Rapports des consultants sur le développement d'activités alternatives dans la zone de Conkouati : cultures agricoles, agroforesterie, élevage, aquaculture

Bengang Village, Shenzhen Village, and Kejian Village are coastal communities in Xinwu, Taoyuan. Situated next to each other between the basins of Shezi Stream and Fuxing Stream, they feature four main ecosystems: algal reefs, windbreaks, stone fish weirs, and farmlands/ponds.

In 2022, the Hsinchu Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency organized the “Forest-River-Fields-Sea Socio-Ecological-Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS) Localization Resilience Assessment Workshops (RAWs).” The RAWs identified key challenges faced by Xinwu’s coastal communities, including changes in natural and land resource utilization, climate change-induced natural disasters, environmental pollution from industrialization, invasive species, rural depopulation and aging, and the erosion of local cultural knowledge. Conserving and enhancing the resilience of these communities’ SEPLS is an urgent task.

In response to deforestation and soil degradation, CARD and LUANAR launched a Syntropic Community Food Forest  Demonstration Plot in Chimwala, Mulanje. Thedemo plot promotes sustainable agriculture by utilizing syntropic agroforestry, permaculture, and biofertilizer production techniques, which improve soil health and provide alternative income sources. Communities in Mulanje and Blantyre (Michiru Conserv Area) have successfully adopted these methods, generating income while restoring their land. This approach combines ecological restoration with economic opportunities, fostering local ownership and long-term conservation. Through training and participatory workshops, the initiative empowers communities, addressing environmental challenges while enhancing food security and resilience. This model highlights the importance of community engagement in sustainable land management and showcases the potential for local solutions to combat environmental degradation. 

Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) empowers communities affected by land degradation and climate change. It involves regenerating trees from stumps, roots, or seeds to improve soil fertility, crop yields, fodder, firewood, water sources, and biodiversity—ultimately enhancing livelihoods.

By managing regrowth of native trees in farms and pastures, FMNR restores soil health, prevents erosion, retains moisture, and can enrich soil with nutrients like nitrogen. This low-cost, sustainable method supports economic, social, and environmental goals.

FMNR is central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is key to improving life for millions of children and their communities worldwide. It is an approach that currently is being applied for different programmes and projects such as the Restore Africa Project as well as others that focus on sustainable livelihoods.

In 2013, Kawandama Hills Plantation partnered with the Lucheche Cooperative to trial the planting of Corymbia citriodora trees on previously bare and underutilized land for income generation. The success of this initiative led to the cooperative’s formal registration and growth to 172 farmers, now managing 70 hectares of thriving trees. With support from a USAID grant (2016–2019), the farmers collectively sell an average of 80 tons of leaf biomass annually to Kawandama Hills for essential oil production. This reliable income has empowered farmers to build better homes, send their children to school, and launch secondary businesses such as dairy and egg farming. Importantly, the cooperative plays a vital role in reducing illegal bushmeat hunting and charcoal production by offering alternative livelihoods. Through mutual support and a revolving loan system, members encourage innovation and expand income-generating opportunities, contributing to sustainable land use and long-term economic growth in the region.

Since 2010, communities in Senior Group Village Headman Bande, under Traditional Authority Mbenje in Nsanje, have taken bold steps to regenerate their degraded forests and restore the surrounding landscape. This initiative followed years of widespread deforestation that began in the mid-1990s, when residents turned to charcoal production and brick curing—activities heavily reliant on firewood—as primary sources of income. This unsustainable exploitation of natural resources led to the loss of community forests and the clearing of vital tree cover along the Lalanje River. Over time, the landscape was stripped bare, and the Lalanje River, once the area’s most crucial water source, dried up in the early 2000s, flowing only during the rainy season. The community’s efforts mark a critical turning point in reversing environmental damage and restoring the health of their ecosystem.

In Costa Rica, climate change and biodiversity strategies are closely interrelated and contribute to the country’s commitments to international agendas. Biological Corridors used to focus solely on conservation, supporting multisectoral dialogue as a key to successful recovery and sustainable use of biodiversity. With the technical support of the EbA LAC Program, two Biological Corridors have become platforms for not only for conservation but for combining conservation and climate adaptation by scaling up effective ecosystem-based adaptation measures.

Year after year, floods and droughts increase, causing serious damage to infrastructure, property, and people’s health, severely affecting rural communities. The need to implement adaptation measures to counteract this trend is urgent. Biological corridors with improved skills are able to elevate successful one-off projects into larger-scale initiatives that contribute to the resilience of people and ecosystems.