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The role of urban green spaces in combating climate change and enhancing biodiversity

This college-level research paper explores the role of urban green spaces (UGS) in mitigating climate change and enhancing biodiversity. Written in Oxford citation style, the essay investigates how vegetation in urban environments—such as parks, green roofs, and community gardens—acts as a carbon sink, regulates urban temperature, manages stormwater, and supports diverse ecosystems. Emphasis is placed on UGS as critical infrastructure for climate resilience and sustainable urban development. Drawing on recent academic sources, the paper highlights the ecological and practical benefits of integrating green spaces into city planning.

May 4, 2025

* The sample essays are for browsing purposes only and are not to be submitted as original work to avoid issues with plagiarism.

THE ROLE OF URBAN GREEN SPACES IN COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE

AND ENHANCING BIODIVERSITY

Student’s Name

Course

Due Date

The Role of Urban Green Spaces in Combating Climate Change and Enhancing

Biodiversity

Vegetation-covered areas in urban areas in the form of trees, grass, flowers, and so on

are referred to as urban green spaces or UGS. Plants set up in publicly owned parks, backyard

gardens, and those living in apartment balconies and rooftops are examples of UGS. Owing

to their numerous benefits, UGS have gained increasing importance in recent decades. Along

with beautifying cityscapes, these elements are extremely vital in ensuring that the urban

environment is of high quality with a wide variety of ecosystems. Since these reduce climate

change, enhance urban biodiversity, and enhance resilience in the context of climate, these

spaces are vital in ensuring sustainable city growth. Therefore, this essay delves extensively

into how urban green spaces help combat climate change and improve biodiversity, with

particular emphasis on the need for wider expansion in contemporary cities.

Impacts Of UGS on Climate Change and Urban Biodiversity

The UGS play an important part in curbing climate change by sequestering carbon,

reducing the urban heat, and enhancing air quality. Plants and greenery in urban parks and

home gardens uptake carbon dioxide in the process of photosynthesis, serving as effective

sinks of carbon that curtail the greenhouse effect. Carbon accounts for up to 70% of

greenhouse gases and is primarily emitted in urban areas due to the high concentration of

vehicles and industrial activities.1 Therefore, having more green spaces in urban areas can

help sink some of the carbon. According to Melese and Belachew, urban forests possess the

highest carbon stock, followed by home gardens. Together, they play a significant role in

reducing carbon levels in urban environments, thereby mitigating climate change.2

2 Melese Genete Muluneh and Belachew Bogale Worku, ‘Contributions of Urban Green Spaces for

Climate Change Mitigation and Biodiversity Conservation in Dessie City, Northeastern Ethiopia’

(2022) 46 Urban Climate 101294.

1 United States Environmental Protection Agency, ‘Overview of Greenhouse Gases’ (US EPA2024)

<https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases>.

Additionally, the trees and other vegetation help to create a cooling effect through the

process of evapotranspiration; it is a process that counters the urban heat island effect, a

phenomenon where cities become significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas. This

cooling effect reduces the amount of energy required for air conditioning, indirectly lowering

fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Air conditioning

accounts for up to 20% of electricity consumption in buildings globally, so reducing reliance

on it through natural cooling methods can significantly cut emissions.3 Lower carbon

emissions and increased absorption facilitated by the UGS highlight their important role in

limiting climate change.

Beyond carbon sequestration, green spaces serve as vital habitats for diverse species,

promoting biodiversity in otherwise concrete-dominated cities. Parks, community gardens,

green roofs, and urban forests serve as critical habitats and food sources for many birds,

insects, small mammals, and native plants. Within urban ecosystems, these patches serve as

green ecological islands and buffers that aid in the subsistence of species that might otherwise

be displaced by urban growth and development. For instance, parks can be used for the

preservation of endangered trees that are endemic to a region, because it is not easy to cut

them down within city environments.4 Moreover, if these patches of green spaces are

connected through green corridors or other forms of urban planning, they make areas

available for gene flow, which is important for long-term ecological sustainability. The

presence of varied flora supports a richer food web, which draws in other urban

agri-pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, who aid in bolstering plant health and crop

4 Melese Genete Muluneh and Belachew Bogale Worku, ‘Contributions of Urban Green Spaces for

Climate Change Mitigation and Biodiversity Conservation in Dessie City, Northeastern Ethiopia’

(2022) 46 Urban Climate 101294.

3 IEA, ‘Air Conditioning Use Emerges as One of the Key Drivers of Global Electricity-Demand

Growth - News’ (IEA15 May 2018)

<https://www.iea.org/news/air-conditioning-use-emerges-as-one-of-the-key-drivers-of-global-electrici

ty-demand-growth>.

cultivation. Hence, the ecosystems fostered by UGS not only aid the local biodiversity but

also allow cities to cope with environmental shifts and preserve vital ecosystem services.

Furthermore, urban parks and green infrastructure help urban residents manage the

impacts of climate change, such as flooding and heat storms. Floods have become more

common due to intense rainfall caused by climate change. However, unlike impervious

surfaces like concrete and asphalt, green spaces have natural soil that absorbs and filters

water naturally. UGS have features like bioswales and permeable pavements that slow down

water flow, allowing it to seep into the ground rather than overwhelming sewers.5 These

features help to manage the sudden stormwaters and limit the chances of flooding.

Additionally, vegetation and soil act as natural filters, trapping pollutants such as oil and

heavy metals before they enter waterways. preventing the contamination of the water supply.

On the flip side, climate change has also increased the frequency of heat storms globally.

Green spaces such as trees and green roofs help to create a cooling effect, protecting people

from extreme heat. Therefore, by integrating more UGS solutions into urban planning, cities

can enhance resilience to extreme weather events and support sustainable urban development

in the face of climate change.

Conclusion

With the growth of urban regions, there is a greater strain on natural resources, which

makes green urban spaces a lot more valuable. These green spaces help blunt the impacts of

climate change through their moderating effects on urban heat islands and carbon emissions.

In addition, green spaces provide essential habitats that sustain biodiversity in densely

populated areas. Similarly, green infrastructure systems also address a myriad of climate

problems like flooding and poor air quality, resulting in cities being better prepared to deal

with climate-related issues. Urban planning needs to focus on the realization of integrated and

5 Na Liu and Fang Zhang, ‘Urban Green Spaces and Flood Disaster Management: Toward Sustainable

Urban Design’ (2025) 13 Frontiers in Public Health.

expanded green spaces if these advantages are going to be achieved and maintained. All in

all, enhancing urban green spaces contributes significantly towards developing cities that are

ecologically sound and promote overall public health.

Bibliography

IEA, ‘Air Conditioning Use Emerges as One of the Key Drivers of Global

Electricity-Demand Growth - News’ (IEA15 May 2018)

<https://www.iea.org/news/air-conditioning-use-emerges-as-one-of-the-key-drivers-of

-global-electricity-demand-growth>

Liu N and Zhang F, ‘Urban Green Spaces and Flood Disaster Management: Toward

Sustainable Urban Design’ (2025) 13 Frontiers in Public Health

Muluneh MG and Worku BB, ‘Contributions of Urban Green Spaces for Climate Change

Mitigation and Biodiversity Conservation in Dessie City, Northeastern Ethiopia’

(2022) 46 Urban Climate 101294

United States Environmental Protection Agency, ‘Overview of Greenhouse Gases’ (US

EPA2024) <https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases>

May 4, 2025

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Academic level:

Undergraduate 1-2

Type of paper:

Research paper

Discipline:

Ecology

Citation:

Oxford

Pages:

3 (825 words)

Spacing:

Double