Ethiotrees
Creating livelihoods for smallholder and landless farmers in the North Ethiopian Highlands (Tigray Region), restoring woodland and supporting agroforestry including Frankincense tapping.
Located at the northernmost limit of the African monsoons, the North Ethiopian Highlands is a hotspot of vulnerability to land degradation and climatic changes. High cattle densities on steep erodible slopes often designated as communal lands are increasing the areas vulnerability to climate change.
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.
Sequestration of carbon, through increases in above and belowground biomass and 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
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 in this drought prone area that is impacting by changing climate.
Frankincense Harvesting
Frankincense has been used for thousands of years as an incense. Unique aroma, woody, earthy and spicy. Antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, and potential anticancer properties. 90% comes from 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
North Ethiopian Highlands – climate change impact
Located at the northernmost limit of the African monsoons, the North Ethiopian Highlands are a hotspot of vulnerability from land degradation and climatic changes
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 left large areas ecologically fragile, compacted and nutrient poor and 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 ever growing populations rely heavily on grazing, fuelwood, and farming, creating pressure on restored land for immediate income and food needs, conflicting with conservation timelines
- 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.