Urban centers worldwide are confronting the dual pressures of population growth and environmental degradation, striving to integrate biodiversity conservation into city planning. Cities such as Barranquilla, Belém, Durban, Incheon, and San Francisco are leading efforts to balance development with ecological resilience through innovative, nature-based strategies.
A 2024 WWF report revealed a 73% average decline in global wildlife populations over the past half-century, largely due to habitat destruction. With over 56% of the global population now living in urban areas, cities are becoming critical arenas for reversing biodiversity loss. The World Economic Forum, through its Nature-Positive Cities initiative and the Davos Baukultur Alliance, supports urban areas in transforming commitments into scalable, investable projects that enhance both ecological and human well-being.
In Barranquilla, Colombia, a $380 million investment program is revitalizing green spaces, restoring water bodies, and expanding renewable energy infrastructure. The city has reclaimed more than 1.8 million square meters of green areas, ensuring 93% of households are within an eight-minute walk of natural spaces. Initiatives include biogas production, solar-powered lighting, and integrating informal recyclers into formal waste systems, demonstrating how urban development can coexist with environmental stewardship.
Belém do Pará in Brazil, set to host COP30, is reimagining its riverine landscape through projects like the Macrodrainage of the Matafome Basin, which combines flood mitigation with stream renaturalization. Another effort, the Community Urban Agroforestry Park, strengthens cultural ties to waterways while serving as a conservation and community hub. These efforts emphasize collaboration among public, private, and civic actors to improve both ecological and living conditions.
Durban, South Africa, hosts over 2,200 plant species and dozens of endemic animals but faces intense pressure from informal settlements driven by a housing deficit of 440,000 units. To counter habitat loss, the city has established the Durban Metropolitan Open Space System, protecting 95,000 hectares of ecologically valuable land. Its Transformative River Management Programme promotes ecological infrastructure and multi-stakeholder cooperation to safeguard urban rivers.
Incheon, South Korea, has adopted a Natural Environment Conservation Action Plan to counter industrial impacts on its waterways. The strategy expands protected zones, strengthens wildlife safeguards, and promotes biodiversity education. The city also participates in the East Asia-Australasian Flyway Partnership, contributing to migratory bird conservation across 18 countries.
San Francisco, despite its technological prominence, struggles with fragmented ecosystem management and housing demands that threaten sensitive habitats like coastal scrublands and wetlands. The city exemplifies the tension between urban expansion and nature preservation, highlighting the need for coordinated governance and community involvement.
These cities illustrate that integrating nature into urban planning is not only feasible but essential for sustainable development. By leveraging partnerships, investment, and innovation, urban areas can become leaders in ecological regeneration.
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These global cities are working to protect nature and biodiversity
Cities are struggling to balance rising populations with protecting urban biodiversity. n nGlobal cities including San Francisco and Durban are stepping up action to protect habitats. n nDrawing on its Nature-Positive Cities initiative, the Forum is increasingly supporting cities in developing ambitious nature targets, accelerating the regeneration of nature by unlocking necessary investment. n nIn every region of the planet, wildlife and biodiversity are under threat, with species disappearing at an alarming rate. n nA 2024 report from the WWF highlighted a 73% decline in the average size of global wildlife populations in the past 50 years. The report cites the loss and degradation of natural habitats as a key factor in this decline. n nBiodiversity is facing these threats at a time when the world is urbanizing rapidly. This presents a challenge to cities to provide opportunities for nature and wildlife to thrive in urban environments. n nThe World Economic Forum partners with city authorities and other stakeholders across the private sector and civil society to accelerate the regeneration of nature in cities. Building on insights from the Nature-Positive Cities initiative, a collaboration between the Forum’s Centre for Nature and Climate and the Centre for Urban Transformation, the growing efforts of the Davos Baukultur Alliance increasingly focus on helping cities translate their nature commitments into investable, scalable projects to improve the quality of life in urban communities. n nHere is how the Forum’s five partner cities are working to protect and regenerate habitats and nature. These examples illustrate approaches that are now informing city-level nature action globally. n nBalancing biodiversity and growth in Barranquilla n nNestled among tropical dry forests and mangroves, Barranquilla, Colombia, exemplifies how cities can embrace their natural identity while building a sustainable future. n nDespite its rich biodiversity, the coastal city confronts mounting