The youths who constitute about half the population of Malawi mobilise themselves and get into youth clubs. They plan to address environmental issues that affect them directly and indirectly in their communities. This is an energetic and innovative category of people that focuses on shaping a better future through awareness raising in the community by use of arts such as drama, music, poems and community meetings. They work very collaboratively with traditional leaders who support them by giving them access to land for restoration, calling community members for community meetings and enforcement of community norms.  

The program is community-driven which means the youths in schools and youth clubs, as well as community members, especially women in natural resource management committees, are both participants in, and beneficiaries of, restoration efforts. The program enjoys great support from the Traditional Leaders. The community decides where restoration should be done, and how and when it should be done.  This approach ensures community ownership and sustainability of the program. 

The Fishermen and Fisherwomen's Network has developed a governance system designed directly by its members, which includes various elements to foster transparency, communication, collaboration and effective participation. It currently has a core group composed of at least one representative from each thematic group (currently there are six thematic groups: youth, gender, oceanographic monitoring, community monitoring, community photography and fisheries). These representatives are responsible for communicating and interconnecting the activities and discussions of their groups with the other members, thus facilitating integration and cooperation within the network.

In addition, the Network establishes clear processes for selecting and integrating new members, which strengthens its governance structure. This strong governance, including well-defined rules, objectives and procedures, has been instrumental in fostering continued participation and exchange of experiences among participants.

The Fishers' Network has consolidated a participatory and transparent governance system focused on collaboration and communication among its members. This not only strengthens internal cohesion, but also drives the achievement of their shared objectives in an effective and sustainable manner.

The local residents who were previously excluded from the various cultural tourism activities and festivals centering on the World Heritage property started to independently host village activities and built up their capacities for delivering and managing events. 

The initial residents group started to participate in the operations of the Suwon Heritage Night Walks in 2017 as traffic control staff. As the number of festivals that were hosted to celebrate Suwon Hwaseong as World Heritage increased, such as the Hwaseong by Night, World Heritage Festival, and Media Art Shows, the number of jobs available for the residents also increased. 

The Haenggung Village Cooperative Association was established on 31 May 2021 and it consists of 46 members. The main line of work is creating content and activities for visitors. 
The association is composed of 4 sub-groups each named “jigi”, which in the Korean language means friends: 

• Haenggungjigi, who focuses on providing event support, information, sanitation and the operation of activities; 
• Donghaengjigi, a group that creates the content and stories of the village tours; 
• Surajigi that promotes and shares research and education on food; 
• Cheongnyeonjigi, the group that monitors and conducts evaluations of activities. 

To strengthen the technical and operational capacities of key stakeholders in the management of urban trees and green areas, three face-to-face workshops and one virtual course were held. These events were aimed at local governments, academics, private companies, non-governmental organizations and members of civil society with the capacity and interest to influence decision-making on the urban landscape of each city benefiting from the project.

The main objective was to increase capacities in the diagnosis and management of urban trees, providing knowledge and essential tools for efficient and sustainable management of green infrastructure. The following topics were addressed in each face-to-face event, with variations according to the participants' level of knowledge:

• Presentation of the Sembrando Ciudades project
• Green Infrastructure and Children Toolkit, results for each city.
• Integrated Tree Management Plan.
• Macro and micro diagnosis.
• Inventories and censuses.
• Regulations.
• Zoning of greening needs.
• Intervention area, strategies and objectives.
• Selection of species and nursery plants.
• Community involvement.
• Pilots that inspire: execution of interventions.
• Critical steps in urban reforestation.
• Evaluation and measures of success.
• Air quality and its relationship with green infrastructure.
• Appraisal and management recommendations for urban trees.

The virtual course has the same objective as the workshops, so they complement and reinforce each other. However, in this event it focuses on:

• Calculate and economically value the ecosystem services provided by urban trees.
• Generate information to promote an informed urban management, through the identification and characterization of trees, as well as the identification of plantable spaces.
• Know the regulations, the entities involved in urban tree management, as well as funding opportunities and resources to promote reforestation in urban areas.
• Develop a comprehensive urban tree management plan to ensure the conservation and sustainable development of the urban environment.

Once the areas with the greatest need for urban reforestation had been identified, schools with the potential to develop school reforestation interventions were selected. Subsequently, the project was shared with the corresponding Ministry of Education to verify the viability of the chosen schools. Thus, the Alfonso Arroyo Flores elementary school, located in the municipality of Boca del Río, was selected for this activity. A visit was made to the institute to present and socialize the initiative before the school authorities, ensuring their collaboration and support in the implementation of the reforestation activities.

The next step was the preparation of a diagnostic study of the intervention area to analyze soil fertility, complemented by a drone flight to generate the design of the interventions. This design, validated by the school community, was based on the Miyawaki Method, a high diversity and density afforestation approach that accelerates the development of vegetation and other ecological processes.

The implementation of the reforestation activities was divided into two stages. The first stage focused on environmental awareness and education. An explanation was given to the student community, including children, youth and teachers, about the importance of trees in urban environments and the principles of Miyawaki forests, as well as the critical points in the reforestation process. The language used was accessible and appropriate for the age group, promoting active participation to facilitate meaningful learning. In the second stage, the knowledge acquired during the previous stage was put into practice and the school reforestation was carried out together with the children.

