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Wajre Urban Forest is Maharashtra state's first urban forestry project developed on the outskirts of Pune city (1, 2). This project was done in a collaboration involving the public, corporate, NGOs and governmental actors (3). A barren land of 16 hectares, also used as a dump yard by the nearby residents, belonging to the Maharashtra Forest Department, was taken by the TERRE Policy Centre in association with support from TATA Motors and Persistent Foundations as CSR Partners (1,3). The project was targeted to reduce air pollution and provide a site for the recreation and relaxation of urban residents of the city (4).
A total of 9500 plants belonging to 23 indigenous plant species of 6-8 ft were planted (1,2). The plants have now transformed into trees 9-10 feet in height (1, 5). The park also provides the opportunity to engage citizens by the provision of adopting specific plants in your name (5). The park is frequented by morning and evening walkers, with approx. 1000-1500 people per day (1,3).

This project is Kerala's first Miyawaki model urban forest developed on the premises of Kanakakkunnu Palace of Trivandrum city (1, 2). The project was initiated by the Kerala Tourism department and implemented with the help of Nature’s Green Guardian Foundation and Invis Multimedia (which also sponsored the initiative) (3). A multi-layered forest creation is targeted through the Miyawaki method, a method developed by Dr Akira Miyawaki, a Japanese botanist. The method involves growing native plant species in close proximity to each other (3). Such urban forests are planted with the objective of creating a self-sustaining ecosystem that helps in a greater quantity of carbon dioxide absorption and purification of air (1). The project provides a wilderness experience to urban dwellers who frequent this tourism hot spot for relaxation and recreation (1, 3). After the success of this first forest project in Trivandrum, Kerala, in 2020 the Kerala Tourism launched a project to create more Miyawaki micro forests at 22 tourism spots in 12 districts across the state (Ref. 5).

Benchakitti Forest Park was created as the extension of the existing Benchakitti Water Park, which is located near the central business district of Bangkok, Thailand. The Forest Park is built in an old Thai Tobacco Factory area. The main concept of the park is to bring the forest into the city and support urban biodiversity while offering leisure activities for the people. The main features in this project include constructed wetlands, nature learning and exercise trails (for running and bicycling), a learning centre, an urban farming area and multipurpose open space for gathering and event activities. Benchakitti Forest Park can be divided into 2 parts. The first part is a green outdoor area including the wetlands, all trails and an outdoor amphitheatre. This first part was completed and open to the public in 2022. The second part is the renovation of buildings into museums and the creation of an urban farm and other facilities associated with the building. This second part is still under construction. (Ref. 1,2,3)

To build "[a] airport in the forest, and [a] forest in the airport", a Jungle Broadwalk was created inside the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) between 2004 and 2009. KLIA is one of the world's largest airport sites, spanning over 100 square kilometres of land, and it is located in the Malaysian state of Selangor. The Jungle Boardwalk is a miniature tropical rainforest, recreated inside the airport grounds between the main terminal building and the contact pier, and in the central garden in the centre of each satellite building. Though the airport is functioning since 1998, the Jungle Boardwalk was implemented only in 2004 and is home to 3,660 trees of more than 39 species, serving almost 14 mils. passengers every year. The mini forest is home to an impressive variety of trees such as the Medang, Kelat, Tukas and Penaga lilin trees that are indigenous to Malaysia.
The intervention provides many benefits such as a cooling temperature level inside the airport, a space for passengers to decompress, and an exploration of the relationship between nature and humans. This project creates a miniature Indonesian rainforest inside the airport to keep alive the heritage of the country's nature. The implementer had in mind "the vision to share a piece of Mother Nature’s tropical heritage with our passengers through the refreshing experience of walking through our natural forest reserve.” This and the fact that the airport is Green Globe Certified makes the intervention unique. (1,2,3,4)

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)

The Greater Iqbal Park is one of Lahore's largest and most beautiful parks and is located in the suburbs of the Walled City of Lahore. The park was built in 1971 and is named after the national poet of Pakistan, Allama Iqbal (7). The redevelopment of Greater Iqbal Park was approved in 2015 by the Government of Punjab. The project was developed under the supervision of the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA). The landscape plan was designed by the joint collaboration of national (NESPAK) and international (Sites International) consultants. The on-ground earthwork and construction were carried out by Habib Construction Services, a Pakistan-based engineering construction company (1, 5, 4, 11). The design idea of the project focused on revamping the area to create a welcoming environment in the environs of the city’s densely populated areas (6).

