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On the Coastline: The Genesis of Green Infrastructure Towards a Future Sustainable Landscape for the City of Maputo, Mozambique

DOI

https://doi.org/10.7275/40vy-7122

Publication Date

2019

Abstract

Cities in Africa, where the most remarkable forthcoming developments in the overall pattern of urbanization are expected, and quite notably in Sub-Saharan cities such as Maputo, experience accelerating population increases that stress urban infrastructures beyond capacity, and increase pressure on existent valuable ecosystems. In the city’s coastal plains, the recently constructed Maputo ring road and Katembe bridge are drawing urban development towards the last stretch of vacant land of the Municipality, compromising the flood plains and mangrove ecosystems.

This paper aims to refine the planning discourse by systematizing urban strategies associated to green infrastructure functions, having mangrove wetlands as central element. This is achieved by mapping urban tissue and current land uses in relation to mangrove ecological land suitability classes, in order to give concrete spatial solutions for each urban condition. The definition of different types of green infrastructures based on mangrove ecology are outlined, to be implemented within the current land occupation context and that can support future scenarios of SLR.

The research explores green infrastructure planning applied to Maputo as a strategy to accommodate current and future urban development challenges, not only as urban biophysical networks that can create socio-ecological networks that improve urban resilience through a stewardship of urban ecosystems, but also as an ecosystem-based approach for adaptation to climate change.

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