The Orchards of the School
“The Orchards of the School” is a project led by Antibiotice S.A. through its foundation, "Știință și Suflet" (Science and Soul), which focuses on corporate social responsibility programs. Implemented between 2017 and 2019, employees volunteered to participate in planting orchards in the yards of several schools around the metropolitan area of Iași, including a special education school . The students assisted in planting the orchards and took responsibility for their management afterward.
The primary goal of the project was to instill respect for environmental protection, promote a healthy lifestyle, and cultivate civic spirit within the community among the younger generation. The local authorities prepared the yards for planting, while the Research and Development Station for Fruit Culture in Iași provided standardized methods for proper orchard cultivation.
By 2021 and 2022, the orchards were reported to be thriving and yielding their first fruits for the students (Ref. 1-9).
The primary goal of the project was to instill respect for environmental protection, promote a healthy lifestyle, and cultivate civic spirit within the community among the younger generation. The local authorities prepared the yards for planting, while the Research and Development Station for Fruit Culture in Iași provided standardized methods for proper orchard cultivation.
By 2021 and 2022, the orchards were reported to be thriving and yielding their first fruits for the students (Ref. 1-9).
Patch of Heaven
The himmelbeet is an intercultural, inclusive community garden in Berlin that has been inviting people to garden and harvest their own produce since 2013. The garden offers around 200 raised beds that are communal and can be rented by neighbors, individuals and institutions (Ref. 1; Ref. 3). The project aims to familiarize children and adults with ecology, sustainability and healthy eating and to offer space for social exchange and education, while being inclusive to people with different (dis)abilities and backgrounds (Ref. 2; Ref. 6). The design and implementation of environmental education workshops are a vital part of the work. (Ref. 1; Ref. 6) With its own café and vegetable production, himmelbeet is strongly oriented towards the principles of the economy for the common good. The garden team also looks after other gardens in the city - on behalf of educational institutions, social institutions, housing associations and neighborhoods. (Ref. 1; Ref. 6)
Originally located in Ruheplatzstrasse, the garden moved in 2021 to Gartenstrasse, because of land disputes with the providing land owners and the demand of the space for other social projects. (Ref. 8; Ref. 11)
Originally located in Ruheplatzstrasse, the garden moved in 2021 to Gartenstrasse, because of land disputes with the providing land owners and the demand of the space for other social projects. (Ref. 8; Ref. 11)
Trénnelle-Citron Experimental Garden
Trénelle-Citron, located north of downtown Fort-de-France and separated by the city bypass, La Rocade, was originally established in the 1940s by Black Martinicans migrating from rural areas. Today, the neighborhood faces significant economic and social challenges. In 2016, young residents from the neighborhood alongside a local NGO launched a grassroots initiative to improve their community. They transformed a former municipal quarry, which had deteriorated into an informal dump, into a thriving shared urban garden, benefiting the local population. This project, based on traditional ecological gardening techniques and the cultivation of native crops, aimed to revitalize Trénelle-Citron—a densely populated area grappling with social exclusion, a shortage of green spaces, and limited economic opportunities for its youth (Ref 2).
The garden, developed on municipal land with guidance from the Ypiranga Martinique NGO, support from the local school, and collaboration from various stakeholders, now plays a vital role in the area. It raises awareness about agroecology, offers socioeconomic opportunities, promotes healthier lifestyles, and fosters social connections among residents. Spanning approximately 1,000 m², the site includes an office, a covered area, tool storage containers, market garden plots, a composting area, and a chicken coop managed by a local resident (Ref 7). In Martinique, such shared urban gardens are increasingly seen as important tools for sustainable development (Ref 5).
The garden, developed on municipal land with guidance from the Ypiranga Martinique NGO, support from the local school, and collaboration from various stakeholders, now plays a vital role in the area. It raises awareness about agroecology, offers socioeconomic opportunities, promotes healthier lifestyles, and fosters social connections among residents. Spanning approximately 1,000 m², the site includes an office, a covered area, tool storage containers, market garden plots, a composting area, and a chicken coop managed by a local resident (Ref 7). In Martinique, such shared urban gardens are increasingly seen as important tools for sustainable development (Ref 5).
Farming in Kindergarten
Food safety has come a long way and today it is one of the biggest challenges globally, especially in the developing world. According to the World Bank, Viet Nam is one of the countries prone to food-borne illnesses and food safety is a major concern for the public there (1). Increased droughts, floods and salinization have further enhanced and endangered food supplies. Access to healthy food is not optimal. To solve this issue, some Vietnamese private companies came up with a solution. In 2013, a shoe factory in the city of Dongnai (located around 30 km away from Ho Chi Minh City) established a welfare facility for the factory's employees, called Farming Kindergarten. The building was designed with the idea of serving 700 children of the workers by providing healthy food, as well as environmental education. The design includes a green roof where vegetables are cultivated alongside playgrounds for the children. The roof is designed in such a way that it is the perfect environment where children learn about the importance of agriculture and strengthen their connection with nature (2, 4, 6). The harvests from the garden are distributed to the children's families, contributing to a rather small family budget of Vietnamese workers (the average income of Vietnamese workers is just 180 USD per month) (7).
