Blue infrastructure for urban sustainability

Timetable

Lectures 6 h + fieldwork / exercises 30 h x 1 group = 36 h

Week 1-2: Concept of urban sustainability and environmental implications. Urban ecology: characteristics of blue infrastructure in urban/sub-urban landscape (surface, depth, origin, shading, state of protection, functions, threats, type of pollution, actual use, fish occurrence, etc.).

Week 3-4: Characteristics of physiographic parameters of basin area (type and sources of anthropogenic transformation, identification of pollution sources). Urban landscape ecology: roots, recent developments, perspectives in the light of demographic and climate changes

Week 5-6: Aquatic plants of wetlands: Conservation value and responses to human transformations of urban landscape. Current and future challenges in blue infrastructure management of cities

Week 7: Identification the key hydrological indicators for landscape transformation and quality of blue infrastructure. Diversity and blue infrastructure protection in urban landscape

Week 8: Biophysical structure of urban environment versus quality of biotope: How the land cover shapes the abiotic characteristics of waters and soils?

Week 9-10: Elaboration of results: report illustrated relationships between changed state of different types of blue infrastructure, gradient the scale/forms of anthropogenic pressures in light of practise of sustainable urban.

 

Module aim (aims)

Challenges confronting cities around the world include climate change, population growth, demographic shifts, ecosystem degradation, resource limitations and evolving societal expectations. These challenges have implications for almost every aspect of urban blue infrastructure and it is now widely recognised that traditional water systems, based on large-scale centralised infrastructure, are no longer capable of meeting all societal needs related to water. Today it is very important skills of evaluation of interactions between human pressure and landscape elements in urban area together with urban planning and environmental protection. Aim of the course is delivering the knowledge in the field of ecological variants of procedures of management of freshwaters and wetlands in city landscape as well as restoration of wetlands on degraded areas. The course will solve the following issues: what should we know about urban landscape, understanding the significance of urban development on hydrological networks, habitats and biodiversity, analysis the role of sub-urban/urban landscape for environment, assessment of landscape degradation and solutions for sustainable planning. The course includes practical activities in the field of: recognition of state of degraded / transformed environments, analysis of spatial possibilities of ecosystems renewal (reconstruction) and design of ecological status in variants of restoration actions. The course include also knowledge of the application of plants and quick physicochemical analysis as indicators of quality state of environment necessary to diagnosis of landscape state. By taking the course you will gain the skills and experience necessary to understand role of blue infrastructure as a nature-based solution for different dimensions of urban sustainability.

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

General knowledge of geographical and/or biological and/or chemical and/or environmental protection. 

Syllabus

The course is conducted in the a modern form combining into lecture, field work and exercises. The final product of the course is the a report on the state of the blue infrastructure of a valley small river, incl. all types of wetlands necessary for responsible functioning of urban society.

Module lecturer: Prof. UAM dr hab. Tomasz Joniak, Dr Michał Rybak (Faculty of Biology) and Prof. UAM dr hab. Leszek Sobkowiak (Faculty of Geographical and Geological Sciences).

Coordinator contact: tjoniak@amu.edu.pl

Assessment criteria: 

1) participation, 2) preparation for field work, class and activity, 3) report as required by the teacher.

Course text: Notes and Handout

Final grade: the average of all grades.

Reading list

Chowdhury K., Basu S., Pramanik M., Plieninger T. 2025. Blue infrastructure as nature-based solutions for urban sustainability: Evaluating local perceptions from four Indian megacities. Nature-Based Solutions 7, 100211.

Dell’Angelo J., D’Odorico P., Rulli M.C. 2017. Threats to sustainable development posed by land and water grabbing. Curr Opin Env Sust 26–27, 120-128.

Milner A.M.,  Fastie C.L., Chapin F.S., Engstrom D.R., Sharman L.C. 2007. Interactions and linkages among ecosystems during landscape evolution. Bioscience 57: 237-247.

Mitsch W.J., X. Wu, R.W. Nairn et al. 1998. Creating and restoring wetlands. BioScience 48: 1019-1027.