Valuing Benefits of Urban Green Spaces for Mitigation of Climate Change Impacts and Promoting Urban Resilience

Globally, increased urbanization and rapid population growth are exerting a burden on environmental resources, leading to climate change. Urbanization and population growth are however key components of society and it is important that resilience is built within the system to promote sustainable livelihood. Urban Green Spaces (UGS) along with public open spaces and common services, play a vital role for the metropolis to build a healthy surrounding. The diversity of roles (also known as Ecosystem services (ES)) of UGS, which vary from carbon sequestration to microclimate regulation, demonstrates their importance in maintaining environmental balance. The economic assessment of such services sheds light on the significance of UGS in climate regulation and allied services. The current study deals with the assessment of UGS available in Nagpur city and the changes in its land use/land cover (LULC) are studied from 1990 to 2020. A loss of 20.63 crores INR of ES has been assessed as a result of the research area's deteriorating urban green spaces during a 30-year period, which has harmed the social, economic, and, most crucially, the environmental balance. Using the results of the paper, the stakeholders and policymakers can make informed decisions for improving urban planning processes for long-term sustainability.