garden has an all-natural plant-based filtration system to capture rainwater. In addition, sand and stones were utilized to form a picturesque landscape area [5], and 20 bamboo varieties and seven types of trees were planted. [4]. Additionally, the developer of the area created spacious open areas, walking, jogging and cycling paths that encompass the garden. A footbridge has also been constructed to offer a vantage point to view the natural areas of Evozone. A view deck was added so that visitors can engage in bird watching and enjoy the sights and refreshing breeze [2]. The garden provides a home to at least six species of birds, which has made this zone a birdwatching spot. [4]
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Create new habitats
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect species
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Led by non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Unknown
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The whole project was planned and funded by Ayala Land Inc. as part of the Nuvali eco-city development project [3, 7]. In 2014, Ayala Land Inc. established the Evozone Rain Garden as a constituent of the Avida Lakeside Evozone commercial development project. [7]
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Corporate investment
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Environmental quality
- Improved air quality
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
- Increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Health and wellbeing
- Improved physical health
- Improved mental health
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
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 evidence in public records
References
[1] Quimpo, M. (2018). Climate Resilient Urban Design Case Studies. [online] Designing Resilience. Available at: Source link [Accessed 1 Mar. 2023].
[2] Ayala Land (2017). RAIN GARDEN EVOZONE. [online] Nuvali. Available at: Source link [Accessed 1 Mar. 2023].
[3] Alinan, V. (2019). Newbie Notes #2: Solo Birding in Nuvali Evoliving. [online] eBON. Available at: Source link [Accessed 1 Mar. 2023].
[4] BusinessMirror (2021). Go straight to a Southern sanctuary. [online] Radio Philippines Network. Available at: Source link [Accessed 1 Mar. 2023].
[5] Ayala Land (2015). Nuvali Site Development Plan. [online] Avida Estates. Available at: Source link [Accessed 1 Mar. 2023].
[6] Nuvali Santa Rosa (2012). Nuvali Santa Rosa. [online] Source link. Available at: Source link [Accessed 1 Mar. 2023].
[7] Avida Nuvali (2014) Available at: Source link [Accessed 9 Mar. 2023].
[2] Ayala Land (2017). RAIN GARDEN EVOZONE. [online] Nuvali. Available at: Source link [Accessed 1 Mar. 2023].
[3] Alinan, V. (2019). Newbie Notes #2: Solo Birding in Nuvali Evoliving. [online] eBON. Available at: Source link [Accessed 1 Mar. 2023].
[4] BusinessMirror (2021). Go straight to a Southern sanctuary. [online] Radio Philippines Network. Available at: Source link [Accessed 1 Mar. 2023].
[5] Ayala Land (2015). Nuvali Site Development Plan. [online] Avida Estates. Available at: Source link [Accessed 1 Mar. 2023].
[6] Nuvali Santa Rosa (2012). Nuvali Santa Rosa. [online] Source link. Available at: Source link [Accessed 1 Mar. 2023].
[7] Avida Nuvali (2014) Available at: Source link [Accessed 9 Mar. 2023].
Evozone Rain Garden
https://ebonph.wordpress.com/2019/11/01/newbie-notes-2-solo-birding-in-nuvali-evoliving/
Evozone Rain Garden Map
https://avidaestates.webs.com/documents/nuvalisaleskit.pdf
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the "NBS 2022" UNA Asian extension project funded by the Asia-Europe Foundation.