Restoration of the forest has a higher success rate if native trees are used/planted.  Native tree species will allow the forest to recover and conserve natural habitat. This will optimize the supply of forest benefits and ecosystem services; reduce the risks of natural hazards such as landslides; and enhance options for sustainable livelihood.

The AAS Program of the Forests for Life Movement bridges the support from the corporate and individual donors to the community partners on site. AAS is being tapped by the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs of the different companies, and supported by concerned individual donors and volunteers. These partners provide resources to implement the stages of forest restoration, from seedling production, site preparation, actual tree planting and the three-year maintenance and monitoring.

The Community-based maintenance began by educating and capacitating the partner communities that will be in-charge in ensuring the successful survival of the trees in the rainforestation. The capacity building program of the local partner community entailed teaching the participants with farming techniques, monitoring tools and organizational development skills to ensure a sustainable partnership and high survival of the trees planted.

Alongside the capacity building of the community partners is the opportunity to earn additional income, not only from the activities on restoration, but also facilitates other livelihood activities aligned with the objectives of the movement like seedling production. This substitutes the risk of the local community to engage or allow illegal activities that provides them extra income. Furthermore, the government, through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, tapped people’s organizations to produce native tree seedlings in support of the National Greening Program. This contributed to a more stable and continued form of livelihood to the project’s community beneficiaries.

It is imperative that restoration sites are selected in a participative approach. These are selected in consultation with various government agencies such as the DENR, LGUs and other agencies. Hand-in- hand with the site selection is the People's Organization selection. Also, selection of the site in identified Key Biodiversity Area supports the government priorities to ensure long term solutions in mitigating climate change.

Forests For Life is an environmental conservation movement/network that envisions the restoration of Philippine rainforests using native tree species with support from various sectors. It began as a movement called ROAD to 2020, which worked with communities, local government units, indigenous peoples, academe, like-minded groups and the youth to bring back the lost forests. Through the movement, Haribon was able to empower local communities, build native tree nurseries, provide guidance in establishing conservation areas, influence policies, organize tree planting drives and encourage the public to take part in citizen science. To date, 13,416 Volunteers and 14 community partners in 30 Municipalities have been mobilized, which significantly shows raised awareness on biodiversity.

 The stakeholders of the Esquichá River micro-watershed face governance challenges for adaptation, such as insufficient coordination between the community, municipal, departmental levels, and the sectors. The Council of the Esquichá River micro-watershed, gathers municipalities, communities, and the Communal Nurseries comissions. A multilevel technical support is provided to ensure sustainability:

1. With technical support, the Committee has learned about EbA measures and has incorporated them into the micro-watershed Management Plan. Technical assistance has been provided to identify efforts for its implementation and financing (e.g. forestry incentives). This is how the Committee, now with greater organizational capacity, has had an impact on other instances (Municipal and Departmental Councils, INAB) and has achieved the allocation of funds for the EBA measures.
2. Technical assistance provided on management of communal forest nurseries.
3. Implementing a gender approach that actively involve women in capacity building and decision making. Women have been trained in communication skills, to improve their leadership abilities (https://www.iucn.org/node/29033).
4. Support for the Municipality of Tacaná to integrate adaptation measures into the local planning (Municipal Development Plan).

Based on the vulnerability analysis and by common agreement, the communities prioritized several EbA measures in order to increase their resilience:

• Protection and restoration of water recharge zones. Includes reforestation on municipal or communal lands with water sources; protection of community pine forests where the largest areas of natural forests (Abies guatemalensis) in good condition are found; reparation of communal forests affected by pests; and reforestation of areas without trees adjacent to natural forests. For these actions that improve connectivity and forest cover, access to forest incentives is also promoted.
• Establishment (1) and strengthening (15) of community forestry nurseries, to support reforestation actions.
• Agro-forestry systems and good practices: Productive systems on 16 farms are optimized and diversified, incorporating timber and fruit trees to improve soil conservation, productivity and food security.
• Recovery of lands affected by landslides: Agroforestry systems as well as access to forest incentives for the recovery of areas damaged by storms are promoted.

The communities of the microbasin  embraced these measures and support their implementation with important technical resources.

There is a continuous process of capacity building with local communities and institutions to identify, design and implement ecosystem-based adaptation (EBA) measures, generating evidence on their benefits, and creating conditions for their sustainability.

The process includes not only theoretical workshops but also: technical assistance, field practices, exchange tours and a diploma for municipal technicians. The process is collaborative and participatory, and the experience was of great learning and empowerment for the groups involved, especially women.

Some examples of activities include:

• Application of the CRiSTAL tool - "Community-based Risk Screening Tool - Adaptation and Livelihoods"  with municipal and community representatives
• Along with 16 communities and the Municipality of Tacaná, the forest restoration strategy was designed and implemented, supporting community nurseries
• Communities are accompanied in the management of forest incentives for sanitation, reforestation and protection actions.
• Local leaders are trained in methodologies to monitor the effects of forest restoration and protection of water sources on food and water security.

The greatest challenge in introducing LED streetlights was posed by heavy snow in the region. Since LEDs are less luminous, they emit less heat than other lights. Thus, snow sometimes covers the lights and does not melt. This leads to an unsuitable situation with regards to security. To address their particular snow problems, the energy association and light manufacturers invented dark LEDs specifically customized for Hirosaki City.

In December 2011, major electric power companies in Japan established a new pricing for streetlights lower than 10 watts. For example, 20-watt fluorescent lights cost JPY 169 monthly, whereas 10-watt LEDs cost JPY 120 monthly. This price difference makes the proliferation of LED streetlights more beneficial.