Regreening Africa enhances resilience in the Sahel and Horn of Africa by addressing climate change, land degradation, and food insecurity. Through a broad partnership network, the initiative scales context-appropriate land restoration by integrating trees and sustainable practices into farming and pastoral systems. Phase II expands efforts in Somalia, Ethiopia, Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, and Niger, focusing on systems scaling for transformative change. Building on Phase I, this phase promotes agroforestry, FMNR, soil and water conservation, soil health improvement, grazing management, and energy-efficient cookstoves to boost land productivity and resilience, particularly in rangeland and mixed landscapes.
Tag: climate change
Climate variability impacts on growth of African grape (Lannea microcarpa Engl & K. Krause) in West Africa
Lannea microcarpa is a deciduous tree with high socio-economic value in West African agroforestry systems. While climate-growth relationships remain unknown, this species is exposed to climate extremes. Knowledge of its response to climate variations is needed for its sustainable management. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the growth of Lannea microcarpa in two climatic zones in West Africa (Sudanian zone of Mali and Sudano-Sahelian zone of Burkina Faso) using standard dendrochronological methods. In both sites, Lannea microcarpa forms distinct growth ring-boundaries characterized by a wider band with more parenchyma cell rows and is also marked by its solitary vessels. The two standard chronologies developed were significantly correlated with the precipitation records in both Burkina Faso (r2 = 0.41, n = 30 years, p < 0.01) and Mali (r2 =0.60, n = 53 years, p < 0.001). Furthermore, a strong relationship between major seasonal precipitation (between June and September) and residual chronology was observed in Burkina Faso (r2 = 0.51, n = 28 years, p < 0.01) and Mali (r2 = 0.65, n = 52 years, p < 0.001). The formation of annual growth rings is clearly influenced by climate variability, but not all variance is accounted for. The insignificant correlation between the chronologies of the two regions may be due to various factors, including differences in climate factors and soil conditions influencing buffered water availability. Similar studies on other tree species in West Africa will be useful.
The determinants of SRP adoption to sustainable rice production in Mekong Delta Vietnam
Rice is the daily staple food of 3.5 billion people in the world. Vietnam, providing around 16% of the world’s milled rice exports, is the fifth-largest rice producer. Despite the role of rice in Vietnam’s economy, food security, and local livelihoods, rice farmers in Mekong Delta, Vietnam are now amongst the most vulnerable groups affected by the negative impacts of climate change and will be unstainable rice production. Using the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP), consists of 12 sustainability impact indicators, linked to SDGs, as the best practices case to help rice farmers produce sustainable rice production. This study provides empirical evidence on the benefits of SRP adoption and explore factors affecting SRP uptake. Surveys and FGDs were applied to collect data from 243 rice-farmers in Dong Thap province. T-test and logistic regression were applied to analyse data. Results show that farmers have positively experienced SRP adoption and farmers achieved benefits from SRP adoption such as reduced input cost and increased income. Regression showed that socioeconomic, cognitive, and farm techniques factors strongly affected farmers’ adoption of SRP. Therefore, to scale up farmers’ SRP adoption training and technical assistance, socioeconomic constraints (e.g. water use) are required. Policymakers, planners, and private actors, particularly farmers’ behaviour need to consider the factors that affecting them adopting SRP. Finally, this study highlights the potential of SRP to promote environmentally sustainable rice production and improve farmers’ resilience to climate change.
Scaling & Enhancing Restoration Impact Through Gender Transformative Approaches
Regreening Africa enhances resilience in the Sahel and Horn of Africa by addressing climate change, land degradation, and food insecurity. Through a broad partnership network, the initiative scales context-appropriate land restoration by integrating trees and sustainable practices into farming and pastoral systems. Phase II expands efforts in Somalia, Ethiopia, Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, and Niger, focusing on systems scaling for transformative change. Building on Phase I, this phase promotes agroforestry, FMNR, soil and water conservation, soil health improvement, grazing management, and energy-efficient cookstoves to boost land productivity and resilience, particularly in rangeland and mixed landscapes.
