IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature

In East Africa, restoration is being used as a tool to promote both livelihood security and forest conservation. The following examples from the region make it clear that the lessons from East Africa are pertinent for the rest of the world.

• Tanzania: In the semi-arid Shinyanga region over 800 villages and their inhabitants improved their livelihoods by working in partnership with the government to revitalise a traditional practice of natural resource management. To date over 350,000 ha have been restored to provide much needed forest products for local use, including fuel and building material, food and medicine, as well as important products to meet contingency needs.

Download the FINAL REPORT, June 2005 (PDF, 900kB)

Download article from Nature vol 437, Sept 2005 (PDF 230kB).

Perhaps the most emphatic lesson learnt from East Africa is that one does not have to wait for more research, more analysis or more resources. Communities and executive agencies can take action now to initiate Forest Landscape Restoration from the ground up to provide forest goods and services that make important contributions towards securing rural livelihoods and reducing poverty.

There is a clear message here for the next revision of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) in these three countries, that the goods and services provided by forests and tree-dominated landscapes need to be incorporated into the PRSPs in a way that reflects their importance to the lives of rural people.

Download the full document: Building Assets for People and Nature - Experience from East Africa (PDF 960kB).