In 2004, the government of China instituted its National Forest City program to encourage the establishment and maintenance of urban forests across the nation. To earn the distinction of "National Forest City," a city must submit a 10-year urban development plan that explicitly includes forests. (Xiao, 2016) Photo: Stefan Wagener, Flickr.

In Ethiopia, the Addis Ababa City Structure Plan 2017-2027 Draft outlines goals to protect riparian areas with 50 meter buffer zones and to prevent erosion on slopes with an incline greater than 30% by creating conservation forests. (City of Addis Ababa, 2017) Photo: Natasha Elkington/CIFOR, Flickr.