Fortaleza Wetlands Park Network

Parque Rachel de Queiroz is a 10 km linear park in west Fortaleza that transforms a degraded, flood-prone corridor into multifunctional blue–green infrastructure. Built around nine interconnected wetland lagoons, the project restores a key urban watershed, reduces local flooding, improves water quality and creates high-quality public space across multiple low-income neighbourhoods. 

The current completed park area of 325,666 m² hosts cycleways, walking paths, sports courts, playgrounds, an amphitheatre, dog park and shaded seating, alongside over 1,000 new trees and extensive native vegetation. Supported by the World Bank’s Fortaleza Sustainable City project and led by the municipality, the park is now a flagship nature-based solution, benefiting an estimated 70,000 residents, supporting hundreds of local businesses and demonstrating how climate resilience, social inclusion and urban regeneration can be delivered together. 

The implementation of Parque Rachel de Queiroz combines hydrological engineering, urban design and social programming in a phased approach:

1. Strategic framing and studies
   • Embedded within the Fortaleza Sustainable City project and the city’s Local Climate Action Plan, with explicit emphasis on nature-based solutions and climate resilience. 
   • Detailed hydrological and environmental studies identified how a constructed wetland system could treat water from the Cachoeirinha / Maranguapinho stream and reduce peak flows during heavy rains. 
2. Landscape and drainage design
   • Architects Architectus S/S developed a linear-park masterplan using the existing road grid to stitch together fragmented green remnants, crossing multiple neighbourhoods. 
   • The design integrates nine artificial lagoons, bioswales, permeable paths and topography shaping to slow, store and naturally filter water, using aquatic plants and microorganisms for phytoremediation. 
3. Phased construction in priority sections
   • Works began in sectors with the highest flood risk and environmental degradation, notably around Presidente Kennedy, where vacant land had become an illegal dump and sewer. 
   • Construction included earthworks for lagoons, installation of drainage infrastructure, creation of embankments and retaining structures, and planting of trees and wetland vegetation. Civil contractor Athos Construções LTDA led execution. 
4. Public space and mobility infrastructure
   • A bi-directional perimeter track for walking, running and cycling and internal paths link lagoons, plazas and sports areas, forming a safe active-mobility corridor across the district. 
   • Two steel-and-concrete footbridges cross the stream, overcoming the historical barrier effect and improving access from surrounding streets. 
   • Facilities include multi-sport courts, playgrounds, an amphitheatre, outdoor gym, dog park, reading spaces, seating and shaded gathering areas, all supported by efficient LED public lighting and durable, low-maintenance materials. 
5. Operations, maintenance and environmental management
   • Fortaleza’s URBFOR oversees green infrastructure, afforestation and natural drainage, while the Municipality manages park operations, security and programming. 
   • Maintenance regimes for vegetation, litter control and lagoon performance underpin the long-term functionality of the wetlands and public spaces.

This project is anchored in a broad coalition of municipal, technical and financial partners:

• Fortaleza City Council / SEUMA – landowner, regulator and implementing authority under the Fortaleza Cidade Sustentável (Sustainable City) Program. 
• World Bank – financier and technical partner providing a US$73.3m loan for urban regeneration, including US$6.1m for the park. 
• Architectus S/S – lead urban design, landscape and environmental studies for the park and wetland system. 
• Athos Construções LTDA – main civil works contractor. 
• URBFOR (Urbanism and Landscaping Authority) – responsible for urban trees, green infrastructure and drainage integration. 
• Local communities and civil society organisations – engaged in design discussions, cultural programming, environmental education and park stewardship activities. 

The park’s success is reinforced by strong communication, education and community activation:

• Environmental education campaigns on solid waste management, water conservation and the role of wetlands in flood protection, aiming to reduce dumping and build stewardship for the new park. 
• Cultural and educational programming (events, sports, arts, school activities) organised in the park to encourage regular use, especially by children and families from nearby neighbourhoods. 
• Storytelling around nature-based solutions, with the park showcased in media, awards and international platforms as a flagship example of how cities can adapt to climate change with NbS. 

