Stories - Cities4Forests

A river flowing through a forested area.

Blue Forest Launches New Forest Resilience Bond (FRB) to Address Catastrophic Wildfire Threat in the Upper Mokelumne River Watershed

The Upper Mokelumne I FRB aims to mitigate the growing threat of catastrophic wildfires in the Upper Mokelumne River watershed …

3 Cutting-Edge Satellite Technologies Showcase Nature’s Impact on Water

This article was originally posted on WRI Insights. In Costa Rica, climate change is intensifying the Reventazón basin’s suscep…

Protecting Watersheds and Preventing Catastrophic Wildfire: Yuba I Forest Resilience Bond Returns Investor Capital

Sacramento, CA (December 4th, 2023) – Blue Forest, a conservation finance non-profit, inpartnership with World Resources Instit…

A river running with trees surrounding it, and a city to the left of the river.

Natural Infrastructure: A Cost-effective Alternative in the Race to Supply Bogotá with Clean Water

This article was originally posted in Spanish by WRI Mexico. The Guacheneque páramo, where the Bogotá River originates, represe…

A group photo of project developers and WRI Brasil staff members at the selection event.

NBS Accelerator Closes First Phase With Ten Green Urban Projects and Two Highlights

This post was originally published in Portuguese by WRI Brasil. Among the more than 5,500 Brazilian municipalities,…

Keys to Accelerating Nature-Based Solutions Integration into Water Projects

Indigenous communities in the Andean highlands have been leveraging natural ecosystems to manage water resources since the dawn…

A watershed with the city of Bogota, Colombia in the background.

Cities4Forests 2022 Year in Review: Unlocking the Power of Nature for Cities

Cities have been called “our greatest invention.” They are centers of innovation, engines of economic development, and laborato…

Climate and Water Risk in Africa: 3 Ways to Scale Up Nature-Based Solutions for a More Resilient Future

At COP27 in Sharm-El Sheik, Egypt, all eyes are on Africa. COP27 has been coined as “Africa’s COP”, not only due to the region’…

Addressing the Barriers to NBS Adoption for Climate, Water, and Biodiversity: A Workshop to Mainstream Green-Grey Infrastructure Solutions

Thank you for attending our workshop on addressing the barriers to NBS adoption! If you would like to review the slide deck fro…

3 Lessons on Wildfire Resilience and Recovery From Oregon’s Santiam Basin

In 2020, wildfires devastated communities along the North Santiam River and Little North Santiam River in Oregon, the United St…

3 Ways to Engage in Nature-Based Solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa

Although investments for nature-based solutions (NBS) for adaptation and resilience to climate change have been gaining tractio…

Oslo’s Identity Inspired by its Forest

Oslomarka is the emblematic forest that surrounds the city of Oslo which has shaped the city’s culture and the identity of its …

Barcelona Superblock: Redesigning the city for the well-being of its citizens

Barcelona Superblock is a street transformation model that aims to reclaim public spaces that were previously used for road tra…

Nature-Based Solutions: Greater Manchester’s response to the ‘climate emergency’

Manchester was one of the first cities in the UK to declare a ‘climate emergency’ in 2019, and since then has devel…

The Dublin Mountains Makeover: Ireland’s largest forest transformation project

The Dublin Mountains are a natural sanctuary for the residents of Ireland´s capital city. Every year approximately 600,000 peop…

Climate Proof Reforestation In Brussels

In the face of our rapidly changing climate, scientists around the world are investigating the potential impacts on ecosystems …

Governing City Forests In India: Tipping The Scales

This article was originally published on REVOLVE on 18 June 2021. As Indian cities experience continued growth and associated u…

The State Of India’s Urban Wetlands And Why They Need To Be Protected Urgently

This article was originally published on Down To Earth on 13 August 2021. The ecosystem services of wetlands need to be highlig…

Improving Water Security Helps Reduce The Gender Gap In Mexico City

This article was originally published on WRI Insights on 30 August 2021. Tools for Equitable Green Infrastructure Projects Proj…

Cities Are Surprising Leaders In Forest Conservation

This article was originally published on WRI Insights on 22 September 2021. The world’s forests face a dire threat. Each year, …

