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Located in the Eastern part of Tanzania's mainland, the city of Dar es Salaam has been a fast urbanising centre in Sub Saharan Africa. A steady population increase represents implications related to increased human activities, such as encroachment of hazardous land, poor urban planning, as well as lack of infrastructure, placing considerable pressure on the good functioning of the city and causing a rapid loss of green areas and of trees. In counterbalancing these aspects, peri-urban agriculture, artisanal fishing, and nature-based tourism contribute substantially to the well being and livelihoods of the inhabitants of Dar es Salaam. Understanding that nature plays a significant role in the sustainable development of the city and to address the issues above, the municipality of Dar es Salaam, alongside several stakeholders, elaborated a so-called "Thematic Atlas of Nature’s Benefits to Dar es Salaam", tailored specifically for the city. One of the aims of the atlas is to tackle climate change effects that are threatening Dar es Salaam by keeping urban and peri-urban ecosystems intact while implementing nature-based solutions. It is a balancing act coupled with the fact that Dar es Salaam is located in a globally important biodiversity hotspot, the ‘East African Coastal Forest’. (1,2,3)

A rain garden has been implemented at the Fazenda Lagoa do Nado Municipal Park in Belo Horizonte. The rain garden has been created as "a solution that contributes to the runoff of rainwater, allowing the water to be filtered through vegetation and infiltrate into the soil", with this type of solution being recognised as a method which "recharge[s] the water table, increases biodiversity, improves the local microclimate and air quality" (Ref. 1). The rain garden has been created as a demonstration project within the wider INTERACT-Bio project which is led by the global Local Governments for Sustainability network, ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) (Ref. 1). As summarised by President of the Municipal Parks and Zoobotany Foundation of Belo Horizonte, Sérgio Augusto Domingues, “This is an important experiment that enables solutions based on nature. The idea is that it, like other mechanisms, complements macro-drainage interventions, helping the city to be more resilient to extreme events related to climate change" (Ref. 3).
According to the Municipality of Belo Horizonte, the Multiannual Government Action Plan (PPAG) aims to implement 30 rain gardens in the municipality by 2025, each garden having an area of ​​150 square meters (Ref. 7).

Al Shaheed Park is the largest park in the country. The park was designed to include besides its green spaces, several buildings (museums, parking) populated with green roofs and an artificial lake. The size of the park with all the mentioned grey and green elements stands at 20 ha. The park is viewed as an encompassing part of a green belt that surrounds the city of Kuwait. From an environmental point of view, the park was built to protect the city from sandstorms and to reduce air pollution. From a cultural point of view, the park and the museums are providing the public with high-quality programs, events and spaces, and part of their mission is to spread awareness and educate the public on the importance of the country’s land, history and environment, in addition to the encouragement of international and regional exchange of arts. In addition, the park is meant to commemorate the victims of the first Gulf War. (1,2,3)

Extensive and low-lying, Suriname’s coastal region has been identified as highly vulnerable to climate-induced sea-level rise (Ref. 1). "Momentarily the most endangered community by sea-level rise in the whole of South America and the Caribbean", the Suriname Building With Nature project has seen "wooden, water penetrable dams...being built to trap sediment and replant mangroves" (Ref. 1). Prior to the implementation of the Building With Nature project, no mitigation measures had been undertaken to protect the area, and "human interference ha[d] converted mangrove areas to agricultural land, fishing ponds and settlements", with the loss of stabilisation provided by the mangroves meaning that "the coast has become susceptible to flooding and erosion, losing up to 27 meters of land in one year" (Ref. 1). It has caused "displacement of local habitants and loss of livelihoods, [with]...the local population...and its fisheries, farms, and important religious and cultural sites [being] at risk to frequent flooding and land degradation" (Ref. 1). The Building With Nature approach is touted as being "essential for mangrove and biodiversity conservation and the enhancement of the quantity of the blue carbon sequestered in coastal areas" (Ref. 2).

