Developing a Dynamic Model for Assessing Green Infrastructure Investments in Urban Areas

ABSTRACT: In recent decades, cities have been experiencing accelerated population growth, associated with an increase in the scales of production and consumption. This fact, combined with deficient management of resources and waste, has led to the loss of biological diversity, compromising the generation of ecosystem services, with disastrous consequences for human health and well-being, but also for the economic system. In the field of civil engineering, the predominance of artificialisation and impermeabilization of cities (called "grey engineering") is being questioned to be replaced or complemented with new types of infrastructures that represent a transformative change to achieving more sustainable cities. Through system dynamics applied to the economic modelling of the city of Santander (Spain), the aim of this study is to analyse the profitability of investment in ecosystem restoration and in both green and blue infrastructure, and of the implementation of environmental policies based on the relationships of affection established in the model, which represent the interactions between the main actors in urban dynamics. As a main conclusion, it is found that investing in green infrastructures and ecosystem restoration, and environmental policies is highly profitable: EUR 1 spent can produce up to EUR 100 as a benefit.This research was funded by Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the grant RISKOADAPT (BIA 2017-89401-R)

Evaluación de riesgos en los sectores turismo y vivienda frente al cambio climático en la costa del Principado de Asturias

Ponencia presentada en: X Congreso de la Asociación Española de Climatología celebrado en Alicante entre el 5 y el 8 de octubre de 2016.[ES]Este trabajo presenta una metodología novedosa que permite analizar los impactos costeros de inundación y erosión por cambio climático, a escala regional y con una alta resolución. Para ello se han empleado modelos de impacto eficientes, calibrados con datos de campo. Se han utilizado bases de datos históricas y proyecciones de dinámicas marinas de alta resolución. Para una serie de escenarios que combinan cambios en las variables climáticas y en la exposición, se ha determinado el riesgo sobre los sistemas socioeconómico y natural en la costa del Principado de Asturias. Se muestran los costes de la inacción sobre los sectores vivienda y turismo agregados a nivel de concejo, y enfocados principalmente a la planificación territorial y a la elaboración de estrategias adaptación.[EN]This work presents a new methodology to analyze coastal impacts of flooding and erosion due to climate change, at regional level and with high resolution. To that end, efficient impact models have been employed and calibrated with field data. Highresolution historical databases and projections of marine dynamics have been used. For a number of scenarios that combine changes in climate variables and exposure, risk on the socioeconomic and natural systems has been estimated throughout the coast of Asturias. Costs of inaction on housing and tourism sectors are shown aggregated at municipal level, and mainly focusing on territorial planning and strategy building on adaptation

Evaluación de riesgos en los sectores turismo y vivienda frente al cambio climático en la costa del Principado de Asturias

Este trabajo presenta una metodología novedosa que permite analizar los impactos costeros de inundación y erosión por cambio climático, a escala regional y con una alta resolución. Para ello se han empleado modelos de impacto eficientes, calibrados con datos de campo. Se han utilizado bases de datos históricas y proyecciones de dinámicas marinas de alta resolución. Para una serie de escenarios que combinan cambios en las variables climáticas y en la exposición, se ha determinado el riesgo sobre los sistemas socioeconómico y natural en la costa del Principado de Asturias. Se muestran los costes de la inacción sobre los sectores vivienda y turismo agregados a nivel de concejo, y enfocados principalmente a la planificación territorial y a la elaboración de estrategias adaptación.This work presents a new methodology to analyze coastal impacts of flooding and erosion due to climate change, at regional level and with high resolution. To that end, efficient impact models have been employed and calibrated with field data. High-resolution historical databases and projections of marine dynamics have been used. For a number of scenarios that combine changes in climate variables and exposure, risk on the socioeconomic and natural systems has been estimated throughout the coast of Asturias. Costs of inaction on housing and tourism sectors are shown aggregated at municipal level, and mainly focusing on territorial planning and strategy building on adaptation.El trabajo ha sido financiado por el Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente en el marco del proyecto “Asistencia técnica a la elaboración de un estudio sobre la adaptación al cambio climático de la costa del Principado de Asturias”

Coastal flooding risk associated to tropical cyclones in a changing climate. Application to Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago)

The aim of this paper is to provide a methodology to assess flooding risk associated to the combination of extreme flooding levels driven by Tropical Cyclone (TCs) and relative sea level rise (RSLR). The approach is based on the risk conceptual framework where the hazard, exposure, and vulnerability are defined and combined to address flooding socioeconomic consequences in Port of Spain for present and future climate (RCP8.5 in 2050). Hazard and flooding impact are assessed using a combination of statistical methods and dynamical simulations, together with a high resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM). Combining flooding maps, exposure databases and vulnerability damage functions we have evaluated socioeconomic consequences in terms of affected population and economic damage. Besides, we have quantified the uncertainty in the results coming from the sea level rise projections and vulnerability information. The application of the methodology indicates increasing flooding threat for the future climate that could exacerbate economic losses in case of inaction. The expected annual damage (EAD) in present climate is 12.24 MUSD while in 2050 it will reach 15.22 [14.88- 15.67] MUSD.This paper comes out from the project “Port of Spain Probabilistic Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment based on Climate Change Projections” funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). We acknowledge the World Climate Research Programme's Working Group on Coupled Modelling, which is responsible for CMIP, and we thank the climate modelling groups for producing and making available their model output

Economic Valuation of Cultural Heritage: Application of Travel Cost Method to the National Museum and Research Center of Altamira

The economic assessment of non-marketed resources (i.e., cultural heritage) can be developed with stated or revealed preference methods. Travel cost method (TCM) is based on the demand theory and assumes that the demand for a recreational site is inversely related to the travel costs that a certain visitor must face to enjoy it. Its application requires data about the tourist?s origin. This work aims to analyze the economic value of the National Museum and Research Center of Altamira, which was created to research, conserve, and broadcast the Cave of Altamira (UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985). It includes an accurate replica known as the ?Neocave?. Two different TCM approaches have been applied to obtain the demand curve of the museum, which is a powerful tool that helps to assess past and future investments. It has also provided the annual economic value estimate of the National Museum and Research Center of Altamira, which varies between 4.75 and 8.00 million € per ye

Evaluación del riesgo de erosión costera frente al cambio climático: aplicación al Principado de Asturias

El trabajo ha sido financiado por el Ministerio de Agricultura y Pesca, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente

Retos para la implementación de los efectos del cambio climático en proyectos de ingeniería de costas y portuaria

Este trabajo ha sido parcialmente financiado por el proyecto BIA2015-70644-R del Ministerio de Economía Y Competitividad