Private sector/corporate actor/company

The ‘City of 1,000 Tanks’ project offers a holistic solution to the problems of floods, water scarcity and pollution in Chennai (Ref. 1). The project's primary objective is to develop a "Water Balance Model" for the city, which involves collecting rainwater, treating wastewater and runoff pollution with decentralized nature-based solutions, as well as prevent climate-change-induced droughts and saline intrusion due to sea-level rise (Ref. 1, 2). This is achieved through developing various nature-based water management solutions and improving the recharge capacity of traditional temple tanks (Ref 1).
The project began in 2018, following the call for action event of the "Water as Leverage for Resilient Cities Asia" (a bilateral program spanning several Asian countries). The Water Balance Model is developed as a strategy with an incremental implementation process (Ref 1, 2). The project started with pilot projects and then progressed to flagship projects before full city-wide implementation (Ref. 3).

In 2021, the local municipal government of Navi Mumbai City and a local NGO converted a neglected urban space used as a dump yard in Nisarg Udyan into a healthy and dense forest (Ref 1,2). The aim of the project was to improve biodiversity and complement the local ecosystem, choosing specifically native species from the local area for plantation (Ref 3). By applying the Miyawaki forest technique, the project was able to transform the wasteland into a 3-acre mini-forest quickly. A civic officer on behalf of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) drove the re-forestation project jointly with the support of Green Yatra, a local NGO, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding support from Sony Music Entertainment (Ref. 1, 3).

Spanning over 32000 square meters and featuring a landscaped rainwater catchment basin [5], the Rain Garden was created in 2014 in the Nuvali district of Santa Rosa. The garden offers an example of eco-friendly urban planning in the Philippines, as the Nuvali district is an eco-city itself with residential, business and commercial areas. Besides the Evozone Rain Garden, Nuvali also has various nature amenities, including a multi-functional lake, cycling and hiking paths, a wildlife and bird sanctuary and camping grounds. The Evozone Rain Garden was established in a commercial development area and it includes spacious open areas and cycling paths, along with the footbridge and view deck and adjacent to the manmade lake in Nuvali [2]. The Rain garden also serves as a rainwater catchment basin, rainwater harvesting system, and fire reserve, providing recycled water for landscaping, irrigation and other non-potable water uses [1]. In addition, the garden has been developed to serve as a habitat for various bamboo varieties and birds [4], also making the garden an ideal birdwatching spot [3]. The EvoZone Rain garden is free and open to the public [2].

Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (KIAB)'s new terminal 2 is an environmentally friendly initiative that uses innovative methods to maintain ecological sustainability using native plants (Ref 1, 2). The terminal was built on four guiding principles: technology leadership, being a terminal within a garden, environmental and ecological stewardship, and a celebration of Karnataka’s rich heritage and culture. Through the "terminal within a garden" project, the aim was to create a calming and relaxing space for passengers using greenery for visual appeal as people pass through the airport (Ref 1). Hanging gardens, trees, and green walls are the primary nature-related features included in the terminal and an outdoor greenbelt around the terminal. The airport uses native plant species, including trees, flowering plants, and shrubs (Ref. 2).
The terminal area also includes water bodies, cascades, and miniature waterfalls to maintain the natural atmosphere. The terminal also has extensive rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge facilities (Ref 1). Other sustainable goals in the terminal area include energy saving, water conservation, waste management, and pollution control measures (Ref 2).

A low-rise building located within Prestige University's existing 32-acre campus in Indore will feature an entirely walkable, stepped green roof. The green roof is planned to be punctuated with courtyards for temperature regulation and accessible to its users (university staff, students and other visitors etc.) from the ground level (1,2). It is designed and implemented by 'Sanjay Puri Architects', Architecture Consultancy based in Mumbai (1,2,6). This building is planned to be used for administration offices, an auditorium, lecture halls, and a library and cafeteria (1,2,3). The green roof mainly serves as a space for recreational activities for the users. The terraces will also include different-sized open-air sections, providing the building's interior with natural ventilation (2,4,5). This project truly blends with the traditional Indian Architecture approach in an innovative and modern way (4,5) and targets problems related to central India's oppressive heat (1,2,4).
Despite the initial target completion date of June 2022 (9), the construction phase of the project has not yet been finalized. The responsible architecture firm anticipates the completion date within the forthcoming months. This information was disclosed in January 2023 (10).

