Climate Resilience

Units: kg/ha/y

Short description: Accounting for C stored in soil and vegetation in an urban area can indicate the condition of natural green spaces, total free surface area and total quantity of vegetation in the area examined. Measures of C storage and sequestration also provide a tangible connection to climate change mitigation, and the impacts of local land use, planning and management decision-making. It is important to note the substantial variation in C sequestration and storage capacity of different types of NBS.

Units: kWh/y or t C/y saved

Short description: Include CO₂ emissions related to building energy consumption (direct via, e.g., residential combustion and indirect via, e.g., electric heating and cooling) with and without NBS implementation (kWh/y and t C/y saved). Building energy consumption is the fraction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that can be affected by nature-based solutions in an urban environment.

Units: Nr./y

Short description: Heatwave is a period of prolonged abnormally high surface temperatures relative to those normally expected. Heatwaves can be characterized by low humidity, which may exacerbate drought, or high humidity, which may exacerbate the health effects of heat-related stress such as heat exhaustion, dehydration and heatstroke. Heatwaves in Europe are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. This indicator is assessed through continuous monitoring of temperature, and/or estimated by applying meteorological models.

Units: t/ha/y

Short description: Accounting for C stored in vegetation in an urban area can provide an indication of the condition of natural green spaces, total free surface area and total quantity of vegetation in the area examined. Measures of C storage and sequestration also provide a tangible connection to climate change mitigation, and the impacts of local land use, planning and management decision-making. It is important to note the substantial variation in C sequestration and storage capacity of different types of NBS.

Units: t/ha/y

Short description: Accounting for C stored in soil in an urban area can provide an indication of the condition of natural green spaces, total free surface area and total quantity of vegetation in the area examined. Measures of C storage and sequestration also provide a tangible connection to climate change mitigation, and the impacts of local land use, planning and management decision-making. It is important to note the substantial variation in C sequestration and storage capacity of different types of NBS.

Units: unitless

Short description: The respective quantities of carbon and nitrogen in soil is critical to soil microbial activity and a fundamental indicator of biogeochemical cycling in ecosystems. Changes to soil C/N ratio impacts nutrient cycling in soils and the structure and function of plant communities, thereby affecting ecosystem service functions.

Units: ha

Short description: Wetlands are unique ecosystems that occur in places where the water table is close to the ground level, or where land is covered by water, either seasonally or permanently. Conservation and restoration of wetlands is regarded as one of the critical factors for establishing climate adaptation as part of the disaster risk reduction. Wetlands provide resilience against water-related hazards such as floods, storm surges and droughts by capturing and holding water and gradually releasing it. Peatlands enhance climate resilience by storing carbon.

Units: ha

Short description: Wetlands are unique ecosystems that occur in places where the water table is close to the ground level, or where land is covered by water, either seasonally or permanently. Conservation and restoration of wetlands is regarded as one of the critical factors for establishing climate adaptation as part of the disaster risk reduction. Wetlands provide resilience against water-related hazards such as floods, storm surges and droughts by capturing and holding water and gradually releasing it. Peatlands enhance climate resilience by storing carbon.

Units: °C

Short description: UTCI index represents air temperature of the reference condition with the same physiological response as the actual condition. The UTCI provides a one-dimensional value that reflects the human physiological reaction to the multi-dimensional outdoor thermal environment.

Units: °C

Short description: Green urban infrastructure can significantly affect climate change adaptation by reducing air and surface temperatures with the help of shading and through increased evapotranspiration. Conversely, green urban infrastructure can also provide insulation from cold and/or shelter from wind, thereby reducing heating requirements.

Units: unitless

Short description: Green urban infrastructure can significantly affect climate change adaptation by reducing air and surface temperatures with the help of shading and through increased evapotranspiration. Conversely, green urban infrastructure can also provide insulation from cold and/or shelter from wind, thereby reducing heating requirements. The model aims to estimate the mean thermal sensation of a group of individuals and their respective percentage of dissatisfaction with the thermal environment, expressed in terms of Predicted Mean Vote-Predicted Percentage Dissatisfied (PMV-PPD).

Units: °C

Short description: The UHI effect is caused by the absorption of sunlight by (stony) materials, reduced evaporation and the emission of heat caused by human activities. Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect denotes an urban area that is significantly warmer than its rural or undeveloped surrounding areas.

Units: °C

Short description: Green urban infrastructure can significantly affect climate change adaptation by reducing air and surface temperatures with the help of shading and through increased evapotranspiration. Conversely, green urban infrastructure can also provide insulation from cold and/or shelter from wind, thereby reducing heating requirements. Assessment by the direct measurements.

Units: °C

Short description: Green urban infrastructure can significantly affect climate change adaptation by reducing air and surface temperatures with the help of shading and through increased evapotranspiration. Conversely, green urban infrastructure can also provide insulation from cold and/or shelter from wind, thereby reducing heating requirements. Assessment by meteorological modelling.

Units: °C

Short description: The range between minimum and maximum mean monthly local temperatures determined by direct measurement (°C). Ambient air temperature can be assessed through continuous monitoring of temperature, near the NBS intervention area, and calculation of the average minimum and maximum monthly temperature before and after NBS implementation.

Units: mm/day

Short description: Evapotranspiration (ET) is a combination of two separate processes whereby water is lost from the soil surface by evaporation and from vegetation by transpiration. Addressing measured or modelled evapotranspiration.

Units: °C

Short description: Radiation balance at the Earth’s surface consists of net short-wave radiation and net long-wave radiation. Land surface temperature (LST; different from the air temperature) controlling the long-wave radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface is an important variable for evaluating the available energy.

Units: 0-1, unitless

Short description: Radiation balance at the Earth’s surface consists of net short-wave radiation and net long-wave radiation. Albedo is a portion of short-wave radiation that is reflected back once it reaches the ground, and it varies with the land cover.

Units: t C/y reduction

Short description: Vehicle traffic emissions are the fraction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that can be affected by nature-based solutions in the urban environment.