Land degradation poses a significant challenge, especially in agricultural regions. The REAL NbS (Resilience in Eastern African Land – Nature-based Solutions) project, funded by UKRI/NERC, collaborates with communities in Tanzania and Ethiopia to co-develop nature-based solutions tailored to address land degradation sustainably. Through collaborative workshops, the project is connecting community members, NGOs, and experts to co-select locally informed strategies that can make a lasting impact. Here’s a look at the recent stakeholder workshops in Tanzania and Ethiopia, along with the outcomes shaping the project’s next steps.

Workshop Goals: Building Solutions Together

The workshops are designed to engage local stakeholders in meaningful discussions around land degradation, ensuring that solutions are grounded in local realities. Each workshop focused on:

• Listening to Local Voices: Understanding community-specific challenges around land degradation.
• Exploring Nature-Based Solutions: Identifying sustainable practices to restore degraded land, prevent further land degradation, and enhance resilience.
• Co-Selecting NbS for Implementation: Working with communities to choose the most feasible solutions.
• Defining Success Together: Setting measurable goals to evaluate the effectiveness of NbS over time.

Highlights from the Tanzania Workshop (September 25th – 27th)

In Monduli District, Tanzania, we held a three-day workshop working together the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST). This event brought together 36 participants, divided into groups representing farmers and agro-pastoralists, local NGOs, village leaders, and subject-matter experts. Over the course of the workshop, participants shared experiences with land degradation and selected a set of locally suitable NbS to tackle land degradation. Some of the top NbS that emerged from the Tanzania workshop include:

1. Cover Cropping: To retain soil moisture and prevent erosion.

2. Contour planting: To control water runoff and improve soil retention.

3. Agroforestry: To diversify crops and enhance soil health.

Ethiopia Workshop Insights (October 7th – 9th)

In Ethiopia, working with Jimma University, the project team conducted a workshop with representatives from the villages of Dedo District, alongside local NGOs, experts, and researchers. A total of 29 participants, came together to discuss specific land degradation issues impacting their communities and brainstorm NbS tailored to their needs. Some of the top NbS that emerged from the Ethiopian workshop included:

1. Tree planning

2. Grass strips

3. Soil bunds

4. Fanya Juu:  to manage erosion on slopes.

Looking Ahead: Turning Ideas into Action

One of the core principles of the REAL project is that solutions must be community driven. Now that communities in Tanzania and Ethiopia have identified their preferred NbS, the project will enter the next phase of trial implementation and monitoring. The success metrics defined in the workshops will guide the evaluation, allowing local communities to see the tangible impacts of their chosen solutions, adjust where needed, and contribute to a model of sustainable land management.

Together, the REAL NbS project and the communities in Tanzania and Ethiopia are not just addressing today’s land degradation issues—they’re building a legacy of resilience and collaboration that will benefit future generations.

This work is supported by UK Research and Innovation Building a Green Future strategic theme, Building a Secure and Resilient World strategic theme, Natural Environment Research Council, and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (grant number NE/Z503447/1).

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