Urban Wetlands in Latin America

This book is about the contribution of urban wetlands in livable cities. Urban wetlands are very valuable blue-green infrastructure spaces for human settlements, yet they are disappearing as a result of urbanization. This phenomenon is worldwide, but is particularly intense in Latin America. Although international literature has made an effort to document the multiple ecosystem services provided by these ecosystems, such as water and air cleansing, flood mitigation and recreation, among others, we want to draw attention to the fact that the loss of urban wetlands affects the sustainability of cities and future generations. Therefore, and given the weakness of public policies implemented in the region for their protection, it is essential to highlight good practices, mechanisms and strategies aimed at Protection, Conservation, Innovation, Restoration, and work with the Community, all of this hand in hand with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

The book offers a comprehensive coverage combining the need to protect and conserve urban wetlands from the pressures of urban growth, as well as highlighting successful experiences of regulation and of course applied research aimed at nature-based solution design for flood management and wastewater treatment, restoration areas, green infrastructure plans, as well as experiences of collective work with communities in contexts of political tensions for the defense of wetlands.

Auteur

Carolina Rojas Quezada is a Geographer from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (1997-2002), with a Master's and PhD from the University of Alcalá, Spain (2004-2008) and a Postdoctorate at McMaster University in Canada (2015). Now, she is Titular Professor at the Instituto de Estudios Urbanos y Territoriales of the Facultad de Arquitectura, Diseño y Estudios Urbanos de la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Principal Researcher at the Center for Sustainable Urban Development CEDEUS and researcher of the Millennium Institute in Coastal Socio-Ecology SECOS. Her research line is urban sustainability and nature-based solution and thinking, with a special emphasis on the impacts and effects of urban growth and urbanizations on natural water ecosystems as urban wetlands and on accessibility measures to green and blue open spaces in sustainable modes such as walking to achieve more sustainable, resilient, healthy and water-sensitive cities. She has published more than 40 scientific articles (wos), as well as participated in national and international scientific events on urban wetlands protection, access to nature, climate change adaptation measures, urban form, and carbon footprint in Latin American cities, along with a successful link with public policies, through scientific advice to the Urban Wetlands Protection Law in Chile and the 17SGD.