This experience not only allowed for the tangible improvement of the green infrastructure, but also provided the opportunity to raise awareness among the students and allow them to experience the reforestation process in a sensory way.

The perspective on how to address the environmental problems facing the city was modified, integrating the following principles:

• Improve accessibility to natural spaces and the distribution of environmental benefits, prioritizing areas of the city with high marginalization and vulnerability.
• Prioritize social participation and people whose livelihoods depend on nature.
• Increase investment in environmental restoration.

As well as strengthening legal frameworks, such as in the Political Constitution of the CDMX where investment in conservation land is guaranteed; the modification to the Environmental Law for the Protection of the Land of Mexico City, where the term biodiversity is considered in its provisions; the adoption of the Law for Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change and Sustainable Development of Mexico City and the Law of Circular Economy.In addition to the Environmental Climate Change Program, strategies and action plans were developed in a participatory manner to articulate public policies to address climate change and conserve biodiversity. The planning and execution of these instruments has involved the participation and coordination of multiple sectors in addition to the environmental sector and citizen participation, taking into account the generation of environmental, social and economic benefits.

The Ministry of Land and Environment (MTA), in partnership with IUCN Mozambique, launched three Knowledge Hubs as part of its efforts to centralise and streamline conservation and restoration training and knowledge exchange from the central to local levels and from public administration to communities. These hubs serve as essential training tools, particularly for mangrove restoration and protection, and for the broader application of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) and Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for both communities and policymakers.

Located within government premises in Maputo, Maputo National Park, and Pemba, the hubs function as open-access centres where conservation manuals, tools, and courses, including those from the IUCN Academy, are shared. These resources, (e.g. on NbS, Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs), mangrove restoration) translated to Portuguese and tailored to local projects and communities, help expand the reach of conservation knowledge, especially to rural communities, women, and youth. By offering systematic online and in-person training, the hubs provide a space for both tailored learning and socio-economic development, incorporating important dimensions of governance, gender, and youth engagement.

The Knowledge Hubs empower local communities, especially those in buffer and coastal areas, to become active agents in conservation and climate adaptation by providing tools on topics such as mangrove restoration and NbS. This initiative not only promotes sustainable practices but also nurtures a culture of learning and participation. 

The Knowledge Hubs have proven to be a cost-effective solution for training, using existing infrastructure and only require internet connectivity. The program includes in-person training, such as the “Blue Training in Practise” program, which successfully trained over 20 professors and MTA staff to integrate coastal and marine management into local development plans and projects This approach is designed as a long-term, cross-sectoral process, ensuring that biodiversity, climate, and development considerations are incorporated into local development strategies. Where possible, the program also facilitates personal exchanges with local communities to enhance engagement and knowledge transfer.

Furthermore, the Knowledge Hubs have also served as a model for other development and conservation actors, attracting in-kind and financial support, which further strengthens partnerships and raises awareness.

IUCN’s approach was rooted in its membership union, of which the Government of Mozambique is a partner. Mozambique hosts several key IUCN members, including Peace Parks Foundation, WCS, and WWF, as well as benefiting from EU-funded initiatives like PANORAMA. This made it easier for IUCN to assess interest and support for establishing a platform for knowledge and information sharing, such as the Dialogue Platform.

IUCN worked closely with the Ministry of Land and Environment, including ANAC, to engage local organisations and governments in identifying key thematic and policy areas for discussion. This approach helped streamline conservation and development approaches and manuals, creating a unified voice to influence policy and aligned the conservation actor’s engagement and agreement. The first edition of the Dialogue Platform was a success, providing an open dialogue with the government and conservation actors to discuss biodiversity and conservation priorities. The event also featured the SOMN Mangrove Champion Awards, that were jointly presented by an IUCN representative, the German Embassy representative and the MTA Permanent Secretary, underscoring the value of partnerships and recognition in promoting environmental efforts.

By nurturing partnerships, IUCN ensured that the voice of conservation actors remained active, positively influencing policy decisions, particularly in mainstreaming biodiversity and ecosystem-based adaptation into all development projects. The continued activities of the Dialogue Platform deepened engagement around themes such as land use and the management of competing land interests.

Beyond facilitating access to hard-to-reach locations, sailboats also provide useful modes of transport for deploying scientific instrumentation. The boats can carry scientific equipment, both for deployment in the ocean, but also for continual measurement by sensors that are permanently onboard. The race boats’ speed means that data from different locations can be captured across short timespans, something which is not achievable by most research vessels. Yachts can also be used to pilot and test new research technology and techniques, such as technology that allows results to be shared in real-time, and the OceanPack – a device which records essential ocean data from aboard the yachts. 

In a racing context, carrying devices that take meteorological measurements is not only beneficial for science partners, but also for the race participants themselves, as it helps to inform and improve weather forecasts that will impact their own decision-making and performances throughout the race. 

Using racing yachts for data collection paves the way for the installation and deployment of measuring devices on other vessels such as fishing or commercial boats, as well as other sailing boats.