Climate Mitigation Potential of Urban Ecological Restoration

Dear Colleagues,

At the recent 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), Sultan Jaber, President of COP28, acknowledged, “Globally concerted ecological restoration initiatives have made a substantial contribution to the global response to climate change”. Nonetheless, an ongoing debate persists concerning the efficacy of reforestation and the optimal locations for tree planting. Notably, the potential for urban climate mitigation within these ecological restoration endeavors remains largely unexplored. Given that urban areas are home to over 60% of the population and account for 90% of the economy, it is imperative to recognize that rapid urbanization is causing urban areas to warm up at a rate twice of global warming. This phenomenon fundamentally alters subsurface conditions and disrupts energy balances, resulting in a host of ecological challenges, including the emergence of urban heat islands, frequent heatwaves, and increased air pollution. Indeed, the sustained and extensive implementation of ecological restoration measures can prove more effective in contributing to the development of mitigation strategies for urban warming. In light of diverse climatic contexts, the primary objective of this Special Issue is to present a collection of papers showcasing the recent advances in quantifying the urban climate mitigation potential of global ecological restoration projects. These studies aim to offer fresh perspectives on the identification of strategic afforestation sites and provide strong evidence of the significant climate mitigation potential of ecological restoration projects. Furthermore, this Special Issue will delve into the impact of ecological restoration efforts on the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for urban areas, while highlighting the formidable challenges of balancing urban climate mitigation with sustainable urban development. The central aim of this Special Issue is to advocate to policymakers for including urban areas in the planning of ecological restoration initiatives when developing or revising relevant legislation. Therefore, the topics covered in this Special Issue encompass, but are not confined to, the following areas of consideration.

1. The climate mitigation potential of ecological restoration projects.
2. The contribution of ecological restoration projects to urban greening.
3. Urban vegetation monitoring.
4. HUI and SHUI determination and monitoring.
5. Urban forests and urban greening.
6. Climate-resilient infrastructure.
7. Urbanization monitoring based on remote sensing.
8. Relations between urban growth and climate change.
9. The impacts and mitigation of urban heat.
10. Urban ecology applications based on remote sensing.
11. Green space/blue space/gray space remote sensing monitoring.
12. Urban micro-climate related to urban greening.

Dr. Yongze Song
Dr. Zihao Zheng
Guest Editors

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• ecological restoration projects
• urbanization
• urban greening
• urban surface temperature
• vegetation management
• ecological restoration
• climate mitigation
• driving mechanisms