Published September 11, 2019
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Urban Stream and Wetland Restoration in the Global South—A DPSIR Analysis

Creators

  • 1. CNRS UMR 7324 CITERES, University of Tours, 37200 Tours, France
  • 2. UNESCO Chair River Culture—Fleuves et Patrimoine, 37200 Tours, France
  • 3. Nuvelhas, Projeto Manuelzão - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av Antonio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais CEP 30.270-901, Brazil
  • 4. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
  • 5. Laboratory of Biogeography, University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, Dakar BP 5005, Senegal
  • 6. Departement d'Aménagement et Environnement, International Master in Urban Planning and Sustainability, PolyTech Tours, 37200 Tours, France
  • 7. National Institute of Limnology (INALI; CONICET-UNL), Ciudad Universitaria, 3000 Santa Fe, Argentina
  • 8. Laboratório de Ecologia de Bentos, Departamento de Biologia Geral Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Avenida Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 31270, Brazil
  • 9. École d'économie de la Sorbonne (UFR 02), Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, 90 rue de Tolbiac, 75013 Paris, France
  • 10. Institute of Geography, National Autonomous University of Mexico, 04510 Mexico City, Mexico
  • 11. National Autonomous University of Mexico
  • 12. Institute of International Studies, University of California, Berkeley, 215 Moses Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720–2308, USA
  • 13. University of California, Berkeley
  • 14. Ponte Ambiental Consultoria e Soluções Ambientais, R. João Moura, 661—Pinheiros, São Paulo 05412-001, Brazil
  • 15. Departamento de Geografia, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av Antonio Carlos, 6627, Pampula, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais CEP 30.270-901, Brazil
  • 16. Research Center for the Natural and Applied Sciences, The Graduate School, and Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, University of Santo Tomas, España Boulevard, Manila 1015, Philippines
  • 17. NGO Ecoyaco, Bogotá 110571, Colombia
  • 18. Faculdad de Sciencias Sociales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, C1053ABJ Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • 19. University of Buenos Aires
  • 20. RURALITES
  • 21. EU-PHUSICOS Project, Technical University of Munich, Emil-Ramann-Str. 6, 85354 Freising, Germany
  • 22. Technische Universität München

Description

In many countries of the Global South, aquatic ecosystems such as streams, rivers, lakes, and wetlands are severely impacted by several simultaneous environmental stressors, associated with accelerated urban development, and extreme climate. However, this problem receives little attention. Applying a DPSIR approach (Drivers, Pressures, State, Impacts, Responses), we analyzed the environmental impacts and their effects on urban hydrosystems (including stagnant waters), and suggest possible solutions from a series of case studies worldwide. We find that rivers in the Global South, with their distinctive geographical and socio-political setting, display significant differences from the Urban Stream Syndrome described so far in temperate zones. We introduce the term of 'Southern Urban Hydrosystem Syndrome' for the biophysical problems as well as the social interactions, including the perception of water bodies by the urbanites, the interactions of actors (e.g., top-down, bottom-up), and the motivations that drive urban hydrosystem restoration projects of the Global South. Supported by a synthesis of case studies (with a focus on Brazilian restoration projects), this paper summarizes the state of the art, highlights the currently existing lacunae for research, and delivers examples of practical solutions that may inform UNESCO's North–South–South dialogue to solve these urgent problems. Two elements appear to be specifically important for the success of restoration projects in the Global South, namely the broad acceptance and commitment of local populations beyond merely 'ecological' justifications, e.g., healthy living environments and ecosystems with cultural linkages ('River Culture'). To make it possible implementable/practical solutions must be extended to (often poor) people having settled along river banks and wetlands.
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