environmental challenges: escalating flood risks, coastal erosion, degraded urban water bodies, industrial air pollution and inadequate waste management systems. n nFor nearly two decades, Barranquilla has pursued an ambitious strategy to balance urban development with environmental stewardship. Nature-based solutions now drive the city’s transformation, with biodiversity protection, circular economy principles, renewable energy deployment and climate resilience forming the strategic foundation. n n“ n nBarranquilla is proving that nature-positive development is not a promise for the future, but a reality we are building today – restoring coastal ecosystems, empowering communities and demonstrating that inclusive, resilient growth is possible. n n—Alejandro Char Chaljub, Mayor, Barranquilla, Republic of Colombia” n n— Alejandro Char Chaljub, Mayor, Barranquilla, Republic of Colombia n nCentral to this progress is a $380 million investment programme targeting green space rehabilitation, water body restoration and renewable energy infrastructure. Key initiatives include a biogas plant, solar-powered public lighting systems and programmes that integrate informal recyclers into the formal waste management economy. n nThe city’s comprehensive approach includes green corridors that protect the coastline and over 70 kilometres of canalized streams to prevent flooding. This nature-aligned infrastructure demonstrates how urban development can enhance rather than compromise environmental sustainability. n nBarranquilla’s urban greening strategy has recovered over 1.8 million square metres of green spaces, ensuring 93% of households enjoy access to natural areas within an eight-minute walk. By revitalizing degraded spaces and strengthening human-environment connections, the city has established a replicable model for sustainable urban development across Latin America. n nThe Forum’s Nature Positive Transitions report on Barranquilla offers a comprehensive look at the city’s initiatives, investment programmes, and lessons for other urban areas seeking to achieve similar outcomes. n nDiscover n nHow is the World Economic Forum supporting the development of cities and communities globally? n nThe Data for the City of Tomorrow report highlighted that in 2023, around 56% of the world is urbanized. Almost 65% of people use the internet. Soon, 75% of the world’s jobs will require digital skills. n nThe World Economic Forum’s Centre for Urban Transformation is at the forefront of advancing public-private collaboration in cities. It enables more resilient and future-ready communities and local economies through green initiatives and the ethical use of data. n nLearn more about our impact: n nNet Zero Carbon Cities: Through this initiative, we are sharing more than 200 leading practices to promote sustainability and reducing emissions in urban settings and empower cities to take bold action towards achieving carbon neutrality. n nG20 Global Smart Cities Alliance: We are dedicated to establishing norms and policy standards for the safe and ethical use of data in smart cities, leading smart city governance initiatives in more than 36 cities around the world. n nEmpowering Brazilian SMEs with IoT adoption: We are removing barriers to IoT adoption for small and medium-sized enterprises in Brazil – with participating companies seeing a 192% return on investment. n nIoT security: Our Council on the Connected World established IoT security requirements for consumer-facing devices. It engages over 100 organizations to safeguard consumers against cyber threats. n nHealthy Cities and Communities: Through partnerships in Jersey City and Austin, USA, as well as Mumbai, India, this initiative focuses on enhancing citizens’ lives by promoting better nutritional choices, physical activity, and sanitation practices. n nWant to know more about our centre’s impact or get involved? Contact us. n nReinventing waterways in Belém n nBrazil’s Belém do Pará – which hosts the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) – is another city defined by the nature around it. It is sometimes described as a ‘city in a river’, and its 1.5 million inhabitants have deep cultural and economic connections to the waterways around them. n nBelém has recently been recognized as a new pioneering place under the Davos Baukultur Alliance, positioning the city as a real-world testbed for nature-positive, people-centred urban development. n nOver time, urban development in the riverbanks and watershed lands has been driven by grey interventions and landfilling. As a result, the risk of floods has increased and the need to reform infrastructure and improve community engagement is now central to Belém’s urban planning. n nThe local government has partnered with federal and international agencies on two projects to reinvent waterfronts and watersheds to recover water quality and increase the standard of living for more than 70% of the city’s inhabitants. n nThe Macrodrainage of the Matafome Basin Program is built upon three pillars: infrastructure provision, housing replacement and environmental recovery. These elements work together to promote macro-drainage combined with renaturalization of the stream without channelling the watercourse or paving its bed. Belém is overseeing the execution of the project with backing from the national government. n nMeanwhile, the Community Urban Agroforestry Park from the Igarapé São Joaquim Masterplan focuses on river renaturalization by highlighting the relationship between Amazonian peoples and their rivers, creating a space that serves as both a community meeting point and nature preservation area, while encouraging meaningful interaction between people and the urban river. n nBuilding strong public-private-community partnerships is key to the success of such projects, and Belém’s efforts demonstrate the transformative power of rehabilitating urban watersheds in reducing environmental risks and improving socioeconomic conditions for citizens. n nDurban’s development challenge n nThe South African city of Durban lies in a global biodiversity hotspot, home to forests, savanna and an Indian Ocean coastal belt. The Forum’s Nature Positive Cities report shows these rich and varied landscapes provide habitats for 2,267 species of plants, 526 bird species, 25 species of endemic invertebrates, 69 reptile species, 37 amphibian species and 80 different mammal species. n nThe main threat to Durban’s biodiversity is rapid – and frequently informal – urban development. n nThe city, already home to 4.1 million people, has a housing backlog of 440,000 units. This critical housing shortage drives the building of informal settlements, often in areas where nature is vulnerable to habitat loss and degradation. n nDurban’s city authorities have put in place a number of initiatives to protect nature within the city and its surroundings. n nThe Durban Metropolitan Open Space System seeks to conserve 95,000 hectares of land and water with high biodiversity value and is the primary tool for addressing habitat destruction. n nThe Transformative River Management Programme places Durban’s urban rivers at the heart of the city’s adaptation plans. It’s a 10-to-15-year initiative that prioritizes nature-based solutions and ecological infrastructure. The project is designed to foster effective partnerships between multiple stakeholders including municipal departments, government agencies and the private sector. n nThis kind of stakeholder collaboration is central to the Forum’s Nature-Positive Cities approach, which identities six pillars that come together to form an enabling environment for nature-positive action. n nA green vision in Incheon n nThe historic South Korean port city of Incheon faces unique challenges. n nThe third most populous city in the country, it sits at the mouth of the Han River, which has long been a major hub for imports. As such, it has developed into a thriving industrial centre. n nAt the same time, its waterways – an important link to the region’s culture and fish and seafood-based cuisine – face threats from this industrialization, including fine dust accumulation, flood risks and difficulties in properly managing water. n nWith strong support for nature-positive action at a national level, the city responded by developing and adopting a Natural Environment Conservation Action Plan. n nThis aims to expand protected areas, strengthen wildlife protection and manage natural ecosystems through strong governance structures – with policies that encourage public and private-sector participation – and via nature education programmes to promote the understanding and management of biodiversity across the city. n nIncheon also participates in the East Asia-Australasian Flyway Partnership, which protects habitats for vulnerable or near-threatened migratory birds across 18 countries, from Siberia to Australia. n nThe city’s integrated approach demonstrates how densely populated industrial hubs can implement localized, nature-based solutions to protect biodiversity while maintaining economic growth. Incheon’s approach highlights how strong local governance and nature-oriented planning can anchor future investment and implementation pathways in rapidly growing cities. n nSaving San Francisco’s biodiversity n nSan Francisco is synonymous with progress. It’s home to Silicon Valley, the heartland of the world’s digital revolution. The city’s tech boom requires a growing workforce which has in turn created a huge demand for housing – and that’s having an impact on nature and biodiversity. n nSan Francisco’s urban conurbations butt up against fragile ecosystems including coastal scrublands, sand dunes and areas of oak forest. There are also large tracts of freshwater wetlands. These habitats are home to rare and endangered animal and plant species. n nOne of San Francisco’s key challenges is a lack of coordinated management of these ecosystems, many of which are neglected, and there is a lack of community engagement in the care and management of them. n nThe vast demand for affordable housing is another risk to biodiversity, as this may be given priority over protecting and regenerating the city’s natural environment. n nLiving side-by-side with nature n nAs these cities demonstrate, the challenges of urban development and biodiversity conservation are complex and intertwined. However, these examples also demonstrate that, with innovative thinking, collaborative efforts, and a commitment to nature-positive solutions, it’s possible to create urban environments where both humans and nature can thrive. Through the Davos Baukultur Alliance, the Forum’s Nature-Positive Cities efforts are shaping a global foundation for nature-integrated urban development – mobilizing the partnerships, investment and innovation that allow people and ecosystems to thrive.