Abstract
Natural disasters are rapidly incrementing their intensity and frequency. Among these hazards, floods are one of the most common and costly, particularly in cities. Cities' vulnerability to inundation resides mainly on their urban design, as urbs have been built to be impermeable to water. To enhance their sponginess, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are increasingly being implemented in the urban matrix. Particularly, aqua NbS (aNbS) tackle water-related problems by increasing infiltration, drainage and groundwater recharge. Newly developed aNbS are floodable parks with retention ponds. These parks are designed for their complete inundation in order to attenuate surface runoff. To date there are no studies on the inundation's impacts on other ecosystem services (ESS) or on biodiversity in this aNbS. This study aims to fill these knowledge gaps through the selection of Flemish urban parks with upgrading potential into floodable parks and the study of the inundation's impacts by creating different flooding scenarios and analyzing the projected ESS and biodiversity responses. Biodiversity and design will have a major role in this study, as it is believed that they will determine the delivery of the ESS after an inundation. The study of this aNbS through an ESS perspective will help landscape planners, park managers, water companies and other relevant stakeholders to better understand urban ecosystems and the relevance of their implementation in cities.
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