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.

An ESCO model includes a scheme whereby a reduction in energy expenses compensates costs to install energy saving equipment/facilities. Adopting this business model, Hirosaki City commissioned a local electronic company association to replace the streetlights with LEDs and maintain them for ten years. The commission fee to the local electronic company association was JPY 340 million for ten years.

Before the projects, neighborhood associations owned the streetlights while the city government provided a subsidy, which was 7% of the annual electricity fee, for electricity and some repairs to neighborhood associations. Thus, neighborhood associations had to pay for the rest of repairs. In this ESCO project, however, neighborhood associations granted the ownership to the city for free. Utilizing the ESCO scheme, the city converted all 17,800 streetlights to energy-efficient LEDs.

The Gili Eco Trust created a service and product in 2012 that stays within a circular economy that not only increased employment opportunities in waste management on Trawangan for the local community, but started to drastically reduce the size of the landfill, whilst offering beautiful handmade unique personalized products to businesses and tourists alike. On top of this, all glass that can’t be upcycled into new glassware, crockery and gifts, gets crushed into a sand, which is then used in the production of bricks (mixing glass sand, fresh water, a bit of glue and cement). The "glass sand bricks" are then sold on Gili Trawangan for buildings. This means that 100% of all glass waste produced on Gili Trawangan can then be used in other projects, to reinvent this originally single use material as a valuable product once more. Using these different techniques, not only providing employment to the local community in the fast growing waste management sector, we are reducing the amount of glass going to landfill and educating the local businesses why and how they can separate all of their waste to create a zero waste to landfill initiative.

Tree Academy Groups (TAGs) are grassroot community led groups of people, formed at parish level under the Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) model, championing conservation. 

We form these groups to build on social networks to spread support, commitment and changes in social norms and behaviours.

To build local capacity to identify and address community environmental needs.

To strengthen capacity for shifting of power balance so that the community gains a voice in decision making, increased access to information and services while addressing many of the underlying social causes of their vulnerability (discrimination, poverty, low self-esteem and self –efficacy, low social status, violence etc).

To mobilize local and external resources to address the issue and establish coordination and monitoring systems to ensure transparency, accountability, and effective management of these resources.

To motivate communities to advocate for policy changes to respond better to their real needs.

To  link communities to ecosystem services, helping to define, improve on, and monitor quality of care from the joint perspectives of community members and service providers, thereby improving availability of, access to, and satisfaction with ecosystem services.

Waste collection and Management in Gili Trawangan has been managed locallly since 1999. The Gili Eco Trust is actively involved since 2004 with FMPL (Front Masyarakat Peduli Lingkungan) to handle waste collection, management, recycling, upcycling, educating and decreasing the amount of waste ending up on a landfill. Since 2014, waste collection and solutions for the waste that cant be recycled (Residue) have been discussed and put in place with the local Government, and district Government. Working together to collect daily rubbish from more than 700 places (hotels, resorts, restaurants, local market, private houses...etc), and to dispose it in one place only: TPA or landfill in Gili Trawangan. Progressively, this association has made progress to transform rubbish, to recycle more items and to find innovative ideas to reduce the residue. Now, we want to make the island a real example of sustainability and eco tourism by educating everyone living, working or spending holidays on Gili Trawangan how to select their rubbish properly according to our 5 categories, and also consuming differently, and feeling responsible of the future of their island.

We think that by offering daily waste collection and education we can make a change for Gili Trawangan.

To cope with the aging sewage systems, a renewal plan has systematically been developed and executed in full consideration of the budget plan. The area where a sewage system was constructed before World War II was designated as the first phase renewal area, followed by a second phase renewal area where a sewage system was constructed from 1945 to 1970.  To secure the budget for renewal of sewage infrastructure and continue to provide sound services, it was necessary to improve financial conditions. For example, a target was set to reduce the dependency rate on corporate bond to improve the financial basis for the sewage services. In addition, PFI was introduced to reduce the cost of recycling sludge. Daily management of systems has been strengthened to prolong the life of facilities and pipes, and a database of data and information on the sewage systems is being developed.

Sludge generated from wastewater treatment process is also recycled in Yokohama City. Sludge generated in eleven wastewater treatment plants is transported to two sludge treatment plants, and then subject to thickening, digestion, and dehydration processes. After the treatment, the weight of the sludge decreases by 400 times, and becomes an odorless, hygienic product. Gas generated during the digestion process is recovered as a source of energy and utilized for electricity generation and fuel for incineration in the treatment plants. In addition, the ash after incineration has been used as raw material for improved soil and cement.