Rio de Janeiro will be one of the first Latin American cities to opt for this pioneering financing approach, implementing the Urban Biodiversity Credits to achieve environmental and fiscal objectives that enables sustained investment in urban biodiversity without compromising long-term financial stability.
The Prefeitura of Rio de Janeiro has engaged the Nature&People Foundation to address the city’s pressing environmental challenges, particularly the rising urban temperatures caused by climate change. Local government resources alone have proven insufficient to combat the heat island effect.
Smart Investment in urban biodiversity can help confront Rio de Janeiro´s unique challenges:
- Improves thermal comfort and mitigates the heat island effect.
- Health challenges due to the increase of insect-borne diseases, Zika and Dengue fever.
- Landslides in favelas caused by rainfall on deforested hillsides.
The strategy
Nature&People Foundation has developed scientific knowledge for the evaluation and selection of the best species to achieve the city’s goals.
Preliminary research based on literature has been conducted to develop a list of tree species that provide greater shade, enhance thermal comfort, and grow more quickly, ensuring biodiversity, resilience, and preserving the ecological history of Rio.
The current program under development within the city includes two pilot projects corresponding to the Piedade Park and the Cesário de Melo Park.
– Piedade Park, with a surface area of just over 2 ha, has 12 tree specimens of 6 different species that generate an estimated shading area of just over 1,000 m² and an average reduction in the temperature under the trees of just over 31%. With the new proposal for plant species, which includes 200 tree specimens of 12 different species, including palm trees, and another 200 shrubs of 6 different species, an estimated green cover of around 11,700 m² will be achieved, which represents 55% of the park compared to the current 5%. The shaded area will increase by 10,500 m2, an improvement of more than 850% over the current situation and the temperature reduction will improve by almost 32%.
– Cesário de Melo Park, with a surface area of just over 25 ha, is located next to a large expanse of Atlantic rainforest, so it was not possible to calculate the cooling as it was distorted by the effect of the rainforest. The park has 105 tree specimens of 18 species that generate a shaded area of almost 10,000 m² and an average decrease in temperature under the trees of 29%. The proposed improvement includes 1,000 trees of 38 species and 400 shrubs of 8 species, generating an increase in green cover of around 63,500 m², which will increase the green surface of the park from around 4% to 25%. The shaded area will increase by 56,000 m², an improvement of around 550% compared to the initial situation and a decrease in the average temperature under the trees of 31% will be achieved.
The Urban Biodiversity Standard can be the Framework to attract investment in nature-based infrastructure in Rio:
- Map and track local species of plants and trees.
- Scientific analyse of specie´s metabolic capacities and its potential for ecosystem services.
- Design greening scenarios for Rio selecting the best species for Rio´s specific challenges.
- Assess benefits and economic value of the project and prepare a plan for the issuance of Rio Biodiversity Credit.
- Connect with investors interested in pioneering the creation os a global biodiversity market.
Through UBCs, Rio combines fiscal sustainability with environmental goals, engaging public and private sectors in climate action. As these projects expand, Rio sets a model for urban climate resilience, balancing economic development with the urgent need for environmental restoration.
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