Generation of income from NBS

In order to prevent the damage to mangrove forests that occurred over the last few decades or more, a project was started in the Penang region aiming to raise public awareness regarding the importance of mangroves for their continued conservation and protection through active community participation (community resilience) (1). The project closely relates to the GEF Focal Area on Biodiversity Conservation operational programme (OP) 2 on Coastal, Marine and Fresh Water Ecosystems and is led by the Penang Inshore Fisherman Welfare Association (PIFWA). The project aimed to regenerate mangrove forests by planting up to 11,000 saplings in order to rehabilitate the once degraded mangroves as they are able to ultimately improve the wetland ecosystem and its biodiversity and thus sustain the livelihood of fisher communities (1).
Mangrove forests are an important part of the Malaysian coastline. Besides their contributions to the biodiversity of the Malaysian coast, mangroves also help greatly with protecting the coastal strip from erosion and providing a means of living for the communities located close to the forests. Stabilising the shoreline and reducing soil erosion, mangroves are also home to myriad species of plants and animals, they provide timber and non-timber forest products, and they support fisheries (1,2). Due to their importance, their disappearance is greatly noticed. From 2000, within a period of 15 years, 25,500 hectares of mangrove forests disappeared, mostly due to industrial-scale logging, clearance for shrimp farming, tourism or firewood (5).

Doh Eain, which means “Our Home” in the Burmese language, is a community-centred design firm that converts trash alleys in Yangon into gardens, composting stations, street markets, playgrounds, and art galleries, where community members can make memories and positive change.
As Yangon has one of the lowest public space-per-person ratios in South East Asia, Doh Eain saw a role for a social enterprise to preserve and improve heritage and urban landscapes directly with the people and communities who inhabit them. Doh Eain’s vision is to collectively make cities more vibrant, inclusive and sustainable places to live, work, and enjoy by maintaining the city's unique characteristics and creating an urban environment that enables people and society to thrive. Their mission is to preserve heritage, improve public spaces, and organise activities that connect people with places, employing a user-centred and participatory approach. In doing this, they aim to inspire and enable people to participate in reshaping their city while retaining cultural heritage (1).
The Yangon's alley gardens project started when a group of young, local and expatriate residents in Yangon decided to set up a small permaculture garden, however, they could not find a suitable plot of land for it (2). As a consequence they had to change the focus and transplant green pots filled with vegetation and vegetables into the back alleys. The implementer used an innovative technique by using bokashi composting of food waste, with around 80 households signing up to take part in the initiative. (5)
The initiative was quite successful as it helped break the cycle of throwing trash out the window into alleyways and built several elevated garden beds. (6)

The project focuses on creating communal vegetable gardens in different barangays (small territorial and administrative districts forming the most local level of government) in Iloilo City. As part of the Plant Plant Plant Program of the Department of Agriculture, the project was initially implemented in 12 districts in the city, to provide jobs, and nutritious food and increase public awareness about food production and security amidst the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Since then, the project has expanded to 44 more districts, and the city has also issued a regulation to institutionalize urban gardening activities in the city. The communal gardens are expected not only to serve as a source of food but also as a source of livelihood to combat the threat of hunger and poverty. Apart from vegetable gardens, the city also looks into introducing integrated farming in which districts can also plant fruit-bearing trees and raise chickens and tilapia and also provides a series of seminars to empower district residents to produce and sell their food. Currently, around 300 hectares in the city are planted with rice and vegetables [1,2,3]

Bayangol park is located in the Bayangol district of Ulaanbaatar along the Tuul riverside. The "Bayangol Agropark" was originally established in 2014 under the administration of the Assembly of Citizens' Representatives of Bayangol District. Later, in 2021, it was renamed "Bayangol Park", and the park activities were expanded. The 50-hectare area along the Tuul river basin is expected to develop into an eco-park where people can enjoy their free time in a safe and welcoming atmosphere. Since its opening, over 16000 trees have been planted in this park as part of the nationwide "One billion trees" movement, which aims to lessen the impact of climate change, decrease desertification, protect forests and water resources, and increase employment. As the second-largest park in the capital city, the park also provides opportunities for sports and culture. (Ref. 1, 2, 4)

Pakistan's first vertical farm was developed in the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate in Karachi, on a previous yarn factory. The owner had a background in environmentally friendly and futuristic plant growth technologies and wanted to convert them into a business model. And since "urban agriculture is immune to the constraints of climate", and the country has suffered a decrease in agriculture labour resources and land fragmentation, Sindh Industrial Trading Estate launched vertical farming practices as a business solution. (Ref: 1,5).
In 2016, the owners set up a 60 ft room on the top floor of the old yarn factory into a futuristic farm by using hydroponic techniques to grow kale, rosemary and dozens of other vegetables under the purple glow of LED lights. Later on, the first floor of the factory was converted for vertical farming (Ref: 1). The project is a commercial venture, with agricultural products sold to the finest restaurants and supermarkets in the city. These eco-friendly practices ensure vegetable growth with maximum nutrients and require 90% less water as compared to traditional farming. (Ref: 1, 2)

