Assessing ecosystem services of urban blue-green infrastructure in Karşıyaka, Izmir

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to calculate the regulating ecosystem services such as carbon storage, air pollution, runoff retention, and urban heat island reduction provided by the blue-green infrastructure of Karşıyaka, Izmir (Türkiye). Material and Method: Regulating ecosystem services provided by urban blue-green infrastructure were calculated with remote sensing techniques and geographic information system. Data preparation and analyzes were performed in ArcGIS 10.8 software. Results: The findings showed that the carbon storage potential of blue-green infrastructure was 2.45 kg C m2 while the particulate matter removal potential was 4.73 g/m2. The total rate of runoff in the BGI has been calculated to be 0.008 m3/m2. The urban heat island intensity index showed that the hot islands were located in the middle and north, and the cool islands were located in the south of the city. Conclusion: It has been determined that the blue-green infrastructure in Karşıyaka has predominantly low values in terms of the regulating ecosystem services evaluated. It has been concluded that the blue-green infrastructure needs to be improved to boost ecosystem services and urban resilience.