In 2008, Mahidol University in Thailand announced its revised five-year Green Campus master plan titled 'A Promised Place to Live and Learn with Nature' for its main Salaya Campus. The scheme aimed to promote a green conscience and lifestyle for its students and faculty through sustainable campus developments that consider social and environmental aspects. The university's objectives were to achieve energy conservation, environmental sustainability, and social cohesion and well-being. The main features of the master plan included the creation and maintenance of green open spaces covering at least 70% of the campus premises, optimization of land use, transformation of infrastructure to encourage cycling, creation of outdoor learning, recreational and research areas, and enhancement of local biodiversity. The master plan also covered guidelines and targets for energy consumption, waste, and water management in the campus buildings. The Siri Ruckhachati Nature Park, the university's arboretum, was also redesigned with green and blue areas playing a role in flood management. Following the 'Green Campus' master plan, Mahidol University developed its existing mission further and became an 'Eco University' in 2012 and a 'Sustainable University' in 2021. These two missions focus primarily on reducing energy consumption and waste management.
(Ref.1,2,3,12)

The new office building of the Council of Engineers is located on one of the busiest streets of Bangkok, Thailand. The building aims to combine new engineering technology with aesthetic and function, while maximizing green area and promoting sustainability. The building's terraced green area lead the people up to the entrance on second floor and continue up to the sky garden on the forth floor. The main features of the garden are lush fauna with tree and shrub species, planters, multi-purpose open spaces and bio-filtration system that use plants to filter and divert rainwater. The project aims to acquire the platinum TREES building rating (a green building certificate in Thailand) and it is in the process of applying for the certificate. (Ref. 1,2,3,5)

In 2005, a constructed wetland was established in Barangay Villareal, Bayawan City in order to improve a peri-urban settlement and promote domestic wastewater treatment with reed beds. The wetland covers an area of 2680 square metres and comprises two reed beds, with the first bed utilizing perforated pipes beneath a sand and gravel substrate for vertical flow filtering, and the second bed utilizing horizontal flow for biological filtering. The roots of the Phragmites karka reeds, which are used in the system, act as a natural filter, removing microorganisms and pollutants. The treated effluent is reused for various purposes, such as watering plants, firefighting, and irrigating ornamental plants and agricultural crops. The overarching objective of the initiative is to safeguard coastal waters from pollution caused by domestic wastewater and enhance residents' quality of life by providing safe sanitation and wastewater treatment facilities. Furthermore, the initiative seeks to showcase the effectiveness of constructed wetlands, encourage the use of locally available reeds for wastewater treatment, and conserve water and nutrients by reusing treated wastewater. [1,2].

To improve the ecological and living environment for the residents, Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM) inaugurated a project, "For a Green Dormitory" in September, 2022. The project is a tree planting activity sponsored by the program "One million urban green trees" (MTIC) by Green Viet Water Biodiversity Conservation Center (GreenViet), through the Conservation Fund project. The aim of the green dormitory project was to promote the planting of different species of trees to improve the ecological and living environment for more than 40,000 students staying at the centre. More than 1000 trees such as Pink trumpet, Black Star, Oil, and Camphor have been planted at planned points at the dormitory (1). The initial goal was to plant a total of 5,250 trees from September 2022 to March 2023 and included a series of greening activities of mass organizations at the dormitory campus of the Vietnam National University. So far, more than 1000 students, 200 lecturers, the dormitory manager of VNU-HCM and more than 50 members of Dang Gia Trang Manufacturing, Trading and Service Co., Ltd, participated in the project (1). In addition to this, the project also initiated an exchange program through which plastic waste was exchanged to receive green trees, encouraging awareness among officials, employees and boarding students (2).

The National Garden Park is the largest park in Ulaanbaatar and the only park of its kind in the capital city of Mongolia, offering multiple environmental services, recreational and commercial functions. Currently, the park extends to 183 hectares, covering 23% of the total green construction in the city, and stretches from the northeastern part of the Marshall Bridge to the Uliastai Bridge in the Bayanzurkh district. In the long term, the park is planned to be extended to have a total area of 973 and to have 1.200.000 trees planted within the “One Million to One Billion” afforestation program. The park offers a range of recreational facilities and services for citizens, including bicycle and pedestrian areas, specialized sports areas and children's playgrounds. It also houses trade and service organizations. As a result, the park has become a popular recreational area for the citizens of the capital and is the most visited urban park in Ulaanbaatar. During the summer, it attracts an estimated 12-15 thousand visitors a day, and during the winter, it sees 6-9 thousand visitors a day. The National Garden park was officially established in 2009 with the aim of protecting the Tuul River Basin's drinking water source, reducing air pollution, and increasing green space to create a healthy eco-environment and providing recreational opportunities for the public. In 2016, the National Garden Park was designated as a local property budgetary enterprise with defined primary functions, management structure, control, and rights under the administration of the Assembly of Citizens' Representatives. The park currently employs 113 staff members (as of 2021). (Ref. 1. and 4)