Japanese Tobacco Group Reforestation & Community Support Program (Malawi and Tanzania)
Project Description
The aim is to reduce the problems of deforestation, while improving the livelihoods of rural households. Key objectives are:
- Reduce deforestation by improving the economic use & management of natural resources to supply wood energy & construction materials for household use on a sustainable basis by focusing on:
- Tree planting with a concentration at the household level.
- Sustainable management of natural woodlands.
- Introducing energy efficient kitchen wood stoves to reduce wood consumption.
- Planting local bamboo to replace wood for many products & uses.
- Increase & diversify farm productivity to improve food security, nutrition, & incomes through low cost, sustainable systems of irrigation linked to markets.
- Enhance village & household health standards by introducing low-cost methods to provide safe water & sanitation.
The project will use an integrated approach to empower communities to take responsibility for improving their livelihoods through intensive training & extension services to ensure sustainability through the following practices:
- Combine tree & bamboo seedlings in the same nurseries with similar management techniques.
- Liaise with government agencies on need to revise/strengthen policies on indiscriminant cutting of indigenous trees & land tenure issues.
- Intensive support will be provided for 1-2 years with aim of developing the capacity of communities to become self-sufficient.
- Impacts will be greater & more visible due to synergistic effects of involving the collaboration of many villages under a common goal.
- Results will attract interest from other service providers & neighboring communities.
Duration
2007 - 2011
Collaborators
- Total LandCare (TLC)
WSU Contact Person
Trent Bunderson, tbunderson@wsu.edu
Malawi Contact Person
Zwide Jere, sdi@malawi.net