This study sets out to investigate to what extent a sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) in the residential area of Kildeparken in Aalborg East can be financed with the help of stakeholder payment for ecosystem services. The study takes its point of departure in the problems related to the increase in frequency and intensity of heavy rainfalls caused by climate change, and how the municipality of Aalborg has a vision of using SUDS, as a part of adapting to these conditions. The local housing associ-ation, Himmerland Housing Association (HHA), has initiated a large redevelopment project of the residential area of Kildeparken, which includes the implementation of a large SUDS. However, HHA has problems with financing the system, which is having HHA reconsidering if the SUDS is going to be a part of the redevelopment plans.
This study suggest that a large SUDS can be considered as a micro ecosystem, as it has the ability to provide some services, which are normally provided by natural ecosystems, i.e. ecosystem services (ES), such as flood regulation, recreational activities and aesthetic impact. With the help of these ES this study identified a number of stakeholders, who can benefit from the system. The most important stakeholders are identified trough a thorough stakeholder analysis and the perceptions and willing-ness to support the project financially among these are investigated.
The study of these stakeholders revealed that four out of five stakeholders had a generally positive perception of the project, but this was only translated into a minor potential of financial support due to three main barriers. The barriers were, 1) Political support and the requirements set by the Munic-ipal Authority, 2) conflicting interest between Aalborg municipality, who has a vision of using SUDS actively in adapting to climate change, and the utility company, who are not perceiving SUDS as a le-gitimate tool to handle intense and heavy rainfalls, and 3) the utility company does not in general provide a pay back of the connection fee and an exemption of the running costs in areas that have separate sewer systems and in which there are no identified flood risks. Because of these barriers it is assessed that it is only to a limited extent that stakeholder payment for ES can help the financing of a SUDS in Kildeparken.