Financing combines international climate-aligned lending with municipal capacity and in-kind contributions:

• Approx. US$ 6.1 million in total investment for the Rachel de Queiroz Park intervention, funded largely through the Fortaleza Sustainable City World Bank project. 
• The park is part of a broader US$ 73.3 million loan, of which US$ 36 million has been invested so far in green space regeneration, drainage and micro-parks across the city. 
• Municipal resources cover park operations, maintenance, security and programming, with URBFOR and SEUMA budgets allocated to green infrastructure upkeep. 
• In-kind contributions include community engagement, local knowledge, and growing private investment around the park (businesses, housing), which amplifies the original public investment.

The project delivers combined climate, social and economic outcomes:

• Flood and climate resilience
  • Wetlands and permeable landscapes increase storage and infiltration, reducing the frequency and intensity of local flooding in a previously high-risk area. 
  • Enhanced vegetation and open water contribute to urban cooling, mitigating heat island effects in dense neighbourhoods. 
• Water quality improvement
  • Bioremediation through lagoons significantly improves water quality in the stream, reducing pollution from previous illegal sewage and dumps. 
• Social inclusion and wellbeing
  • Safe, accessible spaces for walking, cycling, sport and leisure improve health, safety and social cohesion, particularly for children and women. 
• Local economic development
  • Job creation and the thriving cluster of 355 businesses around the park demonstrate how climate-resilient infrastructure can also drive livelihoods, entrepreneurship and increased municipal revenues. 
• Urban governance and climate leadership

The park operationalises Fortaleza’s commitments under GCoM, its Local Climate Action Plan and its strategy to reach carbon-neutral and resilient status by 2050, strengthening institutional capacity for future NbS projects

The project has had to overcome significant physical and governance challenges:

• Severe legacy degradation – transforming an illegal dump and informal sewer into a high-quality public park required intensive clean-up, soil movement, pollution mitigation and community trust-building. 
• High flood and climate risk – designing a park that can safely flood, recover quickly and remain usable demanded robust hydrological modelling and careful detailing of paths, edges and planting. 
• Complex, long linear corridor – coordinating works across 10 km and multiple neighbourhoods, with traffic, utilities and land issues, increased transaction costs and required strong municipal project management. 
• Risk of socio-spatial inequalities – rising property values (approx. 20%) and commercial activity are positive economically but may increase affordability pressures; this calls for complementary housing and social policies to avoid displacement of vulnerable residents (an emerging risk observed in similar projects worldwide). 

Parque Rachel de Queiroz offers a powerful template for cities seeking to turn degraded floodplains into climate-resilient assets, especially in fast-growing, lower-income contexts:

• Use flood-prone land as an opportunity, not a constraint – converting risky, informal areas into wetland parks can simultaneously manage water, restore ecosystems and deliver public space.
• Design “infrastructure as park” – drainage and treatment functions are embedded in attractive, inclusive landscapes, avoiding grey-only solutions and amplifying co-benefits for health, mobility and community life.
• Anchor projects in robust climate governance – Fortaleza’s GHG inventories, vulnerability index and Local Climate Action Plan created a framework for prioritising and financing NbS at scale. 
• Leverage international finance for local transformation – the World Bank loan illustrates how climate-aligned lending can unlock ambitious, multi-year regeneration in partnership with local government capacity.

The model is highly transferable to other cities with polluted waterways and informal floodplain occupation, provided that community engagement, long-term maintenance and social safeguards are treated as core design elements rather than afterthoughts.

• World Bank – Brazil: Preparing Cities for Climate Change Requires a Focus on Nature (Fortaleza Sustainable City / Rachel de Queiroz Park feature). 
• ArchDaily – Rachel de Queiroz Park
• Architectus S/S – project description (Parque Rachel de Queiroz). 
• Revista Latina Focus – A Saving Urbanism | Rachel de Queiroz Park in Brazil. 

Larissa Menascal
President of the Research and Planning Institute of the Fortaleza City Government (IPPLAN)

Secretaria Municipal do Urbanismo e Meio Ambiente (SEUMA), Prefeitura de Fortaleza 
atendimento.seuma@seuma.fortaleza.ce.gov.br