Advancing urban resilience: assessing challenges, monitoring risks, and harnessing Nature-Based Solutions

Cities are facing increasing challenges with the progression of climate change, population growth and rapid urbanization. Urban heat islands, heatwaves, floods, air pollution and ecosystem degradation are impacting public health, urban infrastructure, biodiversity and overall livability. Advances in environmental monitoring, including in-situ sensor networks, Earth observation, remote sensing, geospatial analyses, digital twins, and AI, provide unprecedented opportunities to study urban climate risks at multiple scales. However, most efforts are limited to characterizing urban challenges, without concrete solutions. At this level, Nature-based Solutions (NbS), are believed to be a paradigm shift for climate adaptation while delivering co-benefits for ecosystems and communities. Accordingly, integrating innovative approaches for studying urban challenges, with evidence-based NbS planning and assessment, is a crucial line of work to develop. Beyond its scientific value, this approach supports SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), key to resilient and sustainable cities.This Research Topic aims to advance knowledge on how innovative monitoring and assessment methods can improve our understanding of urban environmental and climate challenges and support the design, implementation, and evaluation of nature-based solutions. Despite growing awareness of climate risks in cities, significant challenges remain in the availability of high-resolution data, the integration of diverse monitoring approaches, and the evaluation of NbS performance under different environmental, climatic and socioeconomic conditions.The objective here is to bring together interdisciplinary contributions that explore the use of in-situ measurements, remote sensing, geospatial technologies, citizen science, digital twins, artificial intelligence, and other emerging methodologies to identify, monitor, and model urban climate risks. Particular emphasis is placed on research assessing the effectiveness of NbS in mitigating urban risks, improving environmental quality, enhancing ecosystem services, and strengthening urban resilience.. By fostering dialogue between researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, this research topic seeks to support evidence-based urban innovation for promoting climate change adaptation, sustainability, and urban resilience.We welcome contributions addressing innovative approaches to monitoring, assessing, and mitigating urban environmental and climate challenges, and the study of NbS, their capacities, limitations and effectiveness for addressing urban risks. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:• Urban heat island characterization and mitigation• Climate risk assessment in urban environments• In-situ environmental monitoring and sensor networks• Remote sensing and Earth observation for urban sustainability• Geospatial analyses, digital twins, and urban climate modeling• Artificial intelligence and data-driven approaches for urban resilience• Assessment of ecosystem services provided by NbS• Assessment of NbS’ effectiveness and contribution to urban resilience• Green and blue infrastructure planning and performance evaluation• Climate adaptation and mitigation strategies in cities• Citizen science and participatory monitoring approaches• Decision-support tools for sustainable urban planningThe Research Topic welcomes original research articles, review articles, methods articles, and case studies from diverse geographical and socioeconomic contexts Topic editors: Mario ALSAYAH, Rita Der Sarkissian, Rachid Nedjai, Pierre-Antoine Versini Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83533/advancing-urban-resilience-assessing-challenges-monitoring-risks-and-harnessing-nature-based-solutions