From landfills to landscapes—Nature‐based ...

This paper presents a unique case study from the Kjørbekk stream in Skien municipality in Oslo, Norway, where the predicted increased rainfall volume caused by climate change renders the current surface water network unable to meet this demand (Norwegian Environmental Agency, 2019). The stream runs in an aging pipe infrastructure that has started to leak and, in addition, does not have the capacity to handle the increased volume. The pipe is buried under two old, disused landfill sites that were constructed without bottom membranes. To accommodate the increased water volume, one option being evaluated is to reopen the stream through a daylighting process and create new water pathways using nature-based interventions. However, owing to the presence of pollutants in the waste in the disused landfills, it is imperative that these pathways do not lead to a mobilization and transport of pollutants by the water. This work presents a conceptual study to illustrate possible NBS that could be employed at the site and highlights their co-benefits, drawing on similar existing examples.