Répondre à la demande croissante en bois-énergie est un défi et un facteur de déforestation et de dégradation des forêts. La Restauration des Paysages Forestiers (RPF) et les engagements des pays envers l’AFR100 s’adressent ainsi à la production durable de bois-énergie afin de répondre aux réalités sociales et économiques.

La chaîne de valeur bois-énergie, en s’adressant à toutes les parties prenantes, encourage les petits entrepreneurs. L’approche combine des éléments juridiques, de gouvernance, économiques et techniques depuis les transferts des titres fonciers et des plans de reforestation individuels sur des terres dégradées au niveau villageois jusqu’à la récolte, traitement, transformation, distribution et commercialisation par les consommateurs finaux de bois-énergie ainsi que les technologies de combustion associées (foyers améliorés).

Elle modernise la chaîne de valeur du bois-énergie et génère des bénéfices pour les intervenants. Leurs revenus annuels ont doublé en moyenne.

La réserve biologique dirigée (RBD) du Hochfeld a pour enjeu principal la conservation d’une exceptionnelle population de lycopodes (6 taxons). Au sein d’une forêt dense de hêtre, un aménagement réalisé dans les années 1960 a occasionné un déboisement et même un décapage du sol. Cette atteinte à la forêt a été suivie de la reconstitution spontanée d’une lande pionnière à éricacées très rase, qui a permis l’apparition des lycopodes. Les conditions n’auraient pas pu être aussi favorables dans le cas d’une coupe forestière, moins traumatisante pour le milieu et qui aurait été suivie d’une reconstitution rapide du peuplement, sans véritable interruption de la végétation forestière.

Il n’y a pas d’historique pastoral dans la RBD du Hochfeld, et le bétail risquerait de toute façon d’occasionner trop de dégâts aux lycopodes. On se trouve dans une situation où l’entretien de la lande se fait donc nécessairement par la combinaison de la mécanisation et d’interventions manuelles.

Le bien-être des habitants de Madagascar dépend de ses ressources naturelles et de ses services, tels que le bois de feu, la nourriture et l’eau. De nombreuses zones sont dégradées dues à l’utilisation non durable des terres. Les aléas climatiques ajoutent plus de risques pour les personnes, la nature et l’économie. La restauration des paysages forestiers (RPF) est une priorité clé de l’AFR100 pour assurer un développement durable. Les écosystèmes résilients améliorant l’économie, la sécurité alimentaire et l’approvisionnement en eau, la conservation et la séquestration du carbone en sont les piliers. Cette solution couvre la mise en place de plateformes multiséctorielles , les mesures de renforcement des capacités des acteurs, le développement d’une stratégie nationale RPF et la priorisation des payasages à restaurer basées sur une évaluation multicritère. Les prochaines étapes consisteront à identifier des sites pour piloter des activités de restauration dans la région Boeny.

La désertification et ses conséquences menacent le bien-être de la population du nord du Cameroun, en particulier des ménages ruraux. Le manque de feu de bois et bois de construction, et l’extrême pauvreté sont des défis majeurs pour la population de Mogazang. Les aléas climatiques comme la modification des régimes de précipitations exacerbent aussi risques pour la population. L’élaboration d’une carte par les membres de la communauté a permis la démarcation d’un terrain dégradé (10,74 ha) à restaurer. En adoptant une approche «d’apprentissage par la pratique», différentes techniques de restauration de la fertilité des sols ont été testées. En attendant que la parcelle soit productive, les femmes ont été formées à des activités alternatives génératrices de revenus et à la construction de foyers améliorés. L’initiative contribue ainsi aux objectifs de l’AFR100 par la restauration des terres dégradées, la réduction de la pression sur les ressources naturelles et la génération de revenus.

Siembra y cosecha de agua de lluvia (SCALL), es un modelo hidrológico campesino cuyo enfoque es la crianza del agua de lluvia en el marco de la cosmovisión local. Es una práctica colectiva como respuesta a la creciente escasez de agua. La experiencia combina la infraestructura verde con prácticas culturales, sociales y ambientales. Los beneficios: formación de humedales, recarga de manantiales, fortalecimiento de la relación con la naturaleza, valoración cultural y una perspectiva de servicio ecosistémico a la ciudad de Huamanga.

Neek ’Capital es un company builder que nació en el 2017 con la misión de crear compañías mexicanas nuevas con potencial de crecimiento, dedicadas a la implementación del uso sustentable de la energía, el agua, los sistemas alimenticios y la biodiversidad a grande escala. El objetivo era crear empresas destinadas a resolver los desafíos planteados por el uso sustentable de los recursos naturales en un mundo con restricciones climáticas.

A través de nuestras operaciones de producción, procesamiento y comercialización, buscamos la regeneración del campo como fuente sustentable de proteína animal de alta calidad e invertir directamente en la restauración de la selva Yucateca.

Buscamos ser un ejemplo de sustentabilidad mediante el uso de sistemas productivos regenerativos que se mantengan en el largo plazo, mejorando así los ingresos de los productores y la calidad agroecológica de sus ranchos ganaderos.

El proyecto Restauración Cordillera Azul viene impulsando procesos de restauración ecológica en los poblados de San Juan y Lejía en la región San Martín desde el 2018, en 50 hectáreas que conectan con un paisaje de 500 ha, en la Zona de Amortiguamiento del Parque Nacional Cordillera Azul (PNCAZ). Para ello CIMA (organización que ejecuta el contrato de administración del PNCAZ) ha suscrito un convenio de cooperación entre la Universidad Nacional Agraria de la Selva, el caserío de San Juan y el centro poblado de Lejía. Las comunidades tienen Acuerdos Azules de colaboración, como estrategia participativa de planificación territorial y de los Planes de Calidad de Vida.

Durante los años 60 se desarrollaron muchos vertederos en el Río de la Plata, Argentina. Estas acciones crearon un nuevo ecosistema de origen antropogénico.

En 1985, un movimiento estudiantil comenzó a trabajar para proteger este sitio que se conocía como La Reserva Biológica y Parque para la Difusión de la Ciencia.

La reserva fue el primer área urbana de Buenos Aires. Con el apoyo de las autoridades, comenzó un trabajo de tres décadas, y en 2011 el lugar fue designado por ley como un área urbana protegida llamada Ciudad Universitaria, Reserva Ecológica.

Este sitio juega un papel esencial en la universidad y la ciudad de Buenos Aires, brindando servicios ambientales estratégicos para la salud humana. Es un excelente ejemplo de cómo los parques urbanos son esenciales para el bienestar de las personas que viven en las ciudades.

Proyecto dirigido a fomentar la corresponsabilidad de los ciudadanos de Hermosillo, Sonora para la construcción del Sendero Lineal “Cinturón Verde, el cual delimita la zona de amortiguamiento entre el Desarrollo Urbano y  un área de conservación ecológica en zona peri urbana árida.

Se implementó una campaña de comunicación y de educación ambiental para dar a conocer el proyecto y fomentar la participación social así como la creación de comités de vecinos para el co-manejo del sendero.

Adicionalmente con este proyecto se busca incrementar el bienestar a través del contacto con la naturaleza y propiciar un entorno más seguro, conservando lo natural y de fácil acceso para las familias. 

El Bosque Atlántico es considerado uno de los bosques tropicales más biodiversos del planeta (Hotspot de biodiversidad), el segundo más grande toda Sudamérica y la primera Área Importante para las Aves (IBA) del Paraguay con alto endemismo de aves y  especies amenazadas. Actualmente el desarrollo de agricultura extensiva y urbanización redujo su cobertura original a menos del 7% de superficie en Paraguay. San Rafael ha sido ampliamente reconocido como la principal prioridad de conservación del Bosque Atlántico en Paraguay. La solución para su conservación a largo plazo y evitar la pérdida de conectividad con otras áreas importantes del Bosque Atlántico, consiste en un modelo de producción innovador basado en la recuperación de áreas degradadas del Bosque Atlántico en el área de influencia de San Rafael con Ilex paraguariensis – yerba mate con otras especies nativas, fomentando su conservación tanto natural como cultural, así como su viabilidad económica de comunidades rurales e indígenas.  

El café con sombra representa más del 66% de la Reserva de Biosfera Apaneca-Ilamatepec en El Salvador, que interconecta y posibilita el flujo de especies de flora y fauna. Sin embargo, este cultivo tiene dos grandes amenazas: la primera, es la eliminación del cafetal debido al cambio de uso de suelo para urbanización, y la segunda, el reemplazo de los cafetales para cultivos de granos básicos y hortalizas.

En ese sentido, el proyecto del Fondo de Desarrollo Verde en la región SICA en El Salvador denominado “Apalancamiento de fincas con manejo agroecológico del agrosistema de café en la Reserva de Biosfera Apaneca-Ilamatepec” trabajó con 50 productores y productoras para la restauración de ecosistemas y paisajes a través de la producción agroecológica y diversificada en el cultivo de café. Esto permitió que los ingresos mejorarán gracias a nuevos productos y al valor agregado que aporta el manejo agroecológico en el café, fortaleciendo la cadena de comercialización de los productos asociados al cultivo.