Actions and actors driving transformative change for global sustainability
This study examines the actions and societal actors associated with transformative change for global sustainability, drawing on evidence from the IPBES Transformative Change Assessment and a bibliometric analysis of more than four million scholarly publications. The research evaluates how sustainability literature addresses the actions, strategies, and actors considered necessary to tackle the interconnected crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. Results reveal that scholarly attention is concentrated on a limited set of actions and actors, particularly technological change, changing social norms, the scientific community, educational institutions, and business actors, while actions related to economic and governance transformation, as well as the roles of civil society organizations and public-sector actors, receive comparatively little attention. The analysis further shows that interactions between actions and actors are rarely explored systematically, with most actor–action combinations occurring no more frequently than expected by chance. The findings suggest that such imbalances may constrain the development of coordinated, cross-sectoral approaches required for transformative change. The study calls for more inclusive and interdisciplinary research that better reflects diverse knowledge systems, governance approaches, and societal actors, while strengthening understanding of how different actors and actions interact to promote equitable and sustainable futures.
How Forests May Reduce the Incidence of Destructive Tropical Cyclones, Hurricanes and Typhoons
Tropical cyclones kill thousands and inflict vast destruction annually. While ocean temperatures and atmospheric conditions dominate their formation and behaviour, forests’ potential influence has received little systematic attention. This review examines whether and how forests may affect tropical cyclone frequency, intensity, and behaviour. Support varies by mechanism and stage. Post-landfall effects have the strongest support: forests slow storms, moderate wind speeds and curb flooding through enhanced soil infiltration. Forests also influence storm tracks, though magnitudes are uncertain. Pre-landfall effects are less certain. These include processes that modify offshore humidity, temperature, and aerosols. The Biotic Pump theory proposes that forest cover creates pressure gradients drawing moisture inland, reducing its availability for ocean storms. Forest influences are likely to be most evident near thresholds for storm formation or intensification, where small perturbations in conditions can alter outcomes. This context-dependency reconciles divergent findings and aids the integration of forests into climate risk assessments. Forest conservation provides clear post-landfall protection; pre-landfall effects, while uncertain, further strengthen the case for protection and highlight research priorities.
Climate-growth relationships of Daniellia oliveri (Rolfe) Hutch. & Dalziel in the Sudanian zone of Mali, West Africa
Tree rings depend on seasonal variation in radial tree growth. Where they can be identified, their interannual variation may reflect climate variability. Compared to its use in temperate and boreal regions, tree-ring analysis has been less applied in tropical Africa, with weaker seasonality. Daniellia oliveri often forms the tallest trees in agroforestry parklands of the Sudanian savanna zone of Mali but its growth response to climate (rainfall, temperature) variability has not been documented. We analyzed six stem disks of D. oliveri and used standard dendrochronological methods to process the samples. Contrary to earlier literature likely based on more humid parts of the species distribution range, D. oliveri formed distinct growth ring boundaries in our study area. The mean annual radial growth was 2.73 ± 0.56 mm. All measured tree-ring series were successfully cross-dated with a GLK (Gleichläufigkeit) value of 76.3 ± 5.6. The final tree-ring chronology covers the period 1909-2021. After removing age-related growth trends, the tree-ring width index showed a significant relationship with records of annual rainfall (r2 = 0.46, n = 100 years, p < 0.001). The relationship between wet-season (June to September) precipitation and the residual chronology was slightly higher (r2 = 0.50, n = 100 years, p < 0.001). However, no significant correlation was found for temperature. These results imply that D. oliveri can be successfully used for dendrochronological studies with relevance for the management and restoration of the ecosystems in the Sudanian zone of West Africa, where long-term rainfall records are scarce.
