Land-use planning is increasingly being recognized as a central part of the formulation and implementation of strategies to reduce deforestation and forest degradation, contributing to both climate change mitigation and adaptation. Conflicting interests and competition over land and resources have been major driving forces of forest conversion, with increasing pressure due to population growth, degradation of lands, economic interests and, not least, the impact of climate change.

The National Forestry Authority has monitored Uganda’s land cover, including forested areas, periodically since 1990. The land cover classification is comprised of 13 classes as shown in the table below. The first five classes in the table refer to the different types of forests in Uganda. The largest forest type is woodland. Compared to other landcover types, forests are a small proportion of the country area.

Although Tanzania looks back onto a long history of land degradation, it has seen significant restoration efforts even before the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR 100) was launched. Building on this experience, the fact sheet highlights the main landscape restoration approaches employed in the country and elaborates on the major constraints as well as enabling conditions for FLR.

The Mau Forest Complex forms the largest closed canopy forest ecosystem in Kenya and is an asset of great national and regional importance. The complex supports a wide range of environmental services crucial for the socioeconomic development of the region. Despite its critical importance in sustaining current and future economic development, the forest has been adversely affected by extensive illegal, irregular and ill-planned settlements, in addition to illegal forest resources extraction.

In 2017, Cameroon committed to restore forests and degraded lands over more than 12 million hectares across all ecosystems by 2030 as part of the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR 100). The fact sheet elaborates on the status of the commitments made and highlights key restoration efforts and major constraints to FLR in practice.

Although Tanzania looks back onto a long history of land degradation, it has seen significant restoration efforts even before the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR 100) was launched. Building on this experience, the fact sheet highlights the main landscape restoration approaches employed in the country and elaborates on the major constraints as well as enabling conditions for FLR.

As one of the key partners of the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR 100), Ghana is committed to restore 2 million hectares of its land by 2030. In this factsheet, the major approaches to forest landscape restoration are outlined and enabling conditions as well as major constraints to forest landscape restoration elaborated.

With 22 million hectares, Ethiopia by far made the largest pledge to restore its degraded lands under the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR 100). In this fact sheet, restoration efforts are presented including major approaches, key constraints and enabling conditions and steps to achieve FLR in the country.

Between 2012 and 2017, Vi Agroforestry and partners supported the development and implementation of the Lake Victoria Farmers’ Organisation Agroforestry (FOA) program. Under this program, and in cooperation with 40 member-based farmer organizations spread across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda, approximately two million female and male farmers, school children and young people were mobilized to implement agroforestry and sustainable agriculture land management (SALM) practices in different agroecosystems of Lake Victoria catchment areas.

The forest landscape restoration (FLR) approach is a forward-looking and dynamic approach that strengthens landscape resilience while creating opportunities to optimise ecosystem goods and services to meet livelihood needs. The equitable and active involvement of all stakeholders in FLR decision making, goal setting and implementation is fundamental.

Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) aims to recover ecological integrity and enhance the wellbeing of people living in deforested and degraded landscapes. Within global and national restoration agendas, modern science is viewed by influential actors as the foundation for addressing some of the world’s most pressing ecological challenges.