El Valle de Aburrá es un paisaje interandino en el que se emplaza una ciudad de 3,6 mill. de habitantes. Gracias a notables procesos de participación ciudadana, valiosos esfuerzos técnicos y una voluntad política estable, la autoridad ambiental urbana ha declarado 6 áreas protegidas: Parque Natural Regional (Cerro El Volador) y Áreas de Recreación (Nutibara, La Asomadera, Piamonte, El Trianón-La Heliodora, y Ditaires). El Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá ya cosecha los frutos del esfuerzo de conservación de la biodiversidad y los servicios ecosistémicos, la adaptación climática, y la calidad de vida en un contexto con grandes retos de contaminación del aire, déficit de espacio público, y salud pública. La acción estatal, la apropiación ciudadana/empresarial, y la gestión del conocimiento demuestran que estas áreas son laboratorio promisorio de transformación cultural y resiliencia urbana ante el cambio climático

El Área de Conservación El Imposible – Barra de Santiago tiene una extensión de 90,467 ha, con una elevación de 0 a 1400 msnm; posee diferentes tipos de ecosistemas que van desde costero-marinos, manglares, hasta cafetales y ecosistemas agropecuarios. La degradación en la zona es ocasionada por una alta presión de actividades agropecuarias, malas prácticas agrícolas que producen mayor erosión, pérdida de la productividad y aumento de los sedimentos en los cauces de los ríos. Se propone una solución integral para aumentar los servicios ecosistemicos que brindan los manglares, a traves de combinar el diálogo interinstitucional,  las capacidades locales y acciones en campo para fomentar la reforestación y la regeneración natural del ecosistema degradado. Con organizaciones locales se implementan acciones de Restauración Ecologica de Manglar -REM-, que consiste en recuperación hidrodinamica del sitio, extracción de sedimentos, monitoreo de la biodiversidad y generación de empleo temporal.

En el año 2012, se actualiza la Política Nacional de Ambiente en El Salvador y se crea el Programa de Restauración de Ecosistemas y Paisajes -PREP-, el cual tiene como objetivo promover y facilitar la restauración de ecosistemas y paisajes rurales para asegurar la provisión de servicios ecosistémicos claves, así como, la conservación de la biodiversidad para reducir el riesgo y adaptarse a los impactos del cambio climático en 5 paisajes priorizados.

Para el año 2014, las inversiones en restauración de ecosistemas y paisajes eran escasas, por lo que el Ministerio de Ambiente y Recursos Naturales de El Salvador -MARN- , a través del Acuerdo Ministerial No.31 definió la suscripción de convenios de cooperación con fondos ambientales, con el objeto de establecer mecanismos para darle cumplimiento a las medidas de compensación ambiental; y que los recursos identificados fueran invertidos en la restauración de ecosistemas y paisajes.

En Centroamérica, la producción cafetalera ha sido negativamente impactada por la inestabilidad en los precios, impactando a los pequeños caficultores y sobre todo a los que tienen cafetales en zonas medias y bajas con calidad estándar.

El Silvocafé  es un modelo de negocio agroforestal para cafetales bajo sombra que agrega el manejo y aprovechamiento silvicultural con árboles de perferencia nativos y de alto valor comercial (AVC). La solución esta basada en las experiencias implementadas en Guatemala y Costa Rica.

El modelo Silvocafé al implementarlo, le permite al caficultor restaurar el ecositema mejorando los servicios ecosistemicos (prevención de la erosión, captación de agua, reducción de la frangmentación del paisaje, aumento en la captación de carbono y conservación de la biodiversidad) en su terreno; al mismo tiempo, que produce subproductos de madera con arboles de AVC, con retornos a corto, mediano y largo plazo, según su planificación.

Guatemala se comprometio a restaurar 1.2 Millones de hectareas en el Bonn Challenge. Para lograr su compromiso elaboró una estrategia nacional de restauración de paisajes y identifico al programa de incentivos forestales como el principal instrumento de politica publica. En el año 2015 con la publicación de la Ley PROBOSQUE, incorporó la modalidad de restauración y recuperación de tierras degradas. 

Con esta solución se propuso un esquema para aumentar la oferta de bienes y servicios ambientales en ecosistemas estrategicos, empleando tecnicas y especies que brinden la mejor estructura ecologica del sitio a restaurar y ademas, aumenten la inversión publica en temas de restauración de paisajes.

La solución  propone el siguiente metodo para incorporar el enfoque ecosistemico en los incentivos forestales: 1) Caracterización del ecosistema de referencia , 2) Definición de niveles de degradación, y 3) Propuestas de especies priorizadas para la restauración. 

Los cantones de Puriscal y Turrubares son paisajes degradados por el avance de la frontera agrícola. El cultivo de tabaco y la ganadería extensiva causaron la pérdida del 60% de la cobertura forestal en el área entre las décadas de 1,950 a 1,980; actualmente, la ganadería doble propósito (carne y leche); y la agricultura (cultivos del café, hortalizas, caña de azúcar y plantas ornamentales) son los ejes principales de la economía de la zona.

Con esta solución se propuso un esquema para aumentar la oferta de bienes y servicios ambientales en sistemas silvopastoriles, incorporando: a) practicas sostenibles (introducción de pasto mejorado, inocuidad y ordeño limpio, sistemas de riego e incorporación del componente arboreo en las unidades productivas), y b) la combinación de financiamiento publico (PSA) y privado (Creditos).

La régénération du Cèdre de l’Atlas est très sensible au parcours dû à l’élevage extensif, voir impossible. Il faut mettre la régénération en défens et compenser les éleveurs organisés en associations sur les superficies interdites au parcours. Dès lors, un texte législatif a vu le jour au sujet. On compense avec 250MAD/ha/an (bientôt 1000MAD), à financer par l’association sous forme d’actions de développement sur son Parc Pastoral en concertation avec le département des eaux et forêts. 

Grace au Parc National d’Ifrane les éleveurs sont organisés actuellement en dix associations comprenant 1127 éleveurs qui perçoivent un montant global de 2053750MAD. La régénération du cèdre évolue alors de plus en plus. Un travail commun est entamé par des projets générateurs de revenus autour de l’écotourisme, l’aménagement des parcours, l’agroécologie, l’eau…etc avec l’implication des jeunes et des femmes, sachant que le but ultime est la régénération du cèdre et la conservation de son écosystème.

L’ONF a associé les cultivateurs de Vanille en sous-bois (+ de 200 à St Philippe) à la restauration écologique de certaines parcelles forestières très envahies situées en Réserve Biologique, en leur attribuant des concessions. Les concessionnaires ont réalisé un important travail de lutte contre les plantes invasives (en particulier contre Schinus et Psidium), tout en conservant les arbres indigènes pour servir de tuteurs à la Vanille. Les autres espèces indigènes sont aussi conservées et la disparition des espèces invasives a favorisé leur retour dans le sous-bois (fougères en particulier). Dans ces parcelles concédées, les espèces indigènes dominent à nouveau le couvert forestier, tout en permettant une production de Vanille en sous-bois. Ce dernier fait l’objet d’un entretien par le concessionnaire, qui est régi par un cahier des charges et contrôlé par les agents de l’ONF. Ce dispositif permet le contrôle des invasives telles que Clidemia hirta et limite leur invasion dans les reliques avoisinantes bien conservées.

Nous avons réalisé un projet de planthotèque-école dans un espace de 4000 m² , situé en pleine zone urbaine de Fort-de-France (Quartier de Tivoli).

Ainsi, pendant douze mois, CCPYPM a sélectionné et planté 150 plantes médicinales et 20 espèces de plantes nutritives. Cette « plantothèque médicinale » permet aux visiteurs de s’informer sur les vertus des plantes grâce à des panneaux pédagogiques positionnés en face de chaque espèce. Les différentes espèces sont regroupées par indications thérapeutiques (ex: dermatologiques, gastro-intestinaux, nerveux, cardio-circulatoire, accessoire, respiratoire…) Un livre de plus de 300 pages a également été réalisé afin de regrouper les informations recueillies sur chaque plante (photo, description botanique, indications thérapeutiques, mode de préparation – source: TRAMIL, université Ribeiro Brésil…).

Enfin,  25 nouveaux référents ont été formés à la reconnaissance, l’entretien et l’utilisation des plantes médicinales.

La fixation des dunes a été réalisée par la combinaison des méthodes mécanique et biologique.

La méthode mécanique a consisté en l’érection de palissades en matériel végétal (tiges, herbes, branches, etc.) en quadrillage serré et en bandes d’arrêt. Quant à la méthode biologique elle a consisté à l’installation d’une végétation dans les quadrats.

