Fostering Equity and Subnational Action within the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100)

Restoring forest landscapes as one of our planet’s most important carbon sinks is crucial to fight climate change and improve resilience. Political momentum for these efforts is rising: The African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) involves 32 countries, including Kenya and Niger. In total, these countries have pledged to restore 128 million hectares of land by 2030– more than three times the size of Germany. Now these national commitments have to be translated into restoration successes on the ground. This step requires improved coordination and open exchange between local governments, communities and other land users. Explicitly considering their diverse needs, rights and perspectives, the distribution of costs and benefits, and providing consent, is key to generating long-term positive impact for communities and ensuring the sustainability of restoration efforts.

We support the World Resources Institute, one of the key partners of AFR100, in accelerating restoration in two key landscapes – Makueni in Kenya and Illela in Niger – and to reimagine restoration by integrating equity principles.