Digging over 4,000 bunds in the South Rift dedicated to Gino Mäder
Restoring degraded rangelands
Together with the South Rift Association of Land Owners (SORALO) we are restoring degraded rangelands in the South Rift Region and encouraging the communities to implement sustainable land use practices. By bringing back vegetation and protecting the rangelands we can improve the livelihoods of the Maasai communities and support the wildlife living in the area.
The South Rift Region is part of the South Rift Valley, located close to the border of Tanzania. The area is adjacent to two large wildlife reserves – the Serengeti-Mara and the Great Kilimanjaro-Amboseli-Tsavo – and supports some of the richest mammal diversity in the world. It’s home to Maasai pastoralists: a nomadic community whose main source of income and survival is livestock keeping. Due to persistent droughts, overgrazing, and an increase in harmful invasive plant species, grazing areas and water resources for their livestock are declining. Meanwhile, wildlife in the region is also struggling to sustain itself.
Time for action!
Together with partner SORALO we are implementing different landscape restoration techniques to bring back sustainable vegetation in the area and remove invasive species. By promoting sustainable land-use practices among the communities, we aim to improve the quality of their rangelands. This will lead to more food and water security, more fodder for their livestock, and more income for the communities living in the area. Moreover, it will lead to a better habitat for the animals living in the region. On a larger scale, regreening degraded land has a cooling effect on the (local) climate.