Des plans de gestion simplifiés ont également été élaborés pour organiser une gestion plus consensuelle de ces sites qui sont souvent collectifs.

Cette solution a vu le jour dans le cadre de la mise en œuvre du Projet CODEVAL, qui se donne comme objectif la mise en oeuvre d’activités pour le contrôle de la dégradation des terres et de la promotion de leur valorisation.

Au travers d’une démarche opérationnelle, il a été question de solliciter auprès de la municipalité, un espace de droit de propriétaire communautaire, notamment l’affectation de la terre dans le but de concevoir une mise en défens pour une gestion rationnelle et durable des ressources naturelles.

Avant l’avènement du Projet CODEVAL, en 2012, ont été constatés une exploitation excessive et abusive des ressources naturelles, telles que la coupe abusive des espèces herbacées et ligneuses, les feux de brousse, une mauvaise gestion du pâturage, la déforestation, la carbonisation, la chasse, la sècheresse, les érosions hydriques et éoliennes, les défrichements et la surexploitation du bois de chauffe.

Dans le cadre d’un projet mené en 2017 par le Service Territorial de l’Environnement (STE) de Wallis et Futuna, avec le soutien financier du programme européen BEST 2.0, 2.5 hectares de mangroves ont été replantés. Le projet a impliqué les scolaires, les associations et les villages. Il a consisté à la construction de 6 pépinières dans différents villages de l’île par des associations, qui ont pu être accompagnées techniquement et financièrement.
Les associations locales ont été essentielles à la réalisation des principales activités. La Direction de l’Education Catholique (DEC) a également été l’une des principales parties prenantes concernant le volet sensibilisation. En effet, une étroite collaboration s’est nouée entre le STE et la DEC se traduisant par la réalisation d’un grand nombre de sorties scolaires et la réalisation de plantations par les élèves des écoles primaires. La chefferie est également une entité importante du projet, son aval étant indispensable pour réaliser ces actions.

Through a deliberate strategy of getting Parliament votes and media attention, the Murray Darling Basin Plan was passed through Federal Parliament in 2013. The Darling River is one of the largest in Australia and runs from north to south. The Darling River flows into the Murray River and had been reduced to a trickle at the mouth due to big ag’s water usage for irrigation. A consortium of community members spent 10 years getting this plan passed.

While industrial farming practices contribute to a changing climate, agriculture done right has the ability to save the planet! That’s why Trees for the Future (TREES) helps farmers in the developing world to increase food security, generate sustainable income, and revitalize degraded lands through the Forest Garden Approach (FGA). Each year, TREES works directly with about 5,000 farming families consisting of over 30,000 people and teaches them 14 different agroforestry modules over a 4-year program. Annually, TREES helps farmers plant 20 million trees and cultivate farms to grow, on average, 27 varieties of crops/shrubs on land thought to be infertile. This achieves average income gains of an average 400% over four years. TREES also collaborates with agricultural development and food assistance organizations to train extension experts in the FGA to help others adopt sustainable, climate-smart agriculture programming, amplifying these powerful impacts.

Large parts of the rainforests in Borneo (Kalimantan) have been cleared or are degraded. The degraded areas are subject to erosion, offer little in terms of Ecosystem Services and provide no income to the locals. A solution is Forest Landscape Restoration with native tree species and agroforestry systems, starting with fast-growing, commerically viable pioneer species that stabilize and improve the soil with nitrogen fixing. In a second step, agricultural plants and tree species with longer rotation are added. Organic fertilizers such as compost contribute to the restoration of soil fertility.

Hoa Binh village – located along the coastline in central Vietnam – is seriously exposed to strong storms, sea encroachment, sand moving, drought and coastline erosion. In addition, the village has approximately 123ha of sandy protection forest areas along a 3.5km coastal stretch. The forest was degraded because of bombing in the war, serious storms and over-harvesting of trees for firewood by local people, making the communities more vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather impacts.

Reforestation and rehabilitation of the coastal protection forest along with livelihood development activities for communities proved to be the most effective measure in reducing the vulnerabilty of local people. The pilot measure consisted of reforesting and rehabilitating 10 ha degraded sandy coastal protection forest as well as providing technical trainings and raising awareness among local communities

Reforestamos México developed a solution that allows Natural Protected Areas (NPAs) located near big cities to become a center point that brings alliances, hands and financial resources together in order to plant trees in degraded forests, improve the livelihood of local communities and increase forest awareness among urban people, which derives in better private and public political will to develop initiatives for the benefit of protected and unprotected forests.

The project entailed establishing a game reserve on a vacant piece of land near the town of Menongue in the Cuando Cubango Province, Angola. Wildlife were extirpated during the civil war and only low densities of wildlife occur in remote areas. Jose Recio is an Angolan business man who wanted to germinate the eco-tourism industry in Angola.

 Industries such as mining, forestry, and oil and gas have been trying for years to minimise their environmental and social impacts, but there is a growing expectation from civil society, regulators and investors that companies not only ‘do no harm’, but also make a positive contribution to the environment and society.

In many companies, projects follow procedures to avoid or minimise biodiversity impacts and restore biodiversity or offset impacts when these are unavoidable. This framework, known as the mitigation hierarchy, is increasingly used by companies and governments to improve environmental management and contribute to a net positive impact (NPI) or biodiversity net gain (BNG).

Following a NPI commitment by the mining company Rio Tinto, IUCN worked with the company to develop and trial a review protocol that could track its progress towards reaching NPI at an operational level. This protocol was tested at Rio Tinto operations in Australia, Mongolia and Madagascar.

Forest degradation, loss of biodiversity, declining agricultural productivity and soil erosion, exacerbated through climate variability and change threaten natural resource dependent communities in Mandla district. The project pursues an integrated approach of eco-restoration, sustainable forest management and agriculture, combining ecosystem-based measures (forest restoration, agroforestry) with technical measures (e.g. stone bunds, seed replacement, improved farming techniques).

The castanea henryi tree is an excellent kind of tree with great economic value. It grows in mountain regions with a temperature range between -16 celsius degrees and 41 celsius degrees, therefore it is suitable to be planted in many countries with a subtropical climate. Castanea henryi fruit (nut) is a kind of grain with high nutritional value, which can be introduced to be planted to help reduce the grain and food shortage problem. Castanea henryi tree stem are also quality timber for various purposes.

People can use hillside lands to plant Castanea henryi trees，the castanea henryi nuts can be sold as a kind of grain or raw materials used to make various foods, highly matured castanea henryi tree stems can be sold to make various wooden products. In consequence, people engaging in planting castanea henryi trees can have stable income from planting this kind of tree.

The Peaks National Park is home to the last remaining fragments of endemic cloud forest habitat on St Helena Island. It is a premier hiking destination for locals and tourists, but as tourism numbers increased so did the impacts on the national park. Foot traffic was eroding the trails, the trails were becoming unsafe, and it was beginning to affect the surrounding habitat. Wooden boardwalks, staircases, handrails and a hiking shelter were constructed to improve access, safety and reduce visitor impacts. The trails are now safe and accessible, the profile of conservation in the cloud forest has been improved, and the National Park is now an eco-tourism icon for St Helena. 

Biodiversity Sri Lanka in partnership with the Sri Lanka Forest Department, IUCN Sri Lanka and selected private sector partners, undertook a pilot project to establish a biodiversity baseline in a 10ha area of degraded rainforest, which was cleared for cultivation and subsequently abandoned, resulting in the colonization of it by the pioneer fern species Dicranopteris linearis, located in the Kanneliya Conservation Forest. The intension was to restore this area using principles of restoration ecology, to enhance its ecological functions, habitat quality, species diversity and its capacity to provide biodiversity and ecosystem services that is in close approximation to the surrounding wet lowland forest of which it was a part previously, before it was converted to its present state. The project aimed to develop a Biodiversity Credit Accrual System for Sri Lanka using the insights derived, with the objective of assigning a unit value for enhanced biodiversity and ecosystem services.

El proyecto de gestión del Área Ecológica de Conservación y Uso Sustentable (ACUS) Yunguilla ha sido el resultado de un proceso iniciado en el año 1995 , el cuál continúa en activo desarrollo. Se ha restaurado el ecosistema y su biodiversidad,  pasando de actividades no sostenibles y dañinas para el hábitat como el avance de la frontera agrícola, presión sobre los recursos naturales, tala de bosque y  quema indiscriminada a actividades sostenibles. La estrategia desarrollada en el ACUS ha permitido la implementación de sistemas agrarios más sostenibles y amigables con el ambiente, la explotación turística ecológica y responsable, la elaboración de productos artesanales y el consecuente mejoramiento de las condiciones sociales, económicas y  la calidad de vida de las familias en la comunidad, como así también, la continuidad de los servicios ambientales, lo que convierte a Yunguilla en  un  caso emblemático y potencialmente replicable  en otros lugares.

