Conclusion
To engage the public, Kanazawa has also launched information campaigns and volunteer programmes, and helped establish community gardens.
Many of the initiatives were developed in cooperation with the UNU-AIS Operating Unit Ishikawa Kanazawa, including its youth engagement drive.
One example is a program that empowers high school students to explore how global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss relate to their own communities.
Through workshops and fieldwork, participants develop ideas for local action. Some have shared their perspectives at international events, such as the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Azerbaijan in 2024.
The annual firefly surveys, meanwhile, are part of a wider citizen-science initiative to monitor biodiversity within the city. More than 4,500 children took part in the survey in 2024, according to Tomita. The findings revealed firefly activity in over 600 locations.
“That included 170 sites where more than 10 individuals were observed–an exceptional number in an urban environment,” she says.
The insects are profiting from the uncovering of previously paved-over canals and the restoration of their channels. Traditional stonework along the banks and rehabilitated canal beds have created habitats for aquatic biodiversity, including snails on which the firefly larvae feed.
Tomita says many of the young surveyors find the experience “transformative.”
“They describe a newfound sense of responsibility, curiosity and connection with nature,” she says. “Parents often reflect that the project fosters intergenerational dialogue, with families discussing how to care for their shared environment.”
UNEP is showcasing Kanazawa as part of its Generation Restoration project to help cities and towns around the world to value, restore and protect urban ecosystems, including by integrating them into their planning and development processes. UNEP News