The Greenways of Bobo-Dioulasso
In order to promote Urban and Periurban Agriculture and Forestry (UPAF) as a municipal strategy to deal with negative climate change effects, Bobo-Dioulasso local authorities have identified, using a participatory approach, city greenways as experimentation sites for local climate solutions. The intervention consists in transforming vacant land belonging to the city into green corridors (greenways) through market gardens and forestry, retaining the benefits of urban agriculture. Urban agriculture, when planned and managed properly, can contribute to climate change mitigation efforts by lowering the ecological footprint associated with food production. At the same time, urban agriculture can enhance climate change adaptation efforts by increasing vegetation cover and reducing surface water run-off, while at the same time conserving biodiversity. (1,2,3,4)
Haifa Green Roofs' project
Climate change has become a constant topic for the administration of Israel, mainly due to the country's exposure to the effects of climate change. These include water shortages and pollution, the shrinking of the Dead Sea, waste production and disposal, air pollution and increased population density. Haifa is no stranger to these changes and the administration of the city is trying to align itself with international organisms that can help it to overcome such critical situations. The City of Haifa’s leadership strives to join the capitals of the world, share knowledge and establish operative cooperation. In December 2020 it joined the Paris Agreement, and in July 2021 signed the Urban Nature Declaration pledging a greener and more sustainable city with the 40C Cities Climate Leadership Group, an international organization of about 100 major cities worldwide. On a local level, the city initiated Haifa2030, a program that aims to prepare for global warming and to develop strategies for urban resilience. Among the actions taken into account by the municipality refers to green roofs, which the city intends to transform into an overall city program. Two demonstration roofs have been erected on municipal buildings, and additional roofs are planned. (2,3)
Armenia's Tree Project
The Armenia Tree Project is a national initiative founded in 1994. The project engages in involving different community members in an urban planting program, environmental education and outreach. ATP has targeted the most vulnerable communities with the most need for greenery. The focus and attention that is given to these areas help trees to grow and flourish but also creates a stronger bond between the inhabitants and the land they live on. Major greening sites are typically public parks, schools, kindergartens, cultural centers, military bases, churches, historical monuments and other significant landmarks. ATP also focused on Yerevan, the capital of Armenia which has become the "theatre" of many planting campaigns. From a climate change perspective, the project addresses issues of clean air and temperature regulation, as Armenia confronts a frequency of extreme weather events, worsening desertification and land degradation. From a biodiversity perspective, the project aims to conserve the country's rich biodiversity and to restore its ecosystems. (1,2,3)
Kibera's vertical farms
Kibera is Nairobi's largest slum/informal settlement. Kibera houses about 250,000 people and is the biggest slum in Africa and one of the biggest in the world. The Government owns all the land in this settlement. 10% of people are shack owners and many of these people own many other shacks and let them out to tenants. The remaining 90% of residents are tenants with no rights. Most of the inhabitants confront themselves with a food crisis. The project at Kibera is a recent initiative of the National Youth Service (NYS), a government agency that promotes youth affairs through the ministry of devolution and planning. The approach is seen as a cheap and healthy solution to food insecurity and runaway unemployment in Nairobi’s slum. The project also addresses climate change as food insecurity is related to an intense period of droughts: longer periods of drought (likely a result of climate change) in sub-Saharan Africa, meant the farmers had to depend on rainfall to water their crops. From a biodiversity point of view, the project will help with the urban biodiversity restoration (1,3)
Guyana’s Mangrove Restoration Project
Around 90% of Guyana’s population lives in an area that is below sea level, with many inhabiting flood-prone areas along the coast. The coastal plains are also home to about 75% of the country’s economic activities, including almost all of Guyana’s agricultural production. Over the years, degradation and loss of mangrove forests have resulted in increased coastal flooding and saltwater inundation of agricultural land. Mangroves contribute substantially to sea defence in Guyana by damping wave action and reducing wave energy, trapping sediments and stabilizing shoreline substrates while playing an important role in carbon sequestration.
The Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project was executed during 2010-2013 under the National Agricultural Research & Extension Institute. Following completion of the Project phase and given the importance of mangroves to Guyana’s coastal defences, mangrove restoration and management were integrated into NAREI (the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute), a national institution that promotes climate-smart agriculture and resilient citizens. (1,2)
The Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project was executed during 2010-2013 under the National Agricultural Research & Extension Institute. Following completion of the Project phase and given the importance of mangroves to Guyana’s coastal defences, mangrove restoration and management were integrated into NAREI (the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute), a national institution that promotes climate-smart agriculture and resilient citizens. (1,2)
Building coastal resilience for Muanda’s communities
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s coastal zone stretches 40 km and comprises the towns of Muanda, Banana and Nsiamfumu. The problem of coastal erosion has intensified since 1980 with the significant retreat of the coast in the Banana-Muanda segment, this retreat has been estimated as much as 2,300 meters. According to the report of the second national communication on climate change (2010), the Democratic Republic of Congo’s coastal zone, with a coastline of about 40km, is facing coastal erosion due to a combined effect of topography, sandy nature of the soil and ocean dynamics (height and direction of the swell, tide height, current velocity, storms etc.). With the rate of shoreline retreat that is likely, it is expected that the road between Banana-Muanda will be completely lost between 2050 and 2100. The proportion of lands lost to encroaching sea will double (200 m around Nsiamfumu and 100 m between Muanda city and Banana). In total, DRC can expect to see the reach of its coastal zone reduced from 50-100 m by 2100. To respond to some of these complex challenges the Department of Environment, Nature Conservation and Tourism, Democratic Republic of Congo implemented the present intervention partnering with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). (1,2)