Growth corridors are regions where natural resource-based industries, such as agriculture and mining, are being developed to boost economic growth. SUSTAIN (Sustainability and Inclusion Strategy for Growth Corridors), an IUCN-led initiative, aims to shape the investment and design of these corridors so that they are environmentally and socially sustainable.

Located in a vast floodplain, Tanzania’s Kilombero district hosts wetlands, waterfalls and iconic wildlife species, such as elephant, hippo, antelope and lion. The mountain rainforests are a vital water source  for the surrounding area and its economy. As part of SUSTAIN, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) is working with one of Tanzania’s biggest rice producers, valley farmers and mountain villages in Kilombero to increase agricultural productivity while conserving forests, water sources and wildlife at a coordinated landscape level. A pillar of the programme is a payment for ecosystems services (PES) scheme.

Mangroves and beach forests provide coastal greenbelts that act as a protective buffer to sea level rise and storms. Moreover, they are particularly effective in mitigating global warming and rising carbon dioxide levels by capturing and storing carbon in both above- and below-ground biomass. On Panay Island, protection of remaining mangroves and rehabilitation of degraded areas is carried out by local communities and supported by local governments.

The Eco-Corridor Fund for the Caucasus (ECF) is a funding instrument supporting community-based biodiversity conservation in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Eco-corridors are created by connecting various classifications of parks and protected areas across all three countries. ECF uses contractual nature conservation agreements and a clear set of processes to fund ecologically sustainable land use in specific regions and selected communities in Armenia. The result is an interconnected mosaic of managed and unmanaged habitats under various land categories and classifications. These community-managed landscapes protect, connect and support healthy native ecosystems while ensuring the socio-economic status of the communities involved is not harmed or diminish, and in many cases is improved. ECF is a not-for profit, practical conservation organization funded by KfW Development Bank and WWF Germany.

The wellbeing of people in Madagascar depends on its natural resources and its goods, such as fuelwood, food and water. Many areas are heavily degraded due to unsustainable land use. Climate hazards add more risks for people, nature and the entire economy. Forest landscape restoration (FLR) is a key priority under AFR100 to ensure sustainable development. Resilient & multifunctional ecosystems improving the economy, food security & water supply, biodiversity protection and carbon sequestration are its cornerstones. Moving rapidly from pledges to practical implementation is crucial. This solution describes this successful process, covering the establishment of multi-stakeholder platforms, capacity building measures of actors, developing a national FLR strategy and prioritizing areas based on a multi-criteria assessment. Future steps will include identifying sites for piloting restoration activities in Boeny region.  

In Tajikistan, forests have suffered from deforestation due to an energy shortage after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Today a weak forest governance system and imprecise land use rights lead to mismanagement and consequently a slow reforestation process. A weak financial infrastructure and a steady inflow of remittances have entailed an increase in livestock which has resulted in land use conflicts, enforced by few and partially contradicting regulations. A changing climate, increasing the frequency and intensity of disasters intensifies the pressure on communities and their surrounding ecosystems. Consequently, climate change adaptation, sustainable pasture management, and clear land use rights must form an integral part of forest management. This solution forms a guideline for integrative forest management rooted in the Joint Forest Management (JFM) approach, accounting for adaptation to climate change, sustainable pasture management, biodiversity preservation, and gender equity.

AGRUPAR was developed on the basis of a broad, large community consultation. It explicitly recognizes the role of urban agriculture for wider social, ecological and economic development and works along the entire food chain. Training programmes help support community, family and school gardens. With over 3,600 urban gardens growing on 32 hectares and more than 21,000 people trained, AGRUPAR fosters food security, increases incomes, and enhances ecosystem functions. Its participants produce now more than 870,000 kg of food products per year for the city and more than 6,600 bio-fairs have been organized so far. The programme is part of Quito’s mission to become an entrepreneurial, sustainable and innovative city. Due to its impressive socioeconomic and environmental impact, and its participatory and holistic approach, AGRUPAR was recognized with the Future Policy Silver Award 2018, awarded by the World Future Council in partnership with FAO and IFOAM – Organics International.

Utooni Development Organization (UDO) is a non-governmental organization established in 2002 and registered in 2005. It is based on the early works of Utooni Development Project, a community-based self help group formed by Joshua Mukusya in 1978. Its vision is to build peaceful, healthy and happy interlinked self-sufficient communities through justified sustainable development.

The organization supports disadvantaged communities living in the arid and semi arid lands to transform their environment in a sustainable manner, enabling them to improve water supply, food production, income and health.

The process to develop an adaptive, community-driven and resilient co-management plan for the Peam Krasop Wildlife Sanctuary (PKWS) in Cambodia addresses the need for climate change adaptation through a participatory approach. This plan will support ecosystem and social resilience through maintenance and restoration of mangrove areas; the development of alternative livelihoods, as well as conservation of key species.

London Wetland Centre is a re-creation of a historic wetland through an unusual partnership between the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) NGO, a water utility company, and a housing developer. Under this arrangement, around 3 hectares of the site was developed for housing, with proceeds used to create over 40 ha of natural wetlands. The site is managed by WWT, under a 125 year lease, as an important urban site for both wildlife and for people engagement

Sharm El-mia, a small bay on the outskirts of Sharm El-Sheikh city; the bay is an integral part of RMNP that includes Ras Mohammad Peninsula and the coasts of Sharm El-Sheikh. Being the main marina for diving and live-aboard boats, the bay suffered the accumulation of boats effluents that smothered marine life. Moving the marina to another location gave way to restoring the afflicted bay. The restoration process, which was carried out through partnership with various stakeholders, set an example of how to successfully coordinate work between actors who in many cases have conflicting interests. Overcoming red tape was a daunting mission that had to be accomplished. Marine life re-inhabited the bay, and benthic living cover was recorded in values comparable to similar sites. Bio-remediation of the ailing aquatic environment and elimination of potential pathogenicity induced by boats effluents was achieved. Finally, the bay was rendered viable to recreational tourism activities.

Through an inclusive approach, involving the community in land use planning and natural resource governance, supporting agro-forestry, equitable benefits sharing and poverty reduction, the Ekuri Initiative has addressed problems caused by deforestation and forest degradation, such as exacerbated climate change including drought, fire and flood, as well as food insecurity, illiteracy and poverty in Ekuri community in Cross River State, Nigeria.

A rights-based approach is an approach to avoiding deforestation. The indigenous territorial management program in the Madidi Landscape of Bolivia demonstrates that the recognition of indigenous land rights, local autonomy, and internal regulations of access and use of natural resources can significantly reduce forest loss over large forest areas. A recent study by WCS has shown that forest conservation strongly depends on local capacities of land management.

This project is improving the ecological connectivity between 2 protected areas in Sabah, Malaysia: Kinabalu Park (World Heritage site) and Crocker Range Biosphere reserve. It addresses the issue of forest fragmentation due to uncontrolled deforestation and expansion of agricultural activities by establishment of several community conserved areas (CCAs) in between both parks, habitat restoration, improving agriculture production and creating alternative incomes.

The Lower Mekong River Region is a biodiversity hotspot. Forests, rivers, flood planes and wetlands support innumerable species, and are the foundations of rural livelihoods and local economies. Over the past 30 years, human development has forced many of these ecological systems to exist within landscapes and seascapes of anthropological pressures. Recognizing that communities and economies are better suited to adapt to climate change if natural systems remain intact, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Viet Nam formed a region-wide partnership to adopt action plans for the strategic expansion of the region’s protected area (PA) network, and to formally integrate PAs into national, sector and regional development. The collaborative effort of governments, NGOs and corporations continues to study the nexus of conservation and development, examining the role of PAs in poverty reduction and climate change mitigation.

Melbourne, Australia, is a fast growing city. As its suburbs expand to meet the needs of a growing population, municipal leaders are looking to protect wildlife habitat, provide green space for recreation and ensure that trees are available to manage the effects of climate change.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Resilient Melbourne have developed an urban forest plan that identifies opportunities to maintain and restore natural areas in the city. The Living Melbourne Strategy presents a transformative approach to responding to urban challenges with nature, and is a result of over two years of collaboration and evidence accumulation on how to connect, extend and enhance urban greening across the metropole.

Living Melbourne is a bold strategy for a greener, more liveable Melbourne into the future. In an unprecedented effort, Living Melbourne has been endorsed by 41 organisations representing local government, Victorian government, water authorities, statutory agencies and industry bodies.

In recent years, monarch butterfly populations have plummeted at an alarming rate. Less than one percent of the western monarch population remains, while the eastern population has fallen by as much as ninety percent. This decline threatens to deprive future generations of the wonder and beauty of the monarch, including its fascinating metamorphosis and 3,000 mile migration to Mexico.

