Earth Observations into Urban Resilience: Exploring the Nexus between Nature-based Solutions, Infrastructure and Climate Interactions

Ramsar sites are Wetlands of International Importance under the 1971 Convention. They function as premier nature-based solutions (NbS) by safeguarding ecosystems and delivering multifaceted services essential for sustainable development. The key services include flood regulation, water treatment, carbon sequestration, shoreline prevention, biodiversity support, providing space for recreational activities, generating local employment opportunities, and directly aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [1].

The study aims to assess and analyse the trends of wetland dynamics, which are combinedly influenced by increased urban pressure, airport expansion, associated infrastructure, and climate variability. These overlapping stressors create a complex socio-ecological system that requires integrated monitoring approaches. To address this, the research applies Earth Observation (EO) data for the South West London Waterbodies Ramsar site [2]. This is a part of the Thames River basin and supports a significant waterfowl population and functions as a wetland ecosystem adjacent to a major aviation infrastructure.

The study explores Sentinel collections, Landsat series, land use land cover (LULC) and ancillary data to identify patterns and effectively capture and monitor wetland dynamics [3] [4], water quality [4], and changes in extent and overall condition [5].

The study emphasises the importance of EO for monitoring wetlands within complex urban infrastructure landscapes. This study will demonstrate how EO-derived insights can support stakeholders, policymakers, and decision-makers in designing and developing evidence-based climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, enabling targeted NbS interventions to strengthen system-wide resilience.

 

Keywords: NbS, Ramsar site, Wetlands, Climate Resilience, Urban Infrastructure, Earth Observation

 

Acknowledgments: This research was funded by the Vice-Chancellor’s PhD Scholarship at the University of West London. Sincere thanks to the following for their support: The Lord Faringdon Charitable Trust, The Schroder Foundation, The Cazenove Charitable Trust, The Ernest Cook Trust, Sir Henry Keswick, Ian Bond, P. F. Charitable Trust, Prospect Investment Management Limited, The Adrian Swire Charitable Trust, John Swire Charitable Trust, The Samuel Storey Family Charitable Trust, The Tanlaw Foundation, and The Wyfold Charitable Trust.

 

References

[1] Ramsar, "Scaling up wetland conservation, wise use and restoration to achieve
the Sustainable Development Goals," pp. 1–13, 2018. Available: https://www.ramsar.org/sites/default/files/documents/library/wetlands_sdgs_e.pdf.

[2] Ramsar. Ramsar Sites Information Service. Available: https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1038?__goaway_challenge=meta-refresh&__goaway_id=67266e1927adeb4042d00a7e1a15f9c3..

[3] Z. Wang et al, "Monitoring the Wetland of the Yellow River Delta by Combining GF-3 Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar and Sentinel-2A Multispectral Data," Front. Ecol. Evol., vol. 10, 2022. Available: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.806978/full. DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.806978.

[4] M. Singh and R. Sinha, "Hydrogeomorphic indicators of wetland health inferred from multi-temporal remote sensing data for a new Ramsar site (Kaabar Tal), India," Ecological Indicators, vol. 127, 2021. Available: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X21004040. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.107739.

[5] W. Chaoyong et al, "SAR image integration for multi-temporal analysis of Lake Manchar Wetland dynamics using machine learning," Sci Rep, vol. 14, (1), pp. 14, 2024. Available: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-76730-1. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-76730-1.