Building resilience to climate change

An exciting project is well underway in Chipangali, Zambia where we’re planting trees that build resilience against climate change with rural communities and smallholder farmers.

Due to climate change and increased temperatures, we are now seeing more extreme weather events such as floods, storms and droughts around the world. But our experiences differ.

People from rural communities are more vulnerable due to fewer resources and lower capacity to adapt or respond to climate change.

Together with our partner, PAZESA Horticultural Community, we’re supporting local communities in Chipangali District to plant trees that restore their local landscape and improve resilience to climate change.

Since the project began in 2020, 51,473 trees have been planted on local farms.

We’re also providing training on tree cloning and fruit tree grafting so that we can boost the communities overall health and nutrition levels.

Growing fruit trees is enabling people to build sustainable livelihoods as they can sell the produce once fruits are ready to be harvested.

Extreme weather

Project participants during a workshop at PAZESA’s community tree nursery

Despite various challenges along the way, PAZESA have shown tremendous enthusiasm in moving this project forward.

Earlier this year, Tropical Storm Ana hit five countries in Africa, including Zambia. With it, there were strong winds and heavy rainfall that affected thousands of lives. PAZESA reported that one of its nurseries was flooded and the loss of trees planted in late 2021.

But despite this, they were able to pull through and have since replaced all trees that were destroyed by the storm.

Improving resilience to climate change

Like us, our partner PAZESA is also committed to promoting tree planting and planet-friendly farming techniques in the community for improved soil health and crop yields.

Tree cloning demonstration

Thanks to this training farmers like, Bernard Gama, are planting trees and employing sustainable land management techniques that enable them to support their families while restoring their local landscape.  

Bernard told us, “Thank you to International Tree Foundation and PAZESA Horticultural Community for teaching me better tree planting methods and their uses. I never knew I can make organic manure using these trees. I now save an average of K630 per month by using biomass instead of fertilizer. People like my vegetables and disease-free banana suckers. I also make money by selling tree seedlings.”

Sustainable Community Forestry

This project, is part of our Sustainable Community Forestry programme (SCF) which supports communities on the front lines of the climate crisis to develop and implement their own solutions to restoring landscapes and tree cover whilst improving livelihoods.

Thanks to funding from Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund, ITF is working with 16 partners across 7 African countries to take effective action against the climate and biodiversity crises.

Donate today

Support communities on the front lines of the climate crisis to plant trees, restore ecosystems and improve their livelihoods.