An estimated 92 000 hectares of forests and woodlands, as well as 2 billion metric tons of fertile soil are lost every year in Ethiopia due to improper land use, poor land management practices, population pressure, overgrazing, deforestation and climate change.

Action Against Desertification works on the restoration of over 1 700 hectares of arid and semi-arid land in Ethiopia’s Amhara, Tigray and Afar regions, focusing on the following activities:

Integrated restoration of landscapes: watershed-based tree planting, soil and water conservation, rehabilitation of degraded woodlands, planting agroforestry and fodder species on farmlands and homesteads.

Diversification of livelihoods: providing inputs and training to 900 households to re-green their degraded lands. Developing non-timber forest products including gum Arabic, lowland fruits and honey.

Restoration seed and seedling production in nine village nurseries, three in each region.

Improving the drylands curricula of three local universities.

Supporting researchers and research projects in the fields of desertification and restoration.

Action Against Desertification in Ethiopia 

• Intervention area: six watersheds in Amhara, Tigray and Afar regions
• Population: 359 200 inhabitants (in 3 districts of intervention)
• Surface: 2 718 hectares
• Restoration potential : 3,9 million hectares (61% of land area of Amhara, Tigray and Afar regions)