Neknampur Lake, also known as Ibrahim Bagh Cheruvu, located in Hyderabad, Telangana State of India, has historical importance and was part of a water reservoir network for irrigation and drinking as well as an inalienable part of the rural ecology of the village (1,2). Due to urbanization, the lake underwent drastic changes in ecology, land use and management in the past decade. Scientific investigations conducted by the Telangana State Biodiversity Board on Neknampur Lake highlighted that the water body was full of sludge and extremely eutrophicated, showing elevated algal growth (2). This was mainly because of the unabated entry of sewage and other waste over an extended period into the lake (1,2). In June 2016, The NGO named 'Dhruvansh' decided to adopt Neknampur Lake and thus began a series of interventions that incorporated bioremediation and phytoremediation techniques, regular cleanup drives of plastic removal and recycling campaigns into a restoration plan for the lake (1,2). With the support of the government institutions, 'Dhruvansh' began the revival of the lake across two phases: (1) the revival of the lake periphery and the lake body, followed by (2) the revival of the lake ecosystem (1,2). The ecological restoration of Neknampur Lake has improved the ecological services it provides and restores the glory of this historically significant lake, now known as a biodiversity hotspot (1,2,3,4).

As early as 2010, the then authorities of Malaysia announced plans to transform certain Malaysian cities into green cities. Motivations behind these actions focused on addressing environmental challenges such as carbon emissions, high temperatures, and a reconnection with nature. One of the cities where green ideas were to be implemented was Putrajaya, located 25 km south of Kuala Lumpur (Ref 3). As this is a very complex project, the initiative was being led by the Perbadanan Putrajaya (PPJ), which is a local authority that administers the Federal Territory of Putrajaya and is under the Federal Territories Ministry of Malaysia. In transforming Putrajaya into a green city, PPJ undertook 38% of its area to be developed into parks, lakes, and wetlands while the rest is reserved for government offices, commercial and residential development, public utilities, and amenities (Ref 1). Green actions involved the creation of a wetland (the largest constructed freshwater in Southeast Asia), the implementation of an Urban Farming Programme and Rooftop Farming programmes, as well as large-scale tree planting (Ref 2, 3). PPJ aims to transform Putrajaya into a green city by 2025 including Putrajaya Inter-Parks Ride, Pedestrian Walkways and Bicycle Lanes. Putrajaya’s efforts in the implementation of these green initiatives have received numerous awards & recognitions (Ref 3).

The Misheel Botanical Garden is a large park located in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, established in 2021 along the Tuul River. The project was carried out by "Misheel Group" LLC in cooperation with public actors and more than 100 customer organisations, within the framework of social and environmental responsibility. The project cost 2.1 billion MNT and covers 110,000 square meters of green space, which was beautified without disturbing the native vegetation. The center aims to maintain and restore the ecological balance of flora and fauna, increase the flow of the Tuul river basin by planting trees each year, and provide citizens with more leisure and recreation opportunities. The botanical garden includes a combination of green-blue infrastructure and offers the opportunity for people to relax and expand their knowledge about a healthy environment. The center features a laboratory for students of natural sciences, a basketball court, a sand volleyball court, leisure areas for the elderly and infants, a dedicated sand area, and access for strollers and people with disabilities. The center also includes a terrace with a view of the Tuul River, where visitors can relax, and host events and activities throughout the year, including the winter.
[Source: Information provided by the management team of this project, Ref. 1, 5]

In Senegal, urban flooding in the rainy season causes major damage to public and private infrastructure, and poses considerable social, economic and health-related risks to the human population, in particular the poorest. Poor drainage systems mean that rainwater floods the whole neighbourhood, paralysing transport, and economic activities and posing health and safety risks due to stagnation and contamination (e.g. increase in water-borne diseases). To respond to such emergencies, in 2015 several stakeholders (Senegalese government, local authorities in Dakar and the local community) initiated a project that aimed to build resilience to flooding in informal settlements of Dakar. The project consisted of building resilience to floods by focusing on 3 fields: 1) infrastructure (floodwater evacuation, solid waste management, urban gardening and greening); 2) policy (district flood contingency plans and national policy advice); and 3) capacity building (training and awareness building for beneficiaries and key stakeholders, with a special focus on empowering women). The project was concluded in 2017 however its benefits are still felt today by the inhabitants of Greater Dakar. (1,2,3)

"Siargao It Up" is the mangrove conservation programme in Del Carmen, Siargao Islands of the Philippines. The municipality of Del Carmen hosts the largest mangrove forest in the Philippines – consisting of 4,871 hectares as of 2018. This mangrove forest is the habitat of rare and endangered species of flora and fauna both in marine, wetland and terrestrial areas. This ecosystem helps maintain the island's ecological balance by providing rich breeding grounds for aquatic lives. Furthermore, the forest plays a key role in capturing and storing carbon and helps the Philippines to meet its goal of carbon emission reduction. In addition to creating habitats and storing carbon, the forest also protects the community from the inevitable effects of climate change disasters. Recently, in December 2021, it was able to protect the residents from the onslaught of Typhoon Odette. [1, 2, 3]