The National Wildlife Federation developed the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge program and oversees its implementation in partnership with the David Suzuki Foundation (Canada) and Profauna AC (Mexico) in an effort to combat the species’ declining population. Through this program, mayors and other local and tribal government chief executives take action by signing a pledge to create habitat for the monarch butterfly and pollinators and educate residents about how they can make a difference at home and in their community.

The Nature and Cities project commenced in April 2019 with the objective of enhancing dialogue, know-how and cooperation between civil society organisations in Turkey and the Netherlands. Funded by the Supporting Civil Society Dialogue Between EU and Turkey Grant Scheme (CSD-V), the project aims to promote ecosystem services, nature-based solutions (NbS) and green infrastructure (GI) in cities as effective measures for climate change adaptation. The project also seeks to raise awareness on the environmental benefits of EU membership. The project has consisted in a number of interventions, meetings, workshops, and reports in both Turkey and the Netherlands that seek to stimulate dialogue, collaboration and knowledge exchange around NbS and GI topics in each country.

Tanzania is a fast urbanising society. At the same time, urban residents are reliant on nature. Peri-urban agriculture, artisanal fishing and nature-based tourism support thousands of livelihoods. Dar Es Salaam is also located in a globally important biodiversity hotspot, the ‘East African Coastal Forest’.  Dar es Salaam has a long history of greening but the spatial allocation of greening funds have not been strategic. Based on this need, ‘A Thematic Atlas of Nature’s Benefits to Dar es Salaam’ was co-developed with a wide range of stakeholders. The Atlas was based on ecosystem services thinking and each of seven ‘themes’ in The Atlas represents an urban challenge, such as rising urban heat or flooding. Descriptive information about nature’s benefits in Dar es Salaam and the maps were packaged as an easy-to-read report and which is downloadable for free. The information and maps in the Atlas facilitate evidence-based decisions on where to invest in greening to achieve social outcomes.

WILD Spaces is a pollinator garden conservation education program for elementary schools offered by the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF). This program is designed to connect children to nature and help protect native pollinator habitat in some of Canada’s largest cities.

The program pillars are online learning in a virtual classroom, service learning by enhancing pollinator habitat in a school or community garden, citizen science made easy through photography in the garden, and celebrating with recognition through CWF’s Garden Habitat Certification.

Subject to funding, eligible schools also receive free pollinator-friendly plants, field trips to botanical gardens and in-school workshops.

The Greater Cape Town Water Fund (GCTWF) was established by The Nature Conservancy in collaboration with the City of Cape Town and a coalition of partners in response to serious water insecurity in the greater Cape Town region.

The GCTWF brings together private and public sectors stakeholders to restore the catchments supplying the city’s water. The Fund aims to support and align with existing initiatives and act as a catalyst for systemic change in catchment management by cost-effective use of resources, strengthened capacity, and robust monitoring and evaluation.

The Fund will stimulate funding and implementation of catchment restoration efforts and, in the process, create jobs and momentum to protect global biodiversity and build more resilient communities in the face of climate change.

In 2018, the Fund published a business case for ecological infrastructure investment which articulated the value of landscape-level interventions to secure and protect critical water catchment areas around Cape Town.

The site was a former private golf course, out of use since 2015 and is now operated by South Lanarkshire Council. The land was vacant and derelict, and safety concerns were raised due to vandalism, fly-tipping, vehicle abandonment and fires. The conversion of the site into a new urban park presented an opportunity to address such anti-social behaviour and create a desirable area for positive activities and community development. South Lanarkshire Council provided the match funding for the project and applied for additional funding from the Green Infrastructure Strategic Intervention, which was granted in 2017. A ‘friends of’ group was established during the implementation period of the project and became involved in community engagement as well as the on-going management and maintenance of the new park. 

Key aims

• Increase social inclusion
• Preserve and protect greenspace
• Improve habitat and increase biodiversity

The Kumamoto region has benefited from abundant groundwater, which covers almost 100% of the total water supply. This was made possible mainly by the three following factors: 1) a large groundwater basin of approximately 600 km2,  2) easy infiltration and huge storage of rainwater due to unique soils layers developed by volcanic activities, and 3) relatively higher annual rainfall. However, the amount of groundwater has decreased in recent years due large part to increasing water consumption and lowering rainfall infiltration caused by urbanization. To manage and conserve groundwater resources in a sustainable manner, the group of more than ten municipalities in the basin developed a comprehensive plan to control groundwater. Also, a foundation sponsored by governments, companies, and residents financially supports various projects and research activities for groundwater conservation.

The main objective of the Hochfeld Managed Biological Reserve (MBR) – differing from Strict Biological Reserves (SBR) – is the conservation of an exceptional population of lycopods (6 taxa). In a dense beech forest, a development in the 1960s resulted in deforestation and even soil stripping. This attack on the forest was followed by the spontaneous reconstitution of a pioneering wild ericaceous heath, which allowed the emergence of lycopods. The conditions could not have been so favorable in the case of a forest cutting, less traumatic for the environment and which would have been followed by a rapid reconstitution of the stand, without any real interruption of the forest vegetation.

There is no pastoral history in the Hochfeld RBD, and the cattle could in any case cause too much damage to the club mosses. We are in a situation where the maintenance of the moor is necessarily done by the combination of mechanization and manual interventions.

Gauteng is South Africa’s smallest and most transformed province, situated in the threatened Grassland Biome. Gauteng maintains pockets of grassland forming crucial ecological corridors for wildlife, and Modderfontein Reserve is a stepping stone in this network. The vision for the reserve is to provide an urban open space that is socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable, accessible, and a place for people to connect with nature and embrace the importance of urban green spaces.

The reserve hosts school and scout groups, and its six walking trails, cycling routes, picnic area, and bird hides are very popular. The successful operation of the reserve is a result of strong partnerships that allow for all of these activities to run concurrently. The Endangered Wildlife Trust assists landowners to rehabilitate disturbed and transformed areas, and monitor progress as per an Environmental Management Plan, adapting management interventions as needed to restore the reserve’s ecological functioning.

The Middlefield Greenspace and Regeneration Project, run by the Aberdeen City Council with support from the Green Infrastructure Fund, aims to create a public space that offers a host of social and environmental improvements through urban regeneration.

The intention of the project is to reduce the risk of flooding through stormwater infrastructure improvements. This is supplemented with improved accessibility of the park, a range of formal and informal play opportunities, exercise trails (for a range of abilities), play areas, short grass areas, and picnic areas. Outdoor learning in nature is encouraged with wildflower areas, wetland planting and ponds.

The project was developed in consultation with the community between 2014 and 2016 and work was completed in November 2019.

Building with Nature is the UK’s first benchmark for high-quality green infrastructure and introduces a set of standards developed in partnership with industry that define high-quality Green Infrastructure at each stage of the lifecycle of green infrastructure, from design, through to implementation, and long-term management. Building with Nature offers formal Accreditation of both physical development and strategic policy documents. 

The benchmark acts as a ‘how-to guide’ for developers and planners to better understand ‘what good looks like’ and mitigate the potential for deterioration of quality as a development application moves through the planning and construction process, and as Green Infrastructure features are maintained into the long-term. The Building with Nature Standards are free to use, but Accreditation includes a fee for Assessment and Audit. End-users include developers, housebuilders, local authority planners, and a wide range of design and construction professionals.

Urban wetlands can benefit local populations through improved water quality, biodiversity, air quality and microclimate (cooling). However, there is a lack of information on how best to manage multi-use wetlands to maximise their role as nature-based solutions. The Earthwatch Institute is working with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and WWF China to investigate best practice for wetland management for agriculture, tourism and conservation, with respect to the benefits they provide. Different land management approaches are being compared in two major wetlands near Shanghai and Guangzhou to improve understandings on the best management practices, as well as to identify how wetlands can help mitigate the adverse effects of land-use change and climate change.

Urban areas are prone to the effects of extreme rainfall events due to their largely impermeable surface cover. Intense rainfall hits tarmac or paving slabs and runs straight to drainage channels, reducing infiltration and increasing pollution downstream. 

Bioswales are artificial urban wetlands placed along streets and urban areas to act as infiltration basins. Built using wetland vegetation and porous soils, they replace impermeable surfaces with natural cover and slow the movement of water allowing it to be filtered and stored.

In six cities across North America, 71 bioswales were studied to assess how their design, the environment and the climate affected their functionality. Citizen scientists measured infiltration rate, classified soil type, mapped bioswale features and installed real-time soil moisture sensors on site. The results of the study showed that hydrological functionality of bioswales was strongly influenced by their management, age, size and initial soil type.

Cities often rely on concrete drainage channels to handle urban rainwater, carrying it from the streets and impermeable areas to local rivers and ponds. This grey solution not only transports water but also pollution and does not resolve the core issue of impermeable surfaces. Trees and urban parks can provide significant pluvial flood mitigation along with other benefits. The soil and roots of trees improve groundwater infiltration, whilst their branches and leaves intercept rainfall and evapotranspire water back into the atmosphere. This green solution attenuates the intensity of pluvial flooding by slowing and storing water during intense rain events. Citizen scientists collected data on the absorption capacity of urban trees and green spaces. They measured soil characteristics in 36 locations and gathered over 520 samples in public parks in London, Birmingham and Paris. These metrics are being used to calibrate models of the infiltration capacity of soil and reduction in run-off to determine avoided urban flood risk.