One of the first public institutions to rise to the climate change challenge in the Philippines is the LLDA, which unveiled a two-wing, four-story green building in Quezon City to mark its 48th anniversary in 2014.
Reflecting the critical mandate of the LLDA to protect the country’s largest freshwater lake, the LLDA building features its own water treatment facility, material recovery facility, and a rain collection system that can hold 60,000 gallons of water. In order to be certified by the Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence, several greened areas have been installed in the building: two “pocket gardens” on intermediate levels and a green roof (Bio Roof) which covers an area of 208 m2. The Bio Roof is integrated within the building’s structure. Its vegetative layer protects the waterproofing membrane from climatic extremes, which allows for the reduction in maintenance and the reduction in the size of stormwater handling facilities. [1]

Park Podnikolie, with an area of about 100 hectares, is part of the water-green frame of the city and is included in the conservation zone of the historical and cultural value of the city of Mogilev [4,11]. Since olden times on the territory of Podnikol, there were up to 400 manor plots, occupied mainly by vegetable gardens. Now Podnikolie is a large park, which has become a favourite place for residents and guests of the regional centre [1]. More than 1125 tree saplings have been planted on the territory of Podnikolie to preserve the integrity of the historical ground, the historical territory [1,9,10,11]. Thus, the park is also called the "green heart" of Mogilev city. The densely planted area is officially a quiet recreation area where people "merge" with nature [1,2,6,10]. The project's goal is to improve the urban management system, promote the implementation of the principles of green urban planning, and improve citizens' quality of life through effective cooperation between local authorities and the population [2,9,10].

As part of the "Urban Forest Policy", the first Miyawaki urban forest was created in an area of 2,850 square meters in Lahore, Pakistan. The initiative was a result of a public-private partnership between Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and Restore Green. The project was carried out under the PM Khan 10 billion tree plantation drive. Miyawaki is a technique pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, which helps build dense, native forests. The approach is supposed to ensure that plant growth is 10 times faster and the resulting plantation is 30 times denser than usual. It involves planting dozens of native species in the same area and becomes maintenance-free after the first three years. [1, 2, 3]

Recognising the benefits which urban forests bring to its citizens, Salvador has committed to protecting and restoring the Atlantic Forest, and has developed its own local framework which goes beyond national requirements (Ref. 1). The city has launched several programmes under its 'Salvador, Capital da Mata Atlantica' initiative, which together aim to restore the forest which has "suffered from severe deforestation" (Ref. 1). Included under the umbrella initiative are programmes such as the "'Delivery of trees', recovery of parks and collective planting" (Ref. 4).

The City of Fort Collins is "taking steps to restore flows, fish passage, and ecological function" of Colorado's Cache la Poudre River (Ref. 6). The river was "heavily manipulated for irrigation and mining" throughout the early 20th century (Ref. 6), and today continues subject to the impacts of gravel mining, agriculture and urbanisation (Ref. 1). Regional climate change predictions further complicate our ability "to understand how the river’s hydrology and ecology may respond to warming climate scenarios" (Ref. 1).
The City of Fort Collins was, therefore "invested heavily in this urban river through extensive planning efforts, purchase of approximately 700 hectares of lands within the river’s floodplain, projects to address stormwater control and conveyance, water quality management, and acquisition of in-stream flow water rights", and in 2011, the City’s Natural Areas Department published the Cache la Poudre River Natural Areas Management Plan which outlined "opportunities and challenges in supporting the river’s ecological function and reducing risks to life and property during significant flood events", particularly through the implementation of nature-based solutions (Ref. 1). A suite of nature-based solutions has since been proposed and implemented by the City of Fort Collins, two of which are the Sterling Pond Ecological Restoration (also referred to as North Shields Ponds), and the McMurry Natural Area Ecological Restoration (Refs. 1 and 2).

Ecosystem-based adaptation planning in Osh will support the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic in establishing its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process and is consistent with the government’s strategic vision for climate change adaptation. Additionally, this project also contributes to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and UNDP’s objectives by increasing resilience for the most vulnerable people, communities, and regions, by strengthening institutional and regulatory systems for climate-responsive planning and development, and by strengthening adaptive capacity and reducing exposure to climate risks. The priority sectors for the project are: (1) disaster and emergency management; (2) health; (3) biodiversity conservation; (4) and agriculture and irrigation water. The relevant agencies and stakeholders of these four sectors will be key to ensuring these plans catalyse investments to enhance adaptive capacity in the city. [1, 2]