Regenerating Lost Lands

Regenerating Lost Lands

Each Earthlove box for Winter 2020 supports the regeneration of degraded lands in Ethiopia with One Tree Planted

Environmental degradation presents a serious challenge for Ethiopians. In 2016 alone, Ethiopia lost 20,000 hectares of forest as many clear forests and habitats to expand agricultural land and feed their families. The majority of Ethiopians (approximately 100 million and growing) live in rural areas, rely on farming for their income and survival but with poor soil fertility, unpredictable climates, and ineffective land management the problem is only getting worse.

 

Working with their local partner SOS Sahel Ethiopia, One Tree Planted aims to link environmental restoration with income generation and improve living standards, providing the local community with the knowledge and tools to conserve their land, protect their water supply, and create a sustainable, diverse economy for future generations through tree planting and education. This conservation project focuses on communal lands in the Loka Bedelcha Kebele in Southern Ethiopia, and the Amhara region in the North. Both are areas where environmental degradation is threatening livelihoods and biodiversity. Since 2014 SOS has supported farmers and local communities in these areas by teaching proper land management and environmental conservation: from their work they have seen seedlings, saplings and trees more than double in size, soil moisture and infiltration increase, herbaceous cover significantly improve from 32% to 85%, and mammal species reappear in response to the improving ground cover. These communities are learning to manage their environment collectively by planting multipurpose trees like mango trees, papaya, Acacia saligna, coffee plants, and others.