Small scale community-based afforestation program in Ethiopia

The integrated, community-based afforestation program of Menschen fuer Menschen Foundation (MfM), which started in June 2022, is located in Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, a series of droughts, overgrazing, erosion as well as deforestation due to the need for construction and firewood have resulted in eroded and depleted soils. Therefore, the livelihood of the population, which lives predominantly from agriculture, is severely threatened. MfM has set up an array of integrated measures to counter the vicious circle for the smallholder population living in rural Ethiopia. MfM’s afforestation program aims at rehabilitating land through physical and biological natural resource management practices and by considering crucial livelihood enhancement measures. While various afforestation measures are being taken, at the same time, the program will improve the livelihood of the community living in the contemplable catchments. The participation of the community is considered crucial for the sustainability of all conducted activities. The program will result in verifiable CO2e emission reductions in line with the SDG 13 (among other positive impacts on SGDs). Set up as a Small-scale PoA the program will generate GS VERs during a 30 year crediting period by the certified removal of maximum 16,000 t CO2 per year in each VPA. The proposed afforestation activities will first take place in the administrative district Wogdi, South Wollo Zone of Amhara National Regional State, covering an area of about 1,100 km2 at a distance of 580 kms northeast from Addis Ababa via highway. Four real case VPAs areas are initially planned there on a project area of 510 ha. In the near future MfM plans to expand activities to include other VPAs to the PoA within Ethiopia.