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Published: 21 May 2010
From the depths
of oceans to the highest summits, from icy
waters to baking deserts, life flourishes
in every corner of our planet. On 22 May,
World Biodiversity Day, the European Environment
Agency shows how by mimicking nature we
can redesign our cities to enhance green
space and biodiversity.
Ever since life first
appeared on Earth, plants and animals have
been closely linked to their natural habitats.
A species' survival depends not only on
its own ability to adapt but often on that
of its cohabitants. After all, the disappearance
of one species or arrival of another in
an ecosystem could mean less food or more
predators. Unfortunately, human activity,
mainly our consumption of natural resources,
is causing an unprecedented decline in global
biodiversity.
Cities, as the home
to many species, are ecosystems in their
own right. They consume, transform and release
material and energy. They develop, adapt
and interact with other ecosystems. Unlike
other ecosystems, however, cities are our
primary habitat: three out of four Europeans
live in urban areas.
Many city dwellers associate
green spaces with higher quality of life.
But the importance of urban green spaces
does not stop at recreation. They also filter
large amounts of water after heavy rainfall
and soften the effects of heat waves or
other extreme events. The new EEA assessment
on urban ecosystems — the sixth in a series
of '10 messages for 2010' — reveals that
with the right policies and tools, urbanisation
does not need to be a threat to biodiversity
in cities and beyond.
Short of green space?
Think vertically
Vertical gardens are not a new concept but
their function has evolved. The 'hanging
gardens of Babylon' might have been designed
to produce more food and please the eye
but today's vertical gardens are also used
to insulate buildings, absorb urban noise
and reduce dust, thereby improving air quality.
Vertical gardens enlarge the potential habitat
for city dwelling animals. For non-urban
species, they reduce the distances between
'natural areas', facilitating movement and
increasing their chances of survival.
To raise awareness about
biodiversity in cities and the benefits
it delivers, the EEA facade, overlooking
one of the most prominent squares of Copenhagen,
will be covered by 5 000 plants drawing
a map of the European continent. 'Europe
in bloom: a living façade' illustrates
the diversity of flowering plant species
across Europe using 20 annual plant species
of varying colours. Realised in close collaboration
with many partners, 'Europe in bloom' will
be on display at EEA until mid-October.
At the façade's
inauguration on 22 May, EEA will host a
seminar, 'Citizens meet Science' focusing
on the importance of citizen involvement
in preserving biodiversity. The EEA will
also launch new biodiversity success stories
as part of its online 'Environmental Atlas
of Europe' and host the photo exhibition
'Living Green' by Mathias Klum – a photographer
for National Geographic.