A common problem in the urban landscape is that of hard, impervious surfaces such as pavements, concrete buildings or asphalt roads, preventing the infiltration of rainwater into the soil. This has the effect of increasing flood risk while limiting the recharge of groundwater reserves. Hard grey surfaces also retain large quantities of heat energy and contribute to the urban heat-island effect.

Plants, trees and green spaces on the other hand can intercept water allowing it to infiltrate into the soil. Through evapotranspiration and the provision of shading, vegetation can help to cool the urban environment.

To reduce the area of impervious surfaces, the City of Antwerp organised the initiative of “Break Out” (Flemish: BreekUIT) which made citizens aware of the issue through a series of webinars and encouraged them to depave their property. For each 0.1 m² of hard surface that citizens removed on their own courtyard, terrace, front or rear facade, they received a free plant in return.

Artisanal mining can significantly degrade the environment. It is also a difficult sector to engage with given its informality and lack of institutional identity.

The Frugal Rehabilitation Methodology (FRM) is a practical approach that is economically affordable, socially acceptable and equally importantly, ecologically viable. FRM is comprised  of the following six steps:

1. Preparation and Planning;

2. Technical Rehabilitation;

3. Topsoils: identification, conservation/storage and use;

4. Biological rehabilitation;

5) Mitigation hierarchy/whole mine cycle approach;

6. Handover of completed rehabilitation site to relevant government administrations for approval/sign-off.

The technical and biological rehabilitation prescriptions are specifically designed for application at degraded and abandoned ASM sites as well as active ASM areas that are soon to be rehabilitated. The prescriptions are specifically designed for artisanal mining of alluvial and hard rock deposits.

Biodiversity was one of five priority sustainability themes of the Olympic and Paralympic Games London 2012. The remediation and construction of the site of the Olympic Park (now known as Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park) provided for the establishment of a large urban habitat patch with 45 hectares of new wildlife habitat in addition to recreational space for visitors. Prior to redevelopment, the park site was heavily impacted by invasive species and pollution from previous industrial use, and provided few social or ecological services. The Biodiversity Action Plan was compiled by the company for the delivery of Olympic Works (Olympic Delivery Authority) to guide park management. The plan outlined joint goals of biodiversity conservation, social well-being and economic welfare, emphasizing the provision of natural habitat and education of park visitors. It included a list of ’species aspirations’, or particular species that the park aimed to support, which facilitated planning to reach specific biodiversity goals.

In the heart of Cape Town, South Africa, lies the 12.5 ha Green Point Park. This recreational green space was redesigned as part of the construction of the Cape Town Stadium ahead of the FIFA World Cup back in 2010. The redesign included the creation of the Biodiversity Showcase Garden. The main goal of this garden was to highlight the unique Cape Flats Sand Fynbos habitat, which historically could be found throughout the Cape Town region. The rich biodiversity found within this type of habitat is endemic to the region but threatened by pressures such as urbanization. Three thematic areas in the garden include people and plants, the discovering biodiversity trail and the wetland walk. Displays hidden in and amongst the plants feature original artworks and interpretive boards with illustrations and photographs for people to explore this learn about the city’s remarkable native biodiversity.

The Kenilworth Racecourse is a well-established horse racing venue in Cape Town, South Africa, which has been functioning for over 130 years. Besides hosting world-renowned racing events, it is also the home of the Kenilworth Racecourse Conservation Area (KRCA), a small but valuable nature reserve situated within the racecourse itself. KRCA is regarded as one of the best examples of Cape Flats Sand Fynbos remaining in the Cape Peninsula. Being one of the largest stretches of natural vegetation remaining in Cape Town’s Southern suburbs, KRCA’s fynbos is of great historic and cultural significance. Its educational potential is of great value, seeing how the natural habitat is situated within the urban environment. The KRCA is a natural goldmine and is jointly managed and preserved by Kenilworth Racing, the City of Cape Town Nature Conservation and CapeNature Conservation. 

As part of the development of the Olympic Village for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Vancouver 2010, a new island was constructed in the highly urban Lower False Creek inlet to create a habitat patch for fish and other wildlife. The Olympic Village was constructed in a former industrial area with degraded shoreline, high pollutant concentrations and low biodiversity value. To offset an area of degraded shoreline filled for the construction of the Olympic Village, the developers designed Habitat Island, a new island adjacent to the Olympic Village site with features including a naturalistic shoreline and native vegetation. Special resources, including intertidal habitat and naturalised wetlands in Hinge Park, which connects Habitat Island with the Olympic Village site, were also added to increase the biodiversity value of the area

Lower Mill Estate has been designed as a landscape-led redevelopment of a former quarry, providing up to 575 holiday homes in a green and blue setting in the heart of the Cotswolds. The scheme, which been Awarded an Excellent accreditation from Building with Nature, integrates a network of green infrastructure features which perform varied functionality for people and wildlife, both within the boundary of the scheme and beyond. 

The key ecological characteristics of the Estate comprise a rich variety of rivers, tributaries, drainage channels and open water bodies; watercourses lined with riparian vegetation with prominent lines of willows; scattered pattern of woodland copses resulting in a sense of enclosure and an intimate landscape; floristically rich hay meadows and pastoral land use; level land form with wide open skies; and modern waterside development with distinctive architectural style, making the most of building materials which reflect local vernacular.

With an Excellent accreditation from Building with Nature, Silverlake is a great example of how the natural landscape can be used as the starting point for site design and how that landscape can be protected into the future. 

The site was an active sand extraction quarry with a former landfill that had been restored to heathland, with a number of areas of woodland around the margins of the site and several waterbodies of various size, age and permanence. The scheme identified these important local character features as the basis for the green infrastructure proposals and incorporated them into the development in order to reference, reflect and enhance the local environment, contributing positively to a distinct sense of place whilst creating a multifunctional network that provides clear benefit to both people and wildlife. 

The entire development comprises 227 hectares, with the final built footprint will only take up 18% of the site.  

Urban Harvest works with communities to design, install and co-manage ecological, beautiful and highly productive urban food gardens.

Working at the individual, family and community scales, our projects provide jobs, skills, purpose and fresh organic food to the most vulnerable communities.

Through valuable corporate social investment, we are able to provide quality infrastructure, training and ongoing support to ensure thriving and sustainable home and community food gardens.
 

Biomatrix specialises in water restoration. Our Floating Ecosystems are engineered to improve water quality within rivers, lakes, ponds and canals as they increase aquatic life, leading to a balanced and revitalised waterscape.

Floating Ecosystems inject life into an area, as the islands provide an opportunity for nature and wildlife to take hold. Islands break up open water surfaces and provide shade under water. Plant roots provide habitat for Microbes to break down pollution and nutrients, and are a shelter and feeding ground for small fish. Mechanical aeration can further improve water quality. Birds can find an undisturbed nesting and resting space in areas where there is often little safety.

The Biomatrix floating ecosystem structure is designed to make wetland creation and water restoration possible, even in locations with waves, changing water levels, hard edges and fast currents. The structural floating technology allows thriving wetland communities to be created in challenging and dynamic waterbodies.

The Siyakhana Food Garden, our flagship project, is regarded as one of the most successful urban food gardens in the wider Johannesburg metropole, as well as a hallmark of intersectoral collaboration. This is largely because of its mission to make far-reaching impacts at local, provincial, and national levels. It is not simply a garden; it also serves as a platform for other activities that address the following five key objectives:

• Improving the availability of a wide variety of good and nutritious food;
• Conducting relevant and appropriate action-research that is influencing policy and strategies;
• Offering training to develop capacity among emerging leaders in the area of food gardens and sustainable livelihoods;
• Engaging in advocacy and networking activities; and
• Achieving financial sustainability through a self-funding social entrepreneurship model.

Our aims are to:

• Address food and nutrition security;
• Promote public and environmental health;
• Enhance entrepreneurship; and
• Support and enable sustainable smallholder enterprises.

Prinzessinnengarten Kollektiv Berlin is a social-ecological urban agriculture organisation in Berlin. Our goal is to set low-threshold opportunities for environmental education and to develop urban gardens as places for community learning about biodiversity, climate adaption and sustainable living in urban spaces. We transform urban land into publicly accessible green spaces such as community gardens, environmental education spaces for local institutions and urban vegetable fields for the ecological production of food. Our team hosts regular community gardening sessions to enable public citizens to participate in the cultivation of plants, learn about the principles of regenerative agriculture and the importance of biodiversity.

