4. Economic Development Plan

3.4.2 Benefits of Green Blue Development (GBD) Approach

Healthy ecosystems are significant tools in advancing the wellbeing of citizens and fostering long-term socio-economic resilience through a variety of ecosystem services. This is aligned with the Mountain Cities Blueprint 2032 objectives to improve people’s wellness. However, the integrity of these ecosystems is increasingly endangered by climate change, which in turn will increasingly impact those who rely on these ecosystems, especially the urban and rural poor7. Climate change poses long-term consequences for sustainable development and human wellbeing – including increasing poverty, intensifying public health issues and negatively impacting economies. Equally, healthy ecosystems have the potential to enhance environmental and socio-economic resilience to climate change.

A GBD approach will seek to ensure that KKM is healthy, prosperous and resilient. GBD is designed to maintain and enhance the delivery of benefits to economic development in the form of clean water, clean air, climate regulation, flood prevention, pollination, and recreation, amongst others. These benefits are often termed ‘ecosystem services’. Having access to the benefits these services provide is particularly important for growing urban areas such as KKM8 .

Socio-Economic Benefits

Implementation of GBI can be low-cost, and cost-effective, helping enhance the economic efficiency of infrastructure investments. Its multiple benefits could generate both monetary values and non-monetary gains for KKM9 . Simultaneously GBI has an important social dimension including significant benefits for public health. The operators of GBI could be local communities, responsible for implementing land stewardship practices and for maintaining the project over the long term. A selection of the key potential socio-economic benefits of GBI for the urban population of KKM are detailed below:

> Improved public health and wellbeing; > Less expensive to build and maintain than grey infrastructure; > Social cohesion and empowerment of communities; > Improved productivity and food security; > Poverty alleviation and ‘green’ job creation; > Recreation and amenity; > Additional funding options, such as Climate Funds.

Climate Change Adaptation Benefits

Research suggests that green and blue infrastructure is more flexible and resilient to climate change than traditional grey infrastructure, especially when used in combination. Studies indicate that implementation of GBI can improve air and water quality; enhance carbon storage; increase flood and temperature regulation; reduce noise; and improve resource efficiency, biodiversity and amenity value10. These characteristics, in turn, have the potential to improve KKM’s resilience to climate change impacts, especially to increasing temperatures, flooding and droughts already experienced in KKM and KC. Certain potential key benefits for KKM relating to climate change adaptation and resilience are presented below:

> Natural hazard risk reduction, including flood and drought risk; > Cooling effects; > Enhanced urban resilience; > Carbon reduction and contribution to low carbon; > Carbon sequestration; > Improved rural – urban rural linkages.

7. Swanepoel, E. and Sauka, S. (2019) ‘Ecosystem-based Adaptation in South African Coastal Cities’, South African Institute of International Affairs, Occasional Paper 297 8. European Environment Agency (2020) ‘What is Green Infrastructure?’ [Online] Available at: www.eea.europa.eu/themes/sustainability-transitions/urban-environment/urban-green-infrastructure/what-is-green-infrastructure (Accessed: 21 June 2021) 9. Browder, G., Ozment, S., Rehberger Bescos, I., Gartner, T. and Lange, G.M. (2019) Integrating Green and Gray: Creating Next Generation Infrastructure. Washington, DC: World Bank and World Resources Institute. 10. Maksimovic, C., Mijic, A., Suter, I. and Van Reeuwijk, M. (2017) Blue-Green Solutions. A Systems Approach to Sustainable, Resilient and Cost-Effective Urban Development. London, UK: Imperial College

Environmental and Resource Efficiency Benefits

Whilst enhancing climate change adaptation and resilience, development of GBI also has the potential to unlock new opportunities for environmental prosperity. GBI can play an important role in protecting the natural resources, particularly water, that are increasingly threatened by urbanisation and climate change in KKM. Furthermore, introduction of a GBD approach could enhance the Municipality’s biodiversity, whilst improving ecological connectivity through creation and restoration of habitats11. As discussed, GBI can be multifunctional, potentially generating numerous positive environmental impacts for the Municipality, including:

> Improved water quality; > Prevention of soil erosion and land contamination; > Reduction in pollution and improved air quality; > Energy and water savings; > Restoration of habitats and ecosystems; > Increased biodiversity.

