PROG2017-2021-DGD: Environmental management of strategic forest areas on a sustainable, inclusive and participatory way

The overall aim is to improve the livelihoods of rural communities in Northern Tanzania, by promoting and facilitating community-based forest management (SO1) and sustainable and climate-smart land use practices (agro-forestry) (SO2). We focus on one region: Arusha. In both specific objectives the interventions focus on three aspects: (1) capacity building courses of community promotors and staff of farmers associations in community forestry and sustainable agriculture (including women and youth particularly) ; (2) field actions in terms of participatory forest management and agroforestry (with special attention for water and soil conservation); (3) promotion of good practices by authorities and institutions. After five years, the farmers associations with which we work will be able to gain a triple win out of their natural capital: socio-economic advantages, resilience towards climate change and a richer biodiversity. This way they can break the vicious circle of land degradation and poverty that threatens rural communities in Tanzania and reduce their vulnerability for climate change.