Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Resilience: Remote Sensing assessment of wetland degradation and microclimate regulation using a Living Lab Framework in peri-urban India

Rapid urban expansion in peri-urban regions presents critical challenges for sustainable water management, thermal regulation, and air quality. Urban wetlands, which are integral to Blue–Green Infrastructure (BGI), deliver essential ecosystem services such as stormwater retention, microclimate moderation, and pollution mitigation to the local area. However, these systems are increasingly threatened by unplanned land-use change and anthropogenic pressures.

This study examines wetland degradation and its implications for urban micro-climate regulation in the rapidly urbanizing peri-urban landscape of Barasat, West Bengal, India. A multi-temporal land-use/land-cover (LULC) analysis was conducted with data between the year 1995 and 2025; using Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI imagery processed with FLAASH atmospheric correction. Changes in vegetation, surface water, and built-up areas were quantified, and their relationship with land surface temperature (LST) and air quality indicators was assessed.

Initial results suggest a significant transformation in: vegetation cover, which declined by 1,512 ha, surface water bodies reduced by 22 ha, while built-up areas expanded by 813 ha. These changes correspond to rising LST, with built-up zones exhibiting mean winter daytime temperatures of ~33 °C compared to 30 °C in agricultural areas, 25 °C in vegetated zones, and 24 °C over water bodies—highlighting the thermal regulation role of wetlands. Air quality monitoring indicates PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations driving AQI values up to 190 (moderate–poor) in dense urban areas, whereas wetland-dominated zones maintain AQI ~50 (good).

In the long term, wetland degradation compromises urban water storage and drainage, exacerbates heat stress, and increases exposure to pollution. This study advocates for Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) to restore and protect urban wetlands as functional BGI. A Living Lab framework is proposed which serves as a platform for the real-world experimental platform to codesign evidence-based restoration, ensuring NbS interventions are specific to the context, location, and socially acceptable. Within this context, the approach enables continuous multi-parameter monitoring, adaptive management, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-based restoration—supporting integrated urban water management and microclimate amelioration in rapidly urbanizing regions of the Global South. 

Keywords: Urban wetlands, Blue–Green Infrastructure, Nature-Based Solutions, Living Lab, Remote Sensing, urban microclimate, wetland degradation.