A high-level assessment has been undertaken to understand how each economic sector action plan in Section 4.1 and infrastructure proposals in Section 5 could contribute to GBD benefits.

3.4.3 Delivering Green Blue Infrastructure (GBI)

Previously ‘green’ assets, such as parks, greenbelts and gardens, and ‘blue’ assets, including drainage systems, aquifers, reservoirs, and flood storage, had typically been planned separately.

However, often the same asset can provide multiple ecosystem services that benefit both ‘green’ and ‘blue’ objectives12. GBD marries these two types of infrastructure, and their individual values, in a union that can be more efficient and resilient. By purposely planning for GBD that achieves multiple benefits, KKM will benefit from climate-resilient infrastructure, greater protection of unique natural resources, and maximised socio-economic benefits.

GBI can be integrated at a range of scales, from building or street level interventions such as green roofs or street trees up to Municipality or even County and regional measures13. Similarly, the measures and interventions associated with the GBD approach can range from soft initiatives, for instance, promotion of local greening and other information and communication schemes, to significant infrastructure proposals. Consequently, effective GBI planning for KKM has taken into account potential interventions across all scales, as well as their collective impact as an integrated system. Regardless of scale, these systems will generally share these common components14:

> Vegetation, offering amenity and habitat; > Soil, of adequate volume, nutrient content and drainage characteristics; > A link to rainwater, stormwater or recycled water supply, with a frequency and quantity sufficient to support vegetation and soil health. > Larger-scale systems may also offer additional water management functions, such as: > Water treatment capacity, utilising natural processes to filter local water supplies and reduce pollutants entering water bodies; > Water storage capacity to provide detention of stormwater.

The following section presents several examples of the different categories of GBI which could be considered for implementation in KKM as part of the Development Framework described in Chapter 5. Building on these potential measures and interventions, the specific requirements for KKM are comprehensively assessed in the Economic Development Plan in Chapter 4, whilst the GBD Framework in Chapter 5 presents the specific proposals and interventions recommended for KKM.

11. Winch, R., Clough, J., Mant, A., Hamilton-Russell, E., Barker, A., Payne, S., Gilchrist, A, Tantanasi, I., Clay, G. and Rothwell, J. (2020) Making the Case for Green Infrastructure: Lessons from Best Practice. London, UK: UK Green Building Council 12. Victoria State Government Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (2017) ‘Planning a Green-Blue City: Urban Greening and Enhanced Stormwater Management in Victoria’ [Online] Available at: https://www.water.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0029/89606/Green-blueInfrastructure-Guidelines-Feb17.pdf (Accessed: 20 June 2021) 13. Victoria State Government Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (2017) ‘Planning a Green-Blue City: Urban Greening and Enhanced Stormwater Management in Victoria’ [Online] Available at: https://www.water.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0029/89606/Green-blueInfrastructure-Guidelines-Feb17.pdf (Accessed: 20 June 2021) 14. Ibid.

Placemaking and Landscape

GBI represents a valuable tool for establishing high-quality and sustainable places. A GBD has the potential to strengthen the identity, character and distinctiveness of KKM, whilst improving land use efficiency through its various multi-functional and multi-benefits. Placemaking and landscaping interventions which could be implemented in KKM include:

> Improved land use efficiency, including relocation of uses, densification and urban regeneration; > Provision of green spaces; > Greening public realm such as streets and corridors; > Provision of sustainable and active transport modes; > Road upgrades to enhance rural-urban linkages; > Incorporation of water sports such as canoeing, fishing, and sailing. Water Management

KKM is well-endowed with water resources. Implementation of GBI may allow KKM to capitalise on the advantages presented by these resources in a sustainable and efficient manner. Water management measures deemed suitable to KKM include:

> Sustainable drainage and stormwater management – SuDS; > Management of water quality and water supply treatment for groundwater and surface water; > Integrated river catchment management; > Establishment of wastewater treatment plans; > Improvement of sewage and sanitation networks and last mile connectivity; > Gazetted and legal protection to water resources. Solid Waste Management

The infrastructure overview in Section 2.4 identifies several issues with the waste management system in KKM. It is acknowledged that current practices cause air and water pollution and pose a significant risk to public health. In order to address this issue, waste management interventions which could be considered for implementation in KKM include:

> Appropriate waste collection systems; > Segregation, sorting and recycling facilities; > Landfills aligned with NEMA standards and international best practices.