The NGO Cities Without Hunger sets up community gardens on vacant urban land in the city of São Paulo’s socioeconomically deprived East Zone (Zona Leste) to provide jobs, income, and to enhance food sovereignity.

Cities Without Hunger aims to enhance local residents’ spatially and economically restricted access to high-quality fresh produce (high rates of unemployment, a low density of farmers’ markets or supermarkets, low mobility). 

The NGO provides agricultural training for people who have poor chances on the regular job market as community gardeners. Since 2004, the NGO has implemented 25 community gardens together with about 115 local residents who have started earning their livelihoods as community gardeners. After one year, gardeners are able to manage their plots autonomously and sell their produce directly to the people from the neighbourhood. Along with gardeners’ families, some 650 people benefit from the project by having their livelihood guaranteed.

Augustenborg experienced socio-economic decline and floods from overflowing drainage. This collaborative solution aimed to retrofit the area with Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems as part of a broader regeneration project, thereby creating a more sustainable neighborhood and benefiting biodiversity. The main goal was to handle 70% of storm water from roofs and sealed areas, thus eliminating combined sewer overflow by lowering the total volume of storm water and reducing the peak flow rates.

In order to address the issue of water and flood management in Panamá the Municipality of Panama, the Dutch government and its pool of water experts and the NGO Wetlands International initiated a multi-stakeholder ‘Water dialogue’ restoring trust of flood affected communities and planning infrastructure including urban wetland reservoirs and regulatory adjustments.

Warby-Ovens National Park was established in 2010 with the addition of over 4,000 hectares of riverine woodland and forest along the lower reaches of Ovens River to Victoria’s parks estate. This state-owned land had been used under license as a resource to water and graze stock since European settlement in 1838. The lower Ovens River and floodplain is a place of significance to the Yorta Yorta people as it was a source of food, fibre and medicine and provided places to camp, hunt, fish, swim and connect with traditional cultures and stories. Creation of the park led to the removal of grazing rights to protect this area of cultural and conservation significance, with grazing licenses successfully phased out by 2013. The park now protects some of the best examples of iconic River Red Gum vegetation in the state, with the Ovens River being one of only two unregulated rivers in Victoria.

This solution responds to deforestation and habitat loss in the tropical forests in the mountainous Chinantla region of northern Oaxaca, Mexico, while improving the livelihoods of the region’s primarily indigenous residents. The ecologically significant forests of the Chinantla include the last remaining cloud forests and the third-largest rainforest in Mexico, and are part of the Mesoamerican global biodiversity hotspot. The Chinantla region is also recognized by the Mexican government as a Priority Region for Conservation. Both the landscape and its indigenous residents — who have a long history of poverty and socioeconomic marginalization — are growing increasingly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Through a collaboration between EcoLogic Development Fund and its local partner, the Fondo Ambiental Regional de la Chinantla (FARCO), this solution focuses on forest restoration, reducing pressure on forest resources, community-led protection of land, capacity building, and sustainable forest income generation.

The Yerba Mansa Project (YMP) is an Albuquerque-based community-supported non-profit organization started in 2014 to reestablish the connectivity of people, plants, and the land in the Middle Rio Grande Valley. Our work with the Rio Grande Valley State Park supports the health of ecologically and culturally important native edible and medicinal plants and provides an opportunity for people to reclaim their role in caretaking our land and perpetuating our culinary and healing traditions. Regional botanical healing practices are of increased importance as we navigate an ongoing pandemic and will remain integral to the wellbeing of people moving forward. Our volunteers work to restore some of our most legendary nutritive and healing plants, teach youth and adults about their importance, and help to protect critical habitats and associated cultural knowledge for present and future generations.

The Sunderbans is the world’s largest mangrove forest spanning territory in Eastern India and Bangladesh. Human encroachment and pollution have caused extensive degradation of these mangrove ecosystems, leaving the coastal communities exposed to nature’s fury. Our project engages the local communities, in Bangladesh as well as in India, by educating and empowering their youth to become stewards who protect their fragile environment through a change in lifestyles. They conduct cleanups, remove litter and plastic, teach households to segregate waste and stop plastic usage. As a community they replant and regenerate mangroves on the islets which have become degraded. The project is building a grassroots bottom up campaign wherein the local community, led by young people, has taken the lead.

Since 2012, the Inga Foundation’s simple agroforestry system of Inga Alley Cropping has empowered 300+ families who have planted over 4 million trees dramatically transforming their lives.The ability of the resilient Inga tree to anchor, enrich, and regenerate depleted soil provides food security with 100% success for families with 2 year-old alleys. These fast-growing native Inga species which fix nitrogen in the soil  provide organic cash crops as well as significantly reduce global carbon emissions, protect wildlife and marine habitats, preserve water sources and yield a year’s worth of firewood. The basic grains/cash crops are grown without herbicides, pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or heavy equipment.  Inga seedlings are planted in rows on steep, degraded slopes and require no technology or heavy equipment.  The Model positively addressing 11 of the 17 United Nations SDGs with NO NEGATIVE IMPACT whatsoever on the remaining 6.

For the project titled “Community Water Stewardship:Replenishing Groundwater Resources in Lahore”, one of the identified replenishment methods included treatment of wastewater through Floating Treatment Wetland (FTW). For its installation, Manak village was found to have large sewage wastewater and rain fed ponds along with musty odor creating nuisance and posing a significant health risk to the community.

FTW was created by using floating mats that provide foundation for plants to grow. The aligned mats float on the surface of the water and allow plants’ roots to spread throughout creating a vast activated surface area for microbes to live. These plants then uptake pollutants as nutrients from the inland water body. The microorganisms growing on the plant root systems break down and consume organic matter in the water through microbial decomposition, hence, effectively removing the pollutants from the water body.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is located in a desert region. This initiative exclusively uses the UAE’s indigenous plants to create the “First National Landscape” at the new campus of Umm Al Quwain University (UAQU). The initiative includes two elements: softscapes and hardscapes. The softscapes include native species of trees, shrubs and groundcovers. While the hardscapes consist of coloured gravels, gazebo structures, barbeque facilities, water fountains, jogging tracks and sports areas. Multi-factors were considered to minimize the landscaping requirements (e.g., water irrigation, maintenance and costs), while creating multi-functional areas that add value to the project (e.g., sports, barbeque, meditation and recreational areas), conserve native biodiversity, generate cultural and sustainability benefits, and foster climate-resilience. This initiative is expected to inspire decision-makers and other landscaping projects in arid lands to take similar approaches.

Nieuwoudtville is primarily a sheep and tea farming area but is also the worlds ‘bulb’ capital, experiencing a seasonable tourism industry based on the spectacular annual wildflower display. Poor management of indigenous rangelands and climate change have made farming largely non-viable forcing farmers to diversify their income streams to remain financially viable.

Through our unique conservation exchange, we provide expertise and resources to build multi-purpose trails on farms in return for landowners signing commitments to join the Biodiversity Stewardship Programme (BSP) – a voluntary but legal process to declare private properties as part of the national protected area estate.

This obligation is underpinned by management plans that result in improved range management and include activities such as correct stocking rates, habitat rest, erosion control and alien plant removal which all lead to improved resilience. In this way we demonstrate that conservation can have tangible benefits to farmers.

The lowland hilly ranges in Nepal are geologically young and tectonically active, posing a huge issues of geo-disasters such as landslides, soil erosion and environmental degradation. The area is also home to tribal communities who along with living at risk of environmental hazards experience a range of livelihood challenges shaped by historic socio-economical marginalization.

In order to mitigate natural disasters such as floods and landslides which are frequent in the hilly terrains, this nature-based solution aims to plant Broom Grass and  Bamboo on degraded lands and landslide prone areas, to save the households at risk communities while also addressing their economic issue by training them on social enterprise and finding the market for the produced goods from, those planted cash crop.

Broom grass and bamboo are able to mitigate landslide and  pose a huge financial potential as their byproducts such as brooms, bio fuel, papers and handicraft are in huge demand in global market.

Bar Reef Marine Sanctuary (BRMS) is an offshore continental shelf-patch reef in Sri Lanka that has been bleached. The area flourished with tourism-related businesses and the dependency of local livelihoods on the coastal ecosystem grew. The 2016 La -Nina/El-Nino reduced the live coral cover to less than 1% and the coral was turning to rubble. To allow the reef to recover its biodiversity, natural functions & to ensure the sustainability of their livelihoods, the community demarcated core areas & “A-Zone Left Aside for Restoration” were declared in 2018.

The main objective of this practice is to sustainably manage and protect BRMS by avoiding significant adverse impacts due to anthropogenic activities via strengthening resilience in sustaining green livelihoods, strengthening capacity in the community in natural resources management, and taking restorative action towards healthy and productive oceans. With the engagement of stakeholders, restoration of BRMS is in progress.