The project aimed to renovate and preserve Minar-i-Pakistan Monument and expand the area of the park to 125 acres. It features elaborate walkways and manicured gardens with state-of-the-art landscaping to boost tourism opportunities The project envisioned enhancing the cultural heritage by creating green spaces with various species of plants and trees along the park to ensure efficient facilities for the users. The 125-acre green oasis is surrounded almost entirely by the old city of Lahore (1, 3, 4, 11, 12).

The park was inaugurated in December 2016 with state-of-the-art facilities for users, whereas the overall project including the development of the National Museum was completed in 2018. The park has been designed in a manner that its aerial view resembles the national symbol of the star and the crescent. (3,11)

APEC Park is located on the banks of the Han River, in Binh Hien Ward, Hai Chau District, Da Nang City. At first in 2017, the APEC Park was constructed as a cultural work preserving the unique cultural features of 21 economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. In 2020, The Danang local government decided to expand the park as an effort of the city to increase trees and green space in public parks and residential areas to achieve the “green and smart city” goal by 2030 (1,4).
The new APEC Park comprises a public park, a stroll garden associated with an existing sculpture garden, a main stage, a water fountain, a stage for organising cultural events, a playground for children, green areas, a parking space, a lake and underground public toilets ( 1,4). The park is built in an area of more than 8,600 m2, next to the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture. The brickyard and footpath have 25% of the area (752 sqm), and the rest of the land is planted with green trees, grass and statues representing 21 economies of APEC 2017 members in Vietnam (2,4).
Since its inauguration in January 2022 until now, the APEC site has become an ideal place to organize many cultural, artistic and other activities in the Hai Chau district (2).

Iloilo River Esplanade is a promenade and linear park along the Iloilo River, created as part of the Iloilo River Rehabilitation Project. It is the largest linear park in the Philippines and was designed by the landscape architect Paulo Alcazaren. The esplanade is one of a kind in the country that aims to foster biodiversity, store carbon by mangroves and provide protection from possible flood damages. Furthermore, the project aspires to build a lifestyle hub for the locals and promotes educational eco-tourism. The site was an existing dike road devoid of shade and originally built just as a flood control measure. The redesign has showcased its effect on public amenities, received several recognitions and has become a magnet for tourists in this city. [1, 3, 6, 7]

The Central Forest Corridor surrounds the capital of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, and provides various ecosystem services to the population, with a particular emphasis on providing water for communities within both the corridor and Tegucigalpa (Ref. 3). However, limited access to water is common across Honduras, attributed to the degradation of watersheds as a result of deforestation and pollution of both ground and surface water (Ref. 1). Climate scenarios further "indicate that existing water scarcity will be exacerbated by climate change and increasing variability"... with "the main urban areas (Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula) and several agricultural areas (Patuca basin)...fac[ing] increased water scarcity in the near future" (Ref. 1).

Droughts are one of the most serious threats to water availability, food security, and local livelihoods in the semi-arid areas of Tanzania. Drought condition is coupled with a rainfall deficit and poor rainfall distribution. In Tanzania, drought conditions are observed more frequently in the country's northern and central portions (Arusha, Manyara, Shinyanga, Simiyu, and Dodoma). This consideration was paramount when in 2019, the Municipality of Dodoma, alongside ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, erected a new garden positioned in a square in the centre of the city. Nyerere Square in Dodoma used to be an open, concrete space with the statue of Julius Kambarage Nyerere the only attraction apart from the informal traders scattered along the main walkway. Nyerere is the former prime minister and president of Tanganyika, as Tanzania was known before, and subsequently president of Tanzania. It would prove challenging to sustain such an initiative in this drought-prone city. To ensure the park outlived the project, the team installed a greywater system to irrigate the new garden and ensure there was always sufficient water to help the plants flourish. (1,2,3)