Guwahati: Where Economic And Ecological Connectivity Collide

This article was originally published on REVOLVE on 10 June 2021. In the northeast of India, the city of Guwahati is a regional…

Putting Feel-Good Tree Planting Into Perspective

This article was originally published on REVOLVE on 27 May 2021. Tree planting has been heralded as the accessible and affordab…

Qingshan: The First Future Village of Zhejiang

The modernization of rural areas has attracted a great deal of attention in China since the term Beautiful Rural Construction w…

Rui’an City On National Tree Day

Every year on 12 March, China celebrates its National Tree-Planting Day, a tradition that can be traced back to 1915. This year…

Forests Near or Far Can Protect Water for Cities

Water is essential to human health and well-being. In cities, leaders strive to provide secure access to clean, safe and afford…

Ya’axtal, the Green Lungs of Mérida

In 2019 Mérida’s mayor, Renán Barrera Concha, set in motion an environmental initiative called Ya’axtal (“regreen” in Mérida’s …

Climate Resilience: Dublin Responds With Nature-Based Solutions

The effects of climate change are already significantly impacting Dublin City, and are expected to increase in frequency and in…

A Sacred Leaf Garden in Pedra de Xangô

Labelled a protected geological site since 2017, Pedra de Xangô (Xangô Stone) is a natural rock formation near the city of Salv…

City Of Trees: Growing More Trees For Greater Manchester

The ground-breaking movement aims to plant three million trees; one for every man, woman and child living in Greater Manch…

Under Threat: Europe’s Old-Growth Forests

On 21 March people worldwide celebrate the UN International Day of Forests (#IntForestDay). Forests are essential for…

Connecting The Dots To Sustainable Land Use

Ligue os Pontos is a project that promotes sustainable land development in São Paulo by strengthening agriculture in the main r…

Why city-dwellers should care about forests

Trees in urban areas make people healthier and happier. Trees shade city streets and parks raise property values. Trees provide…

Forests Simply Provide Better Health

72% of Europeans live in a city or urban area. Bettering the quality of life, forests have huge value in the urban environment….

The Cities4Forests Toolbox: Connecting Cities with Tools to Understand and Manage Forests

Mérida, a city in Mexico’s lush Yucatán Peninsula, is home to 2.3 million trees, which cover over 20 percent of the metropolita…

Expanding Urban Tree Valuation Capacity in Latin American Cities

Around 25 representatives from the cities of Guadalajara, Mexico City, Culiacán, Mérida, León, and two Brazilian cities, Palmas…

Rio Branco Lets Graffiti Rule The Streets

Urban culture is important to Rio Branco, since 2007 the city has managed to bring together urban artists in hip-hop, graffiti,…

Cities4Forests @ COP25: Community Climate Action

As part of the 25th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP25) …

From Mangroves to Tin Roofs: Fiji Uses Built and Natural Infrastructure for Climate Adaptation

The sea around Lautoka City, Fiji’s second-largest urban area, is rising 6 millimeters per year. The people of Taiperia V…

A 5-Step Plan to Protect and Restore Indonesia’s Forests

A version of this post originally appeared at Jakarta Post. The most recent global survey of tree cover released by Global…

Friday Fun: How 2 Urban Communities Are Protecting Their Trees

As they rapidly develop, many cities around the globe continue to clear urban forests for grey infrastructure. Indeed, roads, b…

Bridging the Gap Between Climate Adaptation and Equity: TheCityFix Labs Mexico

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest report on the prospects for staying under 1.5 degrees of warming is&nbsp…

How trees helped close the flood gates of Kochi

The massive floods in Kerala these last two years are a powerful wakeup call, which have forced us to reckon with several truth…

The City of Arborly Love

Philadelphia, coined the City of Brotherly Love, is home to a park system of 10,500 acres of which 5,600 acres are natural…

Forests and Wetlands Are Water Infrastructure. New Green Bond Helps Finance Their Protection

East Africa’s Kariba Dam is almost empty due to diminishing rains. In Brazil, Sao Paulo’s reservoirs were&n…

