Ethiotrees
Creating livelihoods for smallholder and landless farmers in the North Ethiopian Highlands (Tigray Region), restoring woodland and supporting agroforestry including Frankincense tapping.
Inspirational regeneration project achieving highest possible rating from Sylvera
Located at the northern edge of the African monsoon system, the North Ethiopian Highlands are highly vulnerable to land degradation and climate change. High cattle densities on steep, erosion-prone slopes, often managed as communal grazing land, are further increasing the region’s susceptibility to climatic impacts.
EthioTrees improves income for smallholder and landless farmers in communities across Central Tigray, by supporting woodland restoration, agroforestry and woodland ecosystem services development.
By implementing soil and water conservation, supporting enrichment planting, and applying agroforestry, the project boosts production of non-timber forest products such as fruits, honey and frankincense tapping.
Carbon sequestration occurs through the accumulation of both above, and below-ground biomass, as well as increases in soil carbon.
Land area
19894 ha
Project Status
Scaling
Participants
81580
Founding Partner & Year
Climate Lab, 2016
Certified Under
Plan Vivo Climate
TCO₂ total verified carbon removal
466,843
Project Type
Afforestation, reforestation and agroforestry
Key Species
Enrichment planting of indigenous trees: Juniperus, Dodonea, Cordia, Celtis & Acacia, Boswellia (Frankincense)
What Makes This Project Special
EthioTrees has been awarded an A rating by Sylvera. This is the highest ex-post rating held by any afforestation and reforestation project. Since its launch in 2016, the project has helped regenerate some 8 million native trees, increased biodiversity by over 40%, and removes around 300,000 tons of CO2 each year through dryland reforestation and assisted natural regeneration. The project has also built over 15 large water reservoirs, enhanced groundwater recharge, and built irrigation systems in this drought prone area that is severley impacted by changing climate.
Frankincense Harvesting
Frankincense has been used for thousands of years as an incense, valued for its distinctive woody, earthy, and spicy aroma. It is also associated with anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and potential anticancer properties. Around 90% of global production originates from the Horn of Africa.
Dryland Soil & Water Conservation
Community groups install ‘soft’ soil and water conservation structures, such as percolation ponds, soil bunds and ‘half moons’ to trap water and sediment
Highly Rated by Sylvera
EthioTrees has been awarded an A rating by Sylvera, the highest current rating for an ex-post project
Community exclosures that regenerate whole landscapes
Degraded communal hillsides are protected from grazing and wood harvesting, allowing natural vegetation and forests to recover at ecosystem scale.
Proven large-scale restoration model
Demonstrates that low-cost, community-led protection can restore vast degraded landscapes across semi-arid regions.
Responding to Challenge
- Severe land degradation
Decades of overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion have rendered large areas ecologically fragile, with compacted, nutrient-poor soils that are slow to recover.
- Climate Change
Highly unpredictable climate patterns, especially increasing drought reduces seedling survival and restoration success.
- High dependence on natural resources
Local livelihoods and growing populations depend heavily on grazing, fuelwood, and agriculture, placing pressure on restored land to deliver immediate income and food, often in tension with longer-term conservation goals.
- Mountainous Landscape
Makes travel difficult and time consuming when managing communal enclosed lands and collecting data for monitoring.
Project Documentation
For a transparent overview of the project’s progress and impact, the latest annual report
is available for download.
Full technical documentation, including the Verification Statement and Project Design Document (PDD), is available to all partners through the dedicated Client Hub.
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