Landscape Approach to Forest Restoration and Conservation (LAFREC)

This project implemented by the Government of Rwanda was to demonstrate landscape management for enhanced environmental services and climate resilience in one priority landscape. Specifically, the project restored the highly degraded Gishwati-Mukura landscape, enhancing both productive and environmental values. The project worked concurrently in the three major elements of the landscape – rehabilitating forests and biodiversity within the Gishwati and Mukura Forest Reserves, enhancing sustainable land management in the agricultural lands between them, and introducing silvo-pastoral approaches in the rangelands of the central former Gishwati Reserve. Environmental benefits from improvements in vegetation cover and soil conservation will come in the form of: (i) improved native biodiversity; (ii) carbon sequestration; (iii) improved watershed function, reducing sedimentation and related costs to downstream water infrastructure and fisheries; and (iv) higher productivity and diversity of natural-resource-based livelihoods.