At Yayasan Planet Indonesia we are dedicated to conserving Earth’s at-risk ecosystems. In Indonesia, we have pioneered a model of community-based conservation through our ‘Conservation Cooperative’ model that addresses the underlying drivers causing climate change vulnerability in our partner communities. We create village-led partnerships to support ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) by instituting community governance structures (Conservation Cooperatives) that enable access to financial and non-financial services that catalyze community-based adaptation. Using our award-winning approach, we establish ‘Conservation Cooperatives’ (CC) to develop pathways for vulnerable rural communities to overcome the barriers to climate change adaptation. Simultaneously our CC approach builds EbA by securing the well-being benefits (e.g. livelihood, health) that humans derive from ecosystem services (e.g. forests, land, fisheries, etc.), and facilitates how these benefits can be utilized to promote climate change adaptation.

“ASAL – Arid and Semi-Arid Lands”, covers around the 80 % of the national territory of Kenya. The inhabitants of these counties are mainly pastoral communities covering vast areas. Yet, Kenya’s Arid and Semi-arid lands are endowed with a rich diversity of plant resources exuding gum and resins.

The KAVADI approach builds capacity in arid lands by training communities in wild harvesting techniques of gum Arabic and other resins such as Frankincense and Myrrh, and through the farming of Aloe plots and the pilot plantations of trees with commercial interests. These drought resistant resources create alternative livelihoods opportunities, making communities more resilient and in a better position to mitigate vulnerability to drought. On top of livelihood building, the plantations of drought resistant trees and plants regenerate and restore landscapes, since these species do well in terrains considered “degraded” hence not used for either traditional agriculture or pasture.

Ol Pejeta (OPC) is a private non-profit conservancy, registered Protected Area, and IUCN Green Listed. It is home to the largest population of Critically Endangered black rhino in E.Africa, the world’s last 2 northern white rhino and other Endangered species. OPC is in Laikipia County where rain-fed agriculture and livestock contribute >75% of household incomes.

This initiative challenges the traditional ‘either/or’ approach to conservation, demonstrating the benefits of integrating livestock with wildlife. Rather than setting aside land for conservation, the sustainable land management approach involves using cattle as a habitat management tool. Carefully managed grazing keeps rangeland healthy as well as ensuring land is productive. This additional revenue stream contributes critical income, all of which is reinvested in conservation and community development – extension services enhance livelihoods and resilience. The nature-based solution offers a model for conservation in areas where wildlife is usually not tolerated.

The Greater Easterhouse Green Infrastructure Project, funded by the Glasgow City Region City Deal and the GI Fund, worked to increase and enhance green spaces by introducing surface water management features that will reduce the risks and impacts of flooding as well as introducing a mix of habitats including wildflower meadows, wetlands, woodlands and grasslands.

The project improved open spaces through an integrated green and blue network in two focus areas – Cranhill/Ruchazie and Blairtummock, which together create a green finger connecting to the 7 Lochs Wetland Area. The project transformed some 29 ha within an area that has been identified as one of Scotland’s most socially and economically deprived communities.

West Dunbartonshire Council has transformed a contaminated derelict site – previously a primary school – in Clydebank, Glasgow, into an attractive and exciting community greenspace with biodiversity areas, outdoor education spaces, raised bed allotments and new recreational and exercise areas.

The project has delivered an additional two hectares of green infrastructure in an urban area of poor health and relatively high deprivation, where 80% of the population live within 500 metres of vacant and derelict land and where there is a clear shortfall of quality green space.

By contributing to improved health and well-being, and a new positive identity for this part of the town within wider regeneration efforts, it is helping make the community more resilient to challenges such as the impacts of climate change

Southside Housing Association (SHA) have undertaken major regeneration of social housing in the area surrounding the Halfway project in the Cardonald area of Glasgow, which sits within the most deprived 10% of data zones in Scotland. In order to complement these improvements, SHA – in partnership with the local community and Glasgow City Council – has completely transformed an underused open public space into a community park. Through a combination of nature-based interventions and community-led management, Halfway Community Park is helping to provide local solutions to social well-being (tackling issues like community integration, sustainable and active travel, and food production), surface water management, and air quality issues. 

High Atlas Foundation (HAF) and its partners focus on restoring native plants and trees to rehabilitate Moroccan biodiversity. Through agroforestry methods, HAF aims to push back against the effects of climate change, including desertification, irregular rainfall, and rising temperatures. Trees grown in HAF’s nurseries are provided to farming families and education centers, who are the sole beneficiaries of the yields. HAF’s tree nursery projects are managed by the people who plant, irrigate, maintain, harvest, and gain income from them. The goal is to integrate communities in land rehabilitation, promote native species and sustainable livelihoods, and systematically monitor trees in the nursery and fields. HAF builds the capacities of agricultural cooperatives and rural people in food safety, financial management, marketing, and the development of agricultural business plans. 

Significant conservation impact from technology: the solution uses real-time analysis of satellite images to detect possible fire events. These are rapidly verified and fire events are communicated instantly to rangers in the affected protected areas. Speed is essential. Climate change is making fire more frequent with rapid spreading of events. However there has been a 71% decrease in serious fire events so far in 2021 because of this solution.

The “Forest Landscape Restoration through a Sustainable Wood Energy Value Chain” project, is implemented in the Bono East and Savannah Region of Ghana. Through the sustainable production and efficient use of energy wood, forests in selected regions in Ghana are being restored and preserved thus contributing to the implementation of the national climate policy and to the improvement of the framework conditions for sustainable forest management and energy supply in Ghana.  

Wood energy in form of charcoal and fire wood is the main source for cooking in Ghana. More than 14 Mill. cbm of wood are used annually for the consumption as charcoal or fire wood. Wood energy is therefore one driver for forest degradation, especially in charcoal producing hotspots. This solution elaborates on supporting partner institutions and small farmers in establishing a sustainable wood energy value chain integrated in Forest Landscape Restoration measures.

Desde 2008, el proyecto Revolución de los Baldes impacta en la comunidad necesitada de Chico Mendes, ubicada en el barrio Monte Cristo, en Florianópolis-SC. El objetivo de este proyecto es fomentar la gestión comunitaria de residuos orgánicos, promover la agricultura urbana y la inclusión socioeconómica de los participantes en la iniciativa. En esta práctica, se aplica el método de compostaje termofílico en las esterillas estáticas con ventilación pasiva con el fin de reciclar los residuos orgánicos transformándolos en abonos orgánicos. La logística del proyecto se basa en la distribución de baldes a las familias interesadas en la segregación de los orgánicos en sus hogares y el posterior descarte en bombonas situadas en puntos de entrega voluntaria estratégicamente distribuidos en las calles. Los jóvenes que participan en la iniciativa son responsables de la concienciación de la comunidad sobre la adecuada separación de los residuos orgánicos en origen.

AGRUPAR was developed on the basis of a broad, large community consultation. It explicitly recognizes the role of urban agriculture for wider social, ecological and economic development and works along the entire food chain. Training programmes help support community, family and school gardens. With over 3,600 urban gardens growing on 32 hectares and more than 21,000 people trained, AGRUPAR fosters food security, increases incomes, and enhances ecosystem functions. Its participants produce now more than 870,000 kg of food products per year for the city and more than 6,600 bio-fairs have been organized so far. The programme is part of Quito’s mission to become an entrepreneurial, sustainable and innovative city. Due to its impressive socioeconomic and environmental impact, and its participatory and holistic approach, AGRUPAR was recognized with the Future Policy Silver Award 2018, awarded by the World Future Council in partnership with FAO and IFOAM – Organics International.

A common problem in the urban landscape is that of hard, impervious surfaces such as pavements, concrete buildings or asphalt roads, preventing the infiltration of rainwater into the soil. This has the effect of increasing flood risk while limiting the recharge of groundwater reserves. Hard grey surfaces also retain large quantities of heat energy and contribute to the urban heat-island effect.

Plants, trees and green spaces on the other hand can intercept water allowing it to infiltrate into the soil. Through evapotranspiration and the provision of shading, vegetation can help to cool the urban environment.

To reduce the area of impervious surfaces, the City of Antwerp organised the initiative of “Break Out” (Flemish: BreekUIT) which made citizens aware of the issue through a series of webinars and encouraged them to depave their property. For each 0.1 m² of hard surface that citizens removed on their own courtyard, terrace, front or rear facade, they received a free plant in return.

West Dunbartonshire Council has transformed a contaminated derelict site – previously a primary school – in Clydebank, Glasgow, into an attractive and exciting community greenspace with biodiversity areas, outdoor education spaces, raised bed allotments and new recreational and exercise areas.

The project has delivered an additional two hectares of green infrastructure in an urban area of poor health and relatively high deprivation, where 80% of the population live within 500 metres of vacant and derelict land and where there is a clear shortfall of quality green space.

By contributing to improved health and well-being, and a new positive identity for this part of the town within wider regeneration efforts, it is helping make the community more resilient to challenges such as the impacts of climate change