We’re Grossly Underestimating the World’s Water Access Crisis

In Cape Town, South Africa, and Chennai, India, “Day Zero” events where cities run out of water have draw…

Vienna’s green and free spaces grow

Integrating forests and trees in urban development is a top priority for the city of Vienna. In fact one could say that they ha…

Building the first Cities4Forests Bridge in Quito: A model for climate-friendly infrastructure

Quito, Ecuador Cities4Forests presented a pilot project at the Jardin Botanico’s International Orchid Exhibition on…

4 Emerging Concepts that Could Transform Cities

Big ideas can forever alter the fate of cities when they are written into cement, steel and stone. When St. Petersburg, Russia …

Planting Healthy Air: A Natural Solution to Address Pollution and Heat in Cities

Can nature help cities address the twin problems of air that is too dirty or too hot? Based on a new report released by The Nat…

Every Tree Matters: Brazilian Cities Prioritize Urban Restoration

In addition to counting people, cars and kilometers of infrastructure, cities today are counting trees. Urban forests are …

Bringing a Quarry Back to Life

Campinas was once called the ‘Princess of the West’ mainly because it was the productive centre of the region being rich in cit…

Cities From Across the World are Tapping Nature-Based Solutions to Address Water Crises

Water is an essential ingredient to the functioning of our cities, growth of our economies, and health of our urban residents. …

The Other Brazilian Rainforest: Why Restoring the Atlantic Forest Can Help Tackle Climate Change

Everyone knows how important the Amazon rainforest is. The region is often in the international news, sometimes because of its …

Debunking Myths: 5 Things to Know About Green Infrastructure

More than 600 million people lack clean drinking water. Drought affects more than 35 million every year. And by 2050,…

Antalya’s Natural Wonders

East of Antalya, the Düden River flows from the magnificent Taurus Mountains down to the Mediterranean Sea. Pomp…

Nature in the Urban Century: Cities can offer Solutions for Biodiversity Loss – if We Act now

This century will be remembered as the urban century. Our generation will witness the most significant urban growth in human hi…

The World Lost a Belgium-sized Area of Primary Rainforests Last Year

The tropics lost 12 million hectares of tree cover in 2018, the fourth-highest annual loss since record-keeping began in 2001. …

45 Cities Pursue a New Urban Strategy: Protecting Forests Near and Far

Most people don’t associate cities with trees, but urban areas are actually dependent on healthy forests. Trees within cities r…

Wood as a First Choice Building Material. What are the Benefits?

Wood is becoming the global building material for innovative urban construction. Dozens of cities, like Toronto, London, Vienna…

From the Industrial Revolution to the Green Revolution

Manchester was a leading city of the industrial revolution, acquiring the nickname of Cottonopolis due to its importa…

Rediscovering the Lost Puma in Primavera Forest

Portland’s reputation as a bike-friendly city was enhanced by The Yellow Bike Project, a civic engagement action that in 1994 d…

The Majestic Volcano Seen from Seattle

Mount Rainier, an active volcano of 4,392 meters, stands as an icon of the Washington landscape. On August 8, 1888, the fa…

A River Runs Through Detroit

Rapid expansion in Detroit over the last century has meant high levels of pollution for the city’s river. The situation was so …

The Andean Bear: An Emblem of Quito

A few years ago, a three-month-old orphaned bear cub in poor health, was rescued in the subtropical forests of Quito, Ecuador. …

Latin American Cities Add their Voices to a Growing Movement to Protect and Restore Forests

Cities4Forests sent three Latin American city representatives to the Initiative 20×20 Annual Partners Meeting in Buenos Ai…

Wood Urbanism: The Power of Procurement for Forests

On 23 May 2019, Cities4Forests led an interactive workshop on “Wood Urbanism” as part of the Urban Future Global Conferenc…

Plant a Tree this Arbor Day! The Festival of Planting

Arbor day celebrates the planting, upkeep and preservation of trees. Its history has strong roots that branched out across mult…

Toronto: Where the Trees Meet the Water

Did you know that ‘Toronto’ the name of the city comes from the Mohawk word “tkaronto”, which means “where there ar…

Anne Frank’s Chestnut Tree of Hope Lives on

For the two years that Anne Frank remained in The Annexe, the building where she and her family were hiding from the Nazis in A…

