Co-Producing Nature-Based Solutions to mitigate pollution, improve biodiversity, and foster ecosystem processes in urban streams within vulnerable social contexts

GRAZIANO MARTIN; GÓMEZ BÁRBARA; GÓMEZ LUGO SEBASTIÁN; SAVEIKA CAMILA; SARACENO MARTIN

Conferencia; CONEXUS Acelerating Urban Nature-Based Solutions; 2024

The expansion of metropolitan areas in Latin America imposes significant negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems, placing them at the center of demands from popular and socio-vulnerable sectors of society. Addressing urban streams within a social-ecological paradigm, through a co-production approach, and situated within a nature-based solution framework can serve as a strategy to link ecological restoration outcomes more effectively with current management practices. Here, we present a transdisciplinary approach outlining actions and results achieved during a long-term co-production experience centered on the ecological rehabilitation of the San Francisco Stream (Claypole, Buenos Aires). The period analyzed covers the years 2013-2023, during which the established connection with a social organization has led, since 2018, to the development of a transformative urban space named "Proyecto Hábitat Claypole". The successful co-production work has primarily focused on the co-implementation and evaluation of ecological management activities along a 1.4 km section of the stream. These actions include the reintroduction of native riparian and aquatic vegetation, geomorphological alterations to the habitat, co-production of biofilters to reduce domestic pollutants from urban drainage, establishment of a local nursery managed by workers of the social organization, and redesigning the landscape based on ecological and social knowledge and preferences. We evaluate the success through improvements in native vegetation and microalgae biodiversity, enhanced ecosystem processes such as nutrient retention, and socio-ecological contributions such as flood mitigation and water quality improvements. Additionally, we conclude by analyzing the project's impacts to facilitate transformative changes in pre-existent hydraulic mental models at the social and management level and explore prospects for creating green employment opportunities within the social economy sector.