Algeciras
Site: Algeciras is the biggest urban area in Campo de Gibraltar (Cádiz, Andalusia), Spain, with ~260,000 inhabitants. The NICE Urban Real Lab is located within the Port of Algeciras, one of the largest in the EU. This location is proposed within the context of the 'Lago Maritimo' project, a broader plan that includes several actions to regenerate the environment of the bay and reclaim this urban area for use by citizens of Algeciras.
Situation: Algeciras has a Mediterranean climate with storms during summer and autumn that result in abundant runoff from the city into the port area. This results in occasional pollution in the port area during rainy periods.
Solution: The pilot at Algeciras will test the capacity of nature-based solutions to treat stormwater before its discharge into the bay. Ecological and aesthetical benefits allow for an integration of nature-based solutions technologies within the urban landscape and the local community. The pilot plant consists of rain gardens designed to treat 5 m3/d stormwater.
The NICE Urban Real Labs are ideal test beds for nature-based solutions for circular urban water solutions, as they have varied geographical, environmental and socioeconomic characteristics.
The Urban Real Labs cover a wide range of climate zones: tropical and subtropical (Pereira and Turin), Mediterranean (Talavera, Algeciras, Benalmádena, Lyon, Cairo), transition climate with extreme temperatures (Madrid), oceanic (Vigo, Aarhus), and Baltic (Gdansk).
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No.101003765.