The Sacred Trees of Dublin

According to the Annals of Inisfallen, Caill Tomair, a sacred wood dedicated to the North Germanic god Thor, was cut down …

Nairobi: The Green City in the Sun

Uhuru Park in Nairobi has the same function as Hyde Park in London or Central Park in New York City: a green space in the middl…

Spooky Spiders Stave off Malaria after Freak Flood

In the summer of 2010, monsoons dropped 10 years’ worth of rain onto some Pakistani cities and villages in less…

Cali: The City of Birds

At the beginning of the 20th century, Frank M. Chapman, curator of birds at the American Museum of Natural History, conduc…

A Vertical Forest Helps Kick Pollution in Milan

The world’s first vertical forest was officially opened in October 2014 in Milan. According to lead designer and arch…

The Giant Relics of Auckland

Kauri trees were considered by M?ori to be the kings of New Zealand’s forest. These giants can reach over 50 meters and are als…

Cities4Forests convenes prior to the Urban Future Global Conference

On 21 May 2019, the high-level Cities4Forests exchange took place as a pre-event to the Urban Future Global Conferenc…

45 cities pledge to conserve and restore forests, citing public health, water and climate benefits

Amman, Auckland, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Mexico City, Oslo, Sacramento and more cities represent- ing over 164 million residents…

How Trees Can Save us from Pollution

Up to 90% of the global population living in cities in 2014 was exposed to particulate matter that exceeded air quality guideli…

How Do Giants Grow so Tall?

On 25 August 2006, in a remote area of Redwood National Park, naturalists Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor discovered the talles…

Celebrating the Value of Forests to Cities

Celebrating the “Forest and Education” theme of this year’s UN International Day of Forests on 21 March 2019, two key even…

Where Every Drop of Water Counts

In Amman, the arid capital of Jordan, water scarcity has always been a problem, and it is getting worse due to the immigra…

Quito: Leading Global Climate and Forest Action

On 18 March 2019, at the headquarters of Quito’s Environment Secretariat, 25 representatives from Quito’s city hall, Ecuador&#8…

From the Industrial Revolution to the Green Revolution

Manchester was a leading city of the industrial revolution, acquiring the nickname of Cottonopolis due to its importa…

Hibakujumoku, the Survivor Trees

On 6 August 1945, the first atomic bomb used as a weapon of war was launched on Hiroshima.The city was destroyed and hundreds o…

Are Mangroves Ecosystems the Richest Carbon Storage?

Mangroves grow along tropical coasts and are unique amongst the world’s plants: they are adapted to live in harsh coastal condi…

The Imperial Gardens of Vienna

The Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria, was the residence of the Habsburg emperors from the 18th century to early 2…

What Can Lichens Tell us About Air Quality?

Lichens are strange organisms that occur as crusty patches or bushy growths on trees, rocks and bare ground and are composed by…

A Forest Relict in Brussels

The Sonian Forest to the southeast of Brussels is dominated by beech trees and their related biodiversity. Due to the extr…

Powerful stories and data about cities, forests, and nature.

4 Ways Cities Pioneered Nature-Positive Action in 2023

Blue Forest Launches New Forest Resilience Bond (FRB) to Address Catastrophic Wildfire Threat in the Upper Mokelumne River Watershed

3 Cutting-Edge Satellite Technologies Showcase Nature’s Impact on Water

Protecting Watersheds and Preventing Catastrophic Wildfire: Yuba I Forest Resilience Bond Returns Investor Capital

Natural Infrastructure: A Cost-effective Alternative in the Race to Supply Bogotá with Clean Water

NBS Accelerator Closes First Phase With Ten Green Urban Projects and Two Highlights

Keys to Accelerating Nature-Based Solutions Integration into Water Projects

Cities4Forests 2022 Year in Review: Unlocking the Power of Nature for Cities

Climate and Water Risk in Africa: 3 Ways to Scale Up Nature-Based Solutions for a More Resilient Future

Addressing the Barriers to NBS Adoption for Climate, Water, and Biodiversity: A Workshop to Mainstream Green-Grey Infrastructure Solutions

