Reviving PACA: Micro-Forests and Unsealed Soils

Climate projections for the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) region foresee temperature increases between 1.9 °C and 4.6 °C by the end of the century, alongside declining soil water reserves and more frequent extreme rainfall events. These trends intensify urban heat stress, flood risk, and sewer overflows, particularly in dense urban environments.

In response, CARDIMED DEMO 5 implements Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) in line with regional climate priorities, focusing on soil unsealing, renaturation, and green infrastructure. The DEMO is structured into two sub-DEMOs located on campuses of Aix-Marseille University, which serve both as living laboratories and educational showcases:

• Sub-DEMO5.1 (Saint-Jérôme campus) is located in a peri-urban area and focuses on unsealing surfaces, installing porous materials, terracing land, and creating an urban micro-forest with three bioswales to improve rainwater infiltration, reduce runoff, and mitigate heat island effects.
• Sub-DEMO5.2 (Saint-Charles campus) is situated in a dense urban setting near Marseille’s main railway station and integrates soil unsealing, terracing, a bioswale, green corridors,  and shading elements as part of an ongoing district renewal process.

Together, the interventions aim to reduce sewer overload and coastal pollution, enhance groundwater recharge, lower summer temperatures, and strengthen biodiversity, while actively engaging students and local communities in climate adaptation efforts.