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How Marseille is fighting urbanisation and saving water
Marseille has marked the World Water Day on 22 March to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable management of water.
City authorities headed by Mayor of Marseille Benoît Payan reaffirmed the city’s commitment to preservation of biodiversity and protection of natural resources.
Urban expansion and construction of new settlements on the outskirts of cities makes the soil less permeable, causes heat islands and erodes biodiversity, with Marseille stressing the importance of revegetation of urban spaces.
As part of its plans to fight against negative effects of urbanisation, Marseille announced plans to curb urban expansion into natural areas and, where no other options are available, revegetation of equivalent areas in response to urbanisation.
City authorities pointed out that Marseille continues to replace paved surfaces with vegetation, build new parks and gardens, and expand existing green areas, stressing that these efforts will improve quality of life in the city.
As part of plans to limit water consumption, Marseille adopted regulations last year aimed at lowering water consumption 5% this year and 30% by 2030.
The city implemented a system for detecting leaks in the water supply network which makes it possible to react immediately to any leaks and carry out repairs.
Marseille noted that it chose Mediterranean plant species for its green spaces as they require little water and are resistant to drought.
(Photo credit: Marseille)
