Enhancing disaster risk resilience using greenspace in urbanising Quito, Ecuador
<p>Greenspaces within broader ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) strategies provide multiple benefits to society, biodiversity, and addressing climate breakdown. In this study, we investigated urban growth, its intersection with hazards, and the availability of greenspace for di...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/22/1699/2022/nhess-22-1699-2022.pdf |
| _version_ | 1829115585468825600 |
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| author | C. S. Watson J. R. Elliott S. K. Ebmeier M. A. Vásquez C. Zapata S. Bonilla-Bedoya P. Cubillo D. F. Orbe M. Córdova J. Menoscal E. Sevilla |
| author_facet | C. S. Watson J. R. Elliott S. K. Ebmeier M. A. Vásquez C. Zapata S. Bonilla-Bedoya P. Cubillo D. F. Orbe M. Córdova J. Menoscal E. Sevilla |
| author_sort | C. S. Watson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>Greenspaces within broader ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction
(Eco-DRR) strategies provide multiple benefits to society, biodiversity, and
addressing climate breakdown. In this study, we investigated urban growth,
its intersection with hazards, and the availability of greenspace for
disaster risk reduction (DRR) in the city of Quito, Ecuador, which
experiences multiple hazards including landslides, floods, volcanoes, and
earthquakes. We used satellite data to quantify urban sprawl and developed a
workflow incorporating high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) to
identify potential greenspaces for emergency refuge accommodation (DRR
greenspace), for example, following an earthquake. Quito's historical urban
growth totalled <span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 192 km<span class="inline-formula"><sup>2</sup></span> for 1986–2020 and was primarily on
flatter land, in some cases crossed by steep ravines. By contrast, future
projections indicate an increasing intersection between easterly
urbanisation and steep areas of high landslide susceptibility. Therefore, a
timely opportunity exists for future risk-informed planning. Our workflow
identified 18.6 km<span class="inline-formula"><sup>2</sup></span> of DRR greenspaces, of which 16.3 km<span class="inline-formula"><sup>2</sup></span>
intersected with potential sources of landslide and flood hazards,
indicating that hazard events could impact potential “safe spaces”. These
spaces could mitigate future risk if designated as greenspaces and left
undeveloped. DRR greenspace overlapped 7 % (2.5 km<span class="inline-formula"><sup>2</sup></span>) with
municipality-designated greenspace. Similarly, 10 % (1.7 km<span class="inline-formula"><sup>2</sup></span>) of
municipality-designated “safe space” for use following an earthquake was
classified as potentially DRR suitable in our analysis. For emergency
refuge, currently designated greenspaces could accommodate <span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 2 %–14 % (depending on space requirements) of Quito's population within 800 m. This increases to 8 %–40 % considering all the potential DRR greenspace
mapped in this study. Therefore, a gap exists between the provision of DRR
and designated greenspace. Within Quito, we found a disparity between access
to greenspaces across socio-economic groups, with lower income groups having
less access and further to travel to designated greenspaces. Notably, the
accessibility of greenspaces was high overall with 98 % (2.3 million) of
Quito's population within 800 m of a designated greenspace, of which 88 %
(2.1 million) had access to potential DRR greenspaces. Our workflow
demonstrates a citywide evaluation of DRR greenspace potential and provides
the foundation upon which to evaluate these spaces with local stakeholders.
