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Local government approach to reforestation

Many times, urbanization comes at the cost of losing trees in city areas, with trees being substituted by concrete, asphalt, or empty spaces. The loss of trees comes with a cost: higher emissions, reduced biodiversity, soil erosion, and local climate disruption.

Bringing trees back into cities is no longer just about reversing deforestation. For many local governments, reforestation has become a way to create greener, more liveable cities—places that are more socially connected and better prepared for the increasing challenge of climate change.

Yet, reforestation takes many forms, each shaped by local priorities, capacities, and ecosystems. We are bringing here to examples of how local governments are taking action against deforestation. The long term vision of Singapore and how Kingston, in Jamaica, is responding to urgent climate threats—embedding nature into the fabric of urban resilience.

Singapore’s journey

Singapore’s reforestation journey begins with a bold vision: to become a City in nature. Five key strategies have been identified to conserve and extend the country’s natural capital island-wide, one of which is restoring urban nature. The Singapore Green Plan 2030 anchors this effort, setting a target to plant one million new trees by 2030.

At the heart of the Green Plan is the OneMillionTrees movement, which aims to increase the number of trees across the island, from streetscapes and gardens to parks and nature reserves. The benefits extend far beyond aesthetics: trees cool the urban environment, improve air quality, and create spaces that foster mental well-being and community connection.

Credit: TreesSG

Community is an indispensable element of Singapore’s reforestation effort. The Plant-A-Tree Programme is an open government platform created for organizations and individuals to participate in the process. Members of the community have been actively involved in the process from the start, designing planting plans, propagating native tree saplings, and undertaking forest restoration works, as well as generating education efforts. They even initiate or facilitate events that contribute to the movement. National Parks Board (NParks), the responsible agency, disclosed that around 100 individuals and more than 100 groups have pledged their support for the movement.

Credit: Plant-A-Tree

On this journey, trees have become more than just plants. They can mark important family milestones. Through FamilyTrees and Families for Life, families can commemorate their child’s birth by planting a tree, creating a living symbol of personal legacy. Beyond individual memories, Singapore, in alliance with local governments, seeks to honor its natural heritage through the Heritage Tree Scheme and Heritage Road Scheme, which protect mature trees and scenic roads of historical, ecological, or social importance. These efforts illustrate how the meaning of trees has evolved: they are no longer just tools for greening, but symbols of shared history, emotional connection, and cultural continuity in Singapore’s vision of a City in Nature.

Credit: Families for Life

A wide range of support has been provided. In addition to webinars on reforestation and tutorials on tree planting, digital platforms have been used to document and track the growth of planted trees. TreesSG is a website where the public learn about the urban trees, participates in the reforestation process, and ultimately contributes to the one million trees target. In Singaporean cities, reforestation is a shared endeavour powered by the local and collective efforts of its people.

As of April 2025, 788,987 trees have been planted during this movement.

Kingston’s story

Reforestation in the city of Kingston, Jamaica, addresses critical challenges. The increased density of urban space and the removal of trees have contributed to warmer temperatures. At the same time, climate threats such as sea level rise, coastal erosion, and flooding from tropical storms loom. Against this backdrop, the city is turning to nature to restore balance.

Source: CityAdapt

The Kingston Metropolitan Area took part in CityAdapt: Building climate resilience of urban systems through Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in Latin America and the Caribbean, a United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)-led initiative. Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) leverages nature-based solutions and ecosystem services for climate change adaptation, like mangroves for flood defenses. In this context, the municipal government, Kingston & St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC), is responsible for the regulatory framework of the CityAdapt initiative.

People of Kingston were active participants in this initiative, and schools emerged as a role model for environmental responsibility. In that sense, high school students joined advocacy conferences, learned about urban gardens, and received hands-on training in tree planting. These experiences empowered them with the knowledge and skills to implement climate adaptation interventions and to understand the benefits of reforestation in enhancing urban environments and ecosystems.

Credit: CityAdapt

Yet, the impact of reforestation extends far beyond schools, offering the government powerful tools for building long-term climate resilience and sustainability. In that sense, to address the vulnerability of urban communities to climate change, the initiative also restored watersheds, using native tree species to mitigate the impacts of floods and droughts. Local stakeholders helped identify vulnerable areas and co-design solutions, ensuring that the interventions align with both ecological needs and community priorities.

Two of the pilot areas where the projects were implemented are Greenwich Town (downtown of the city) and Petersfield Forest Reserve in the Hope watershed. These efforts demonstrate the viability of scaling the solutions to other areas and the cost-effectiveness of nature-based solutions.

Source: CityAdapt

Today, 44,000 trees have been planted to restore watersheds, 2 hectares of wetlands have been rehabilitated, and 1,400 trees have been added to a 2.3-hectare urban park. 

Source: CityAdapt

Conclusion

The stories of the cities in Singapore and the city of Kingston reveal a shared truth: whether driven by a long term blueprint or the need to address immediate challenges, the most successful reforestation efforts are those that plant a sense of ownership in the hearts of the citizens, one that are rooted in people’s life. 

Trees are no longer just green infrastructure. They are milestones, protectors, and connectors, woven into how people live, remember, and prepare for the future. Local communities are not just beneficiaries of greener futures; they are co-creators of them.

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