Conference Agenda

Climate change is expected to increase the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events in Austria. To evaluate its impact on the performance of various Nature-Based Solutions in urban areas, this study examines the water balance and cooling effects of these practices in three case studies using SWMM-UrbanEVA model. Preliminary findings reveal that the average long-term water balance and cooling effects are significantly different among the three case studies. The higher the proportion of green areas, the greater the cooling capacity – through evapotranspiration rates. A slight decrease in evapotranspiration rates on hot days is observed in all study areas, indicating reduced water availability under both near future and far future climate scenarios, compared to the historical period. Irrigation demands for green areas increase significantly under future climates, by 25 to 69% in the near future period and by 42 to 120% in the far future scenario. Analyzing water balance, cooling effects and irrigation demands of different NBS types in urban areas under the context of climate change can help to identify the most effective solutions for enhancing climate resilience. Ongoing research will focus on assessing how variants in crop factors affect the long-term water balance, cooling performance and water requirements.