Promoting equitable access to greenspaces, communicating their multiple
benefits, and considering their use to restrict propagating development into
hazardous areas are key themes that emerge for further investigation.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T16:17:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-72f6ce3864e74762b542d2911c5f5a8d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1561-8633 1684-9981 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T16:17:32Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-72f6ce3864e74762b542d2911c5f5a8d2022-12-22T00:19:02ZengCopernicus PublicationsNatural Hazards and Earth System Sciences1561-86331684-99812022-05-01221699172110.5194/nhess-22-1699-2022Enhancing disaster risk resilience using greenspace in urbanising Quito, EcuadorC. S. Watson0J. R. Elliott1S. K. Ebmeier2M. A. Vásquez3C. Zapata4S. Bonilla-Bedoya5P. Cubillo6D. F. Orbe7M. Córdova8J. Menoscal9E. Sevilla10COMET, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UKCOMET, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UKCOMET, School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UKCollege of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito 170901, EcuadorCollege of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito 170901, EcuadorResearch Center for the Territory and Sustainable Habitat, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla, 170301, Quito, EcuadorCentro de Información Urbana de Quito - CIUQ, Quito, EcuadorCentro de Información Urbana de Quito - CIUQ, Quito, EcuadorFacultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, FLACSO, Quito, EcuadorFacultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, FLACSO, Quito, EcuadorCollege of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito 170901, Ecuador<p>Greenspaces within broader ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (Eco-DRR) strategies provide multiple benefits to society, biodiversity, and addressing climate breakdown. In this study, we investigated urban growth, its intersection with hazards, and the availability of greenspace for disaster risk reduction (DRR) in the city of Quito, Ecuador, which experiences multiple hazards including landslides, floods, volcanoes, and earthquakes. We used satellite data to quantify urban sprawl and developed a workflow incorporating high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) to identify potential greenspaces for emergency refuge accommodation (DRR greenspace), for example, following an earthquake. Quito's historical urban growth totalled <span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 192 km<span class="inline-formula"><sup>2</sup></span> for 1986–2020 and was primarily on flatter land, in some cases crossed by steep ravines. By contrast, future projections indicate an increasing intersection between easterly urbanisation and steep areas of high landslide susceptibility. Therefore, a timely opportunity exists for future risk-informed planning. Our workflow identified 18.6 km<span class="inline-formula"><sup>2</sup></span> of DRR greenspaces, of which 16.3 km<span class="inline-formula"><sup>2</sup></span> intersected with potential sources of landslide and flood hazards, indicating that hazard events could impact potential “safe spaces”. These spaces could mitigate future risk if designated as greenspaces and left undeveloped. DRR greenspace overlapped 7 % (2.5 km<span class="inline-formula"><sup>2</sup></span>) with municipality-designated greenspace. Similarly, 10 % (1.7 km<span class="inline-formula"><sup>2</sup></span>) of municipality-designated “safe space” for use following an earthquake was classified as potentially DRR suitable in our analysis. For emergency refuge, currently designated greenspaces could accommodate <span class="inline-formula">∼</span> 2 %–14 % (depending on space requirements) of Quito's population within 800 m. This increases to 8 %–40 % considering all the potential DRR greenspace mapped in this study. Therefore, a gap exists between the provision of DRR and designated greenspace. Within Quito, we found a disparity between access to greenspaces across socio-economic groups, with lower income groups having less access and further to travel to designated greenspaces. Notably, the accessibility of greenspaces was high overall with 98 % (2.3 million) of Quito's population within 800 m of a designated greenspace, of which 88 % (2.1 million) had access to potential DRR greenspaces. Our workflow demonstrates a citywide evaluation of DRR greenspace potential and provides the foundation upon which to evaluate these spaces with local stakeholders. Promoting equitable access to greenspaces, communicating their multiple benefits, and considering their use to restrict propagating development into hazardous areas are key themes that emerge for further investigation.</p>https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/22/1699/2022/nhess-22-1699-2022.pdf |
| spellingShingle | C. S. Watson J. R. Elliott S. K. Ebmeier M. A. Vásquez C. Zapata S. Bonilla-Bedoya P. Cubillo D. F. Orbe M. Córdova J. Menoscal E. Sevilla Enhancing disaster risk resilience using greenspace in urbanising Quito, Ecuador Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| title | Enhancing disaster risk resilience using greenspace in urbanising Quito, Ecuador |
| title_full | Enhancing disaster risk resilience using greenspace in urbanising Quito, Ecuador |
| title_fullStr | Enhancing disaster risk resilience using greenspace in urbanising Quito, Ecuador |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhancing disaster risk resilience using greenspace in urbanising Quito, Ecuador |
| title_short | Enhancing disaster risk resilience using greenspace in urbanising Quito, Ecuador |
| title_sort | enhancing disaster risk resilience using greenspace in urbanising quito ecuador |
| url | https://nhess.copernicus.org/articles/22/1699/2022/nhess-22-1699-2022.pdf |
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