The 30 Green Corridors project has been chosen as one of the four projects in the long list of the Ashden 2019 Awards in the “Cooling for People” category for its contributions to improve the thermal sensation of Medellín. This is the first time Ashden opens this category, for which they joined world-renowned organizations such as Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP) and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL).
The Medellín Mayor’s Office presented this initiative as a product of the articulated work of the Secretariats of Environment and Physical Infrastructure. The Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín, together with these secretariats, led the application process for the award, contributing to the international positioning of Medellín and its best practices.
Ashden, a UK non-profit organization which defends and supports sustainable energy leaders in the quick transition to a low-carbon world, recognizes the 30 Green Corridors project in the version of its 2019 award as one of the finalists in the Cooling for People category.
The 30 Green Corridors project was chosen for its contribution to the relief of heat stress in the city. It stands out together with other global experiences with innovative approaches in urban areas such as Addis Ababa (Capital of Ethiopia) and the City of Singapore. See the article published by Ashden.
The Awards were established in 2001 and are recognized worldwide as a mark of excellence in the field of green energy. The awards ceremony will be held in London on July 3 as part of the first London Climate Action Week.
“Medellín is a city which has overcome countless challenges. At this moment, caring for the environment and our air quality are two crucial issues we are facing. Structural solutions such as the Green Corridors are a strong commitment to improving the lives of our citizens. We are very excited about Medellín’s nomination to the Ashden Awards,” said the Mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez Zuluaga.
Green Corridors is presented as an example of sustainability
In line with this news, during the fourth meeting of the Urban Greenup project, held in Brussels, Belgium the progress in greening actions, the establishment of corridors and green walls, and changing hard floors to soft ones was exalted.
The project, funded by the UN’s Horizon 2020 program, aims at the development, application, and replication of Urban Renaturing Plans in several European and non-European cities (8 in total). Its purpose is to mitigate the effects of climate change to improve air quality and water management, as well as increase the sustainability of participating cities through innovative solutions based on nature.
“Green Corridors was gladly received. None of the participating cities showed physical advances in their projects. They all showed planning in their territories, but Medellín was the only city that demonstrated the execution of the projects. With our example, they realized that they can do things,” said Secretary of Environment, Sergio Andrés Orozco Escobar.
About Green Corridors
The project consists of planting trees accompanied by shrubs, palms and green cover in an environmental network which connects streams, hills, parks, and roads. During its execution, 8,800 trees and palms have been planted with an investment of 49 billion pesos.
The Green Corridors are part of the strategy A greener Medellín for you, which consolidates an ecological network consisting of 18 roadways, 12 river basins and the Nutibara, El Volador and La Asomadera hills.
The Green Corridors offer a variety of ecosystem services, among which are the following:
- An estimated reduction up to 2°C of the environment temperature.
- The decrease in the heat island effect.
- The capture of particulate matter, improving air quality.
- The improvement of conditions for the conservation of biodiversity and the increase in the types of flora species.
- The consolidation of an ecological network which allows the generation of new city scenarios, through the recovery and programmed sowing, the greening and modeling of the landscape within the framework of the man – ecosystem relationship.
- The prioritization of the safety of pedestrians facilitating their mobility on crosswalks through planters and sidewalks.
Leave a Reply