Climate-growth relationships of Daniellia oliveri (Rolfe) Hutch. & Dalziel in the Sudanian zone of Mali, West Africa
Tree rings depend on seasonal variation in radial tree growth. Where they can be identified, their interannual variation may reflect climate variability. Compared to its use in temperate and boreal regions, tree-ring analysis has been less applied in tropical Africa, with weaker seasonality. Daniellia oliveri often forms the tallest trees in agroforestry parklands of the Sudanian savanna zone of Mali but its growth response to climate (rainfall, temperature) variability has not been documented. We analyzed six stem disks of D. oliveri and used standard dendrochronological methods to process the samples. Contrary to earlier literature likely based on more humid parts of the species distribution range, D. oliveri formed distinct growth ring boundaries in our study area. The mean annual radial growth was 2.73 ± 0.56 mm. All measured tree-ring series were successfully cross-dated with a GLK (Gleichläufigkeit) value of 76.3 ± 5.6. The final tree-ring chronology covers the period 1909-2021. After removing age-related growth trends, the tree-ring width index showed a significant relationship with records of annual rainfall (r2 = 0.46, n = 100 years, p < 0.001). The relationship between wet-season (June to September) precipitation and the residual chronology was slightly higher (r2 = 0.50, n = 100 years, p < 0.001). However, no significant correlation was found for temperature. These results imply that D. oliveri can be successfully used for dendrochronological studies with relevance for the management and restoration of the ecosystems in the Sudanian zone of West Africa, where long-term rainfall records are scarce.
Woody vegetation diversity remains low after extensive forest landscape restoration efforts in a western Rwandan landscape
Ecosystem restoration has emerged as a global priority in tropical regions, where issues like land degradation, biodiversity decline, and climate change are pressing concerns. In Rwanda it is predominantly conducted under the “forest landscape restoration” framework with unclear specifications toward rehabilitation or ecological restoration goals. The extent to which restoration efforts in Rwanda successfully restore the diversity, structure, and function of ecosystems remains largely unknown. This paper examines woody species structure and diversity within different land use types, including homegardens, agriculture mosaics, tree patches, pastures, and Gishwati-Mukura National Park as a reference site. From June to August 2024, data were collected from 159 sites using stratified random sampling and quasi-experimental design to represent the main land use types in the study areas. The findings reveal variations in species richness and composition among the different land use types. We found a notable distinction between native and exotic species proportions, with a dominance of exotic species across most sites: 65% in homegardens, 80% in agricultural mosaics, and 93% in tree patches. Homegardens displayed significantly higher species richness than tree patches, agricultural mosaics, and pastures, but still fell substantially short of the National Park. Our results highlight that while restorative efforts are widespread, the challenge to balance biodiversity conservation with socioeconomic benefits has meant that, to date, restoration practices have favored exotic species, which will have larger implications for trophic interactions and hence wider biodiversity in the region. The study underscores the need to enhance native species richness to promote biodiversity.
Global literature review and survey of implementation constraints on natural climate solutions
Natural Climate Solutions – protection, restoration, and improved management of lands and waters that reduce greenhouse gasses – have large climate change mitigation potential. However, lack of comprehensive information on implementation challenges hinders the adoption of Natural Climate Solutions and the delivery of near-term mitigation. Using a global survey of Natural Climate Solutions projects and a systematic review of recent studies, we map 46 constraints in eight categories, yielding 15,572 geo-referenced pathway-constraint observations from 501 studies and projects in 137 countries covering 20 of 22 United Nations subregions. Social-behavioral, Knowledge, and Government-Organizational are the most-reported constraint categories, and lack of policy coordination or implementation capacity the most-observed constraint and most frequently top-ranking constraint for pathways and subregions. Despite broad congruence, top constraint and category rankings vary among subregions and pathways, respectively. We find that projects generally encounter diverse sets of challenges. Without enabling efforts, near-term mitigation from Natural Climate Solutions may remain well below its biophysical potential.