Mega-eco projects
A global assessment of large-scale ecological restoration initiatives
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19579645 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Robert Levinthal (0000-0001-8263-4557, University City Science Center, corresponding author), Richard Weller (0000-0003-2550-9586, University of Pennsylvania) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 341-361 |
| Publication date | 2023-09-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Socio-Ecological Practice Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2524-5279 • E-ISSN: 2524-5287 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s42532-023-00157-7 |
| OpenAlex | W4385698562 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 54 |
One way to address the crises of climate change and biodiversity loss is the rapid deployment of so-called nature-based solutions (NbS). Coined in 2008, NbS have become exceedingly popular, with many calling to upscale these works. However, many large-scale ecological restoration and construction endeavors already exist. To capture these projects, this paper coins and defines a new term, the “mega-eco project” and identifies roughly 250 examples worldwide as material evidence. This paper explains what constitutes a mega-eco project and organizes the examples into four typological categories: connectivity, anti-desertification, watershed, and metropolitan projects. Although our primary concern is with contemporary and emerging mega-eco projects, we also show that mega-eco projects have a history and not all of it is good. It is important to consider mega-eco projects in this light because one of their distinguishing characteristics is that when set against the backdrop of environmental crises, many view these projects as virtuous, benevolent undertakings. While we agree with this sentiment and believe mega-eco projects have the potential for a profound shift in how industrialized humans treat the environment, this introductory analysis is part of a more extensive study aimed at identifying best practices to distinguish them from cases of greenwashing and exploitation
Business · Desertification · Environmental planning · Environmental resource management · Geography · Mega · Software deployment · Engineering · Environmental Philosophy and Ethics · Environmental Science · Land Use and Ecosystem Services · Sustainability and Climate Change Governance · Ecology
In the Name of the Great Work
Natural climate solutions
What you Should Know about Megaprojects and Why
Mapping the effectiveness of nature‐based solutions for climate change adaptation
Global desertification
Getting the message right on nature‐based solutions to climate change
Rewilding complex ecosystems
Anthropogenic transformation of the biomes, 1700 to 2000
Habitat fragmentation and its lasting impact on Earth’s ecosystems
Area-based conservation in the twenty-first century
Oxford Handbook of Megaproject Management
Keywords (Routledge Revivals)
The Environmental Planning Handbook
The Use of Green Belts to Control Sprawl in the United States
Coping with the 'World's Biggest Dust Bowl'. Towards a History of China's Forest Shelterbelts, 1950s-Present
Preparing for a Warmer World
Challenges in large-scale government-led sustainable development
Core principles for successfully implementing and upscaling Nature-based Solutions
The Great Stalin Plan for the Transformation of Nature
Urban form study
Regional Planning in America
Megaprojects and the limits of ‘green resilience’ in the global South
The Shelterbelt Project
Wasting the Rain
Unsettling Resilience
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2024 - 2025 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |