In Tanzania, millions of hectares of trees and natural woodlands have been restored through the Shinyanga Soil Conservation Programme.

Once referred to as the ‘desert of Tanzania’, the region was cleared to eradicate tsetse fly, for agriculture and cash cropping, and to cater for the needs of a growing population. The result was a shortage of fulewood, lack of forage for livestock, wild fruits and medicinal plants. The livelihood of the Sukuma people - the region’s agropastoralists – was threatened.

Resurgence and Ecologist reports on how a joint project involving the Government of Tanzania, the Norwegian Development Assistance agency (NORAD) and the World Agroforestry Centre drew on local knowledge of the Sukuma people and their traditional ‘Ngitili’ system of fodder reserves to restore the region.

The project “offers refreshing and detailed insights into the real and important reasons for considering biodiversity conservation as a key component of livelihood security and poverty reduction,” says the article, going on to quote the positive responses of the local people to the restoration efforts.

Climate change was a low priority in 1985 when the project commenced and now the restoration the efforts are helping to mitigate climate risk and enhance resilience. A carbon assessment which takes into account the trees and woodlands, grass and herbaceous undergrowth as well as the litter on the ground and organic matter in the soil estimates that 11.6 million tons of is being stored in the system.

The article warns that the project cannot be left to take care of itself and equity (of men and women, of rich and poor, powerful and non-powerful) needs to be monitored through participatory mechanisms that continually evaluate the system.

Read the full story: Restoring Woodland