Scholarly record

CLIMATE ACTION AND GOVERNANCE FOR ENHANCING THE RESILIENCE OF URBAN AREAS: PARKS AS NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS AND THE CHALLENGES OF ANTHROPOGENIC PRESSURE

Mirona Madalina Popescu, Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir, Dorin Camen

Abstract

Accelerated urbanization represents one of the most significant pressures on the urban environment. The transition from "green" to "grey" amplifies the vulnerability of cities to the effects of climate change (temperature rise, floods, droughts, and air quality degradation). In this context, urban green spaces, and public parks in particular, acquire a strategic role as nature-based solutions (NBS). NBS are capable of providing essential ecosystem services such as mitigating the urban heat island effect, stormwater retention, improving air quality, biodiversity conservation, and increasing the climate resilience of communities. This paper analyzes the relationship between urban climate governance, the conservation of green spaces, and the anthropogenic pressure exerted on them, through a case study focused on the city of Timisoara (Romania). Two representative parks are analyzed (Roses Park and Children's Park from Timisoara) for which measurements regarding soil pollution, environmental quality indicators, and data on anthropogenic use are available. The results highlight the structural tension between the ecological function of parks as NBS and the impact of human activities. Anthropogenic degradation acts gradually, undermining the capacity of NBS to contribute to climate resilience. The paper proposes public policy recommendations and integrated urban governance measures to protect and harness parks as active climate infrastructures, within the context of European commitments.

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