First of 3 parts
With a population of about 3 million people, Toronto is not only the biggest city in Canada, but also the fastest-growing urban center in North America.
Its downtown core is a hub of activity but venture just a couple of kilometers northeast and you’ll find yourself in the Don Valley Brick Works, a former quarry that over the course of three decades has been transformed into a wetland. Fringed by houses and high rises, the marshlands and the valley that surrounds them are home to ducks, foxes, beavers and even the occasional deer.
The urban oasis is one of several spread across Toronto, which was recently recognized by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) as a model for other cities aiming to restore their natural spaces.
“As in many other places, resource extraction initially prevailed,” says Mirey Atallah, Chief of the Adaptation and Resilience Branch in UNEP’s Climate Change Division. “With the restoration of this site, and by weaving nature into its urban fabric, Toronto is creating what more and more city dwellers are wishing for—sustainable, livable cities with nature at their core.”
In many parts of the world, large and expanding urban populations have led to breakneck development that destroys ecosystems and turns cities into sterile environments.
With more than half of Earth’s population already living in cities and that percentage rising fast, experts say reducing greenhouse gas emissions and ending biodiversity loss in urban areas is critical.
Greening cities can have huge benefits for their residents: nature-based solutions such as urban forests and wetlands moderate temperatures, purify air and protect against flooding. They also provide opportunities for recreation and spiritual well-being.
That’s why UNEP is implementing a project to help cities around the world value, restore and protect ecosystems, including by integrating them into their planning and development processes.
Funded by the Government of Germany, the Generation Restoration Cities project is part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, a global initiative that aims to support countries deliver on their commitments to restore some 1 billion hectares of land. (To be continued)
UNEP News