3 Lessons on Wildfire Resilience and Recovery From Oregon’s Santiam Basin

3 Ways to Engage in Nature-Based Solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa

Oslo’s Identity Inspired by its Forest

Barcelona Superblock: Redesigning the city for the well-being of its citizens

Nature-Based Solutions: Greater Manchester’s response to the ‘climate emergency’

The Dublin Mountains Makeover: Ireland’s largest forest transformation project

Climate Proof Reforestation In Brussels

Governing City Forests In India: Tipping The Scales

The State Of India’s Urban Wetlands And Why They Need To Be Protected Urgently

Improving Water Security Helps Reduce The Gender Gap In Mexico City

Cities Are Surprising Leaders In Forest Conservation

Guwahati: Where Economic And Ecological Connectivity Collide

Putting Feel-Good Tree Planting Into Perspective

Qingshan: The First Future Village of Zhejiang

Rui’an City On National Tree Day

Forests Near or Far Can Protect Water for Cities

Ya’axtal, the Green Lungs of Mérida

Climate Resilience: Dublin Responds With Nature-Based Solutions

A Sacred Leaf Garden in Pedra de Xangô

City Of Trees: Growing More Trees For Greater Manchester

Under Threat: Europe’s Old-Growth Forests

Connecting The Dots To Sustainable Land Use

Why city-dwellers should care about forests

Forests Simply Provide Better Health

The Cities4Forests Toolbox: Connecting Cities with Tools to Understand and Manage Forests

Expanding Urban Tree Valuation Capacity in Latin American Cities

Rio Branco Lets Graffiti Rule The Streets

Cities4Forests @ COP25: Community Climate Action

From Mangroves to Tin Roofs: Fiji Uses Built and Natural Infrastructure for Climate Adaptation

A 5-Step Plan to Protect and Restore Indonesia’s Forests

Friday Fun: How 2 Urban Communities Are Protecting Their Trees

Bridging the Gap Between Climate Adaptation and Equity: TheCityFix Labs Mexico

How trees helped close the flood gates of Kochi

The City of Arborly Love

Forests and Wetlands Are Water Infrastructure. New Green Bond Helps Finance Their Protection

We’re Grossly Underestimating the World’s Water Access Crisis

Vienna’s green and free spaces grow

Building the first Cities4Forests Bridge in Quito: A model for climate-friendly infrastructure

4 Emerging Concepts that Could Transform Cities

Planting Healthy Air: A Natural Solution to Address Pollution and Heat in Cities

Every Tree Matters: Brazilian Cities Prioritize Urban Restoration

Bringing a Quarry Back to Life

Cities From Across the World are Tapping Nature-Based Solutions to Address Water Crises

The Other Brazilian Rainforest: Why Restoring the Atlantic Forest Can Help Tackle Climate Change

Debunking Myths: 5 Things to Know About Green Infrastructure

Antalya’s Natural Wonders

Nature in the Urban Century: Cities can offer Solutions for Biodiversity Loss – if We Act now

The World Lost a Belgium-sized Area of Primary Rainforests Last Year

45 Cities Pursue a New Urban Strategy: Protecting Forests Near and Far

Wood as a First Choice Building Material. What are the Benefits?

From the Industrial Revolution to the Green Revolution

Rediscovering the Lost Puma in Primavera Forest

The Majestic Volcano Seen from Seattle

A River Runs Through Detroit

The Andean Bear: An Emblem of Quito

Latin American Cities Add their Voices to a Growing Movement to Protect and Restore Forests

Wood Urbanism: The Power of Procurement for Forests

Plant a Tree this Arbor Day! The Festival of Planting

Toronto: Where the Trees Meet the Water

Anne Frank’s Chestnut Tree of Hope Lives on

The Sacred Trees of Dublin

Nairobi: The Green City in the Sun

Spooky Spiders Stave off Malaria after Freak Flood

Cali: The City of Birds

A Vertical Forest Helps Kick Pollution in Milan

The Giant Relics of Auckland

Cities4Forests convenes prior to the Urban Future Global Conference

45 cities pledge to conserve and restore forests, citing public health, water and climate benefits

How Trees Can Save us from Pollution