Blue infrastructure as nature-based solutions for urban sustainability: Evaluating local perceptions from four Indian megacities

Urban blue infrastructure provides multiple economic, social, and ecological benefits to local residents, and can enhance urban sustainability. However, few studies have examined the potential of traditional forms of blue infrastructure as nature-based solutions for mitigating common challenges of u...

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Main Authors: Koushik Chowdhury, Sukanya Basu, Malay Pramanik, Tobias Plieninger
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Nature-Based Solutions
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772411525000011
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author Koushik Chowdhury
Sukanya Basu
Malay Pramanik
Tobias Plieninger
author_facet Koushik Chowdhury
Sukanya Basu
Malay Pramanik
Tobias Plieninger
author_sort Koushik Chowdhury
collection DOAJ
description Urban blue infrastructure provides multiple economic, social, and ecological benefits to local residents, and can enhance urban sustainability. However, few studies have examined the potential of traditional forms of blue infrastructure as nature-based solutions for mitigating common challenges of urban sustainability. The perceptions of 616 urban dwellers from four Indian megacities were analyzed through surveys to understand and demonstrate how blue infrastructure can be seen as a nature-based solution to urban sustainability challenges. A quantitative methodology involving descriptive statistics, Spearman correlations, and binary logistic regression was used to analyze survey data. Results showed that blue infrastructure provides multiple ecosystem services to the urban residents, with regulating and cultural services being most prominently valued. Both neglected and well-maintained blue infrastructure demonstrated significant potential as nature-based solutions for improving urban sustainability, but they contribute differently. The socio-cultural characteristics of the respondents significantly influenced their perceptions of the significance of blue infrastructure in addressing urban sustainability challenges.
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institution Kabale University
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publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Nature-Based Solutions
spelling doaj-art-f999f725e04c48b1b32175801a607a292025-01-15T04:12:00ZengElsevierNature-Based Solutions2772-41152025-06-017100211Blue infrastructure as nature-based solutions for urban sustainability: Evaluating local perceptions from four Indian megacitiesKoushik Chowdhury0Sukanya Basu1Malay Pramanik2Tobias Plieninger3Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, University of Kassel, Witzenhausen, Germany; Corresponding author at: Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, University of Kassel, Steinstr 19, D-37213 Witzenhausen, Germany.RTG 2654, Sustainable Food Systems, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, University of Göttingen, GermanyUrban Innovation and Sustainability, Department of Development and Sustainability, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), ThailandFaculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, University of Kassel, Witzenhausen, Germany; Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, University of Göttingen, GermanyUrban blue infrastructure provides multiple economic, social, and ecological benefits to local residents, and can enhance urban sustainability. However, few studies have examined the potential of traditional forms of blue infrastructure as nature-based solutions for mitigating common challenges of urban sustainability. The perceptions of 616 urban dwellers from four Indian megacities were analyzed through surveys to understand and demonstrate how blue infrastructure can be seen as a nature-based solution to urban sustainability challenges. A quantitative methodology involving descriptive statistics, Spearman correlations, and binary logistic regression was used to analyze survey data. Results showed that blue infrastructure provides multiple ecosystem services to the urban residents, with regulating and cultural services being most prominently valued. Both neglected and well-maintained blue infrastructure demonstrated significant potential as nature-based solutions for improving urban sustainability, but they contribute differently. The socio-cultural characteristics of the respondents significantly influenced their perceptions of the significance of blue infrastructure in addressing urban sustainability challenges.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772411525000011Nature-based solutionsUrban sustainabilityBlue infrastructureEcosystem servicesIndia
spellingShingle Koushik Chowdhury
Sukanya Basu
Malay Pramanik
Tobias Plieninger
Blue infrastructure as nature-based solutions for urban sustainability: Evaluating local perceptions from four Indian megacities
Nature-Based Solutions
Nature-based solutions
Urban sustainability
Blue infrastructure
Ecosystem services
India
title Blue infrastructure as nature-based solutions for urban sustainability: Evaluating local perceptions from four Indian megacities
title_full Blue infrastructure as nature-based solutions for urban sustainability: Evaluating local perceptions from four Indian megacities
title_fullStr Blue infrastructure as nature-based solutions for urban sustainability: Evaluating local perceptions from four Indian megacities
title_full_unstemmed Blue infrastructure as nature-based solutions for urban sustainability: Evaluating local perceptions from four Indian megacities
title_short Blue infrastructure as nature-based solutions for urban sustainability: Evaluating local perceptions from four Indian megacities
title_sort blue infrastructure as nature based solutions for urban sustainability evaluating local perceptions from four indian megacities
topic Nature-based solutions
Urban sustainability
Blue infrastructure
Ecosystem services
India
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772411525000011
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