How Tree Aid’s works with community forest cooperatives to restore desertified land in the Sahel using results-based payments
Project
ARR
Country
Burkina faso
Land status
community-owned forests
Tree Aid, an international development NGO dedicated to alleviating poverty and combating climate change in Africa's Sahel region, is implementing a project to rehabilitate degraded woodland and shrubland across 18 communes covering 12,000 hectares in Burkina Faso. These areas have been severely impacted by deforestation and unsustainable agricultural practices, leading to desertification, soil degradation, and the loss of access to non-timber forest products (NTFP), which are crucial for the socio-economic well-being of local populations.
The project helps communities secure access to NTFP production by engaging local enterprises, particularly those led by women, youths, and landless individuals, through forest management cooperatives supporting the sale of NTFP products like shea, baobab or honey. 100% inclusion, especially vulnerable groups who are direct users of forests, such as women, and young people.
Result-based payments for land preparation, sowing, planting, liquid fertiliser production, firebreaks, soil and water conservation, feeder road construction, and field supervision
Direct monetary payments
In-kind infrastructure - water harvesting structures, irrigation systems, water pumps, and solar panels
Direct monetary payments were chosen by the community as remuneration for their involvement in project activities to secure much-needed cash income. Consequently, the communities budgeted to support tree planting, water harvesting structures, and activities related to protection, maintenance, and monitoring
In-kind payments include agricultural support (such as seeds, farming tools, organic fertiliser training, and irrigation systems), infrastructure development (water harvesting structures and feeder roads), environmental conservation (firebreaks and reforestation training), capacity building, and community development efforts
Distribution of both in-kind and direct monetary payments is through the Simplified Forest Management Cooperatives (SFMC), established to maintain consistency and transparency while ensuring the interests of all forest users, especially marginalised people, particularly women, are represented
12,000 households over 21 communes
The forest is life. Trees protect the environment against climate change. The trees help us to get many things – shea nuts come from the forest; baobab leaves come from the forest. All of these things help us to have good health and food. The forest is so important to us.
Gaps in financial literacy
Ensuring transparency in fund allocation and expenditures with sufficient auditing measures to prevent misuse of resources and build community trust
