Description
📅 Date: November 22nd
🕙 Time: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM CET
Are restoration initiatives in Africa having an impact?
Numerous local land restoration initiatives have emerged in Africa over the years but the true impact of these projects on the broader greening of Africa remains unclear – have restoration initiatives in Africa contributed to further greening the continent? Or would this greening have happened anyway?
Join us on November 22nd to find out the answer from Jessica Ruijsch, Ishani Sonak, and Ogali Makui.
Jessica and Ishani are researchers who have uncovered the effects of landscape restoration on the greening of Africa. During this session, they’ll unveil the insights they’ve gained through their research using satellite and other quantitive data analysis and community-led methods to assess the impacts of restoration projects in Africa. Jessica’s research ” Landscape Restoration and Greening in Africa” assesses 434 sustainable land management (SLM) projects across Africa and was funded by the Africa Water Foundation; Ishani Sonak’s research ” Integrating Maasai perceptions and satellite data to assess both biophysical climate effects and social impacts of land restoration efforts in South Kenya” focuses on landscape projects in Kenya that were funded by the IKEA Foundation and carried out by MetaMeta, Justdiggit (JDI), and Aidenvironment in collaboration with local partners (e.g. SORALO). During this session, Ogali Makui, a local Maasai and part of SORALOI will also share his insights and experience on landscape restoration projects in the South of Kenya.
To restore the Earth and combat biodiversity loss and climate change in time, we need to ensure the restoration work we’re doing has a real impact. Jessica, Ishani, and Mr. Makui will offer their learnings on how to measure the true impacts of restoration initiatives and their top tips on how to ensure the success of such projects.
🔍 Why should you attend?
- Gain a comprehensive understanding of how to measure the impact of local landscape restoration projects in Africa.
- Uncover the opportunities and challenges posed by local landscape restoration projects on the continent.
- Explore innovative methods for measuring the success of landscape restoration.
- Dive into how restoration NGOs can integrate this research and these methodologies into their work.
🎤 Featured Speakers:
Jessica Ruijsch is a PhD Student at Wageningen University & Research. Her mission is to understand the local climate impact of land restoration projects in Africa, including changes in precipitation and land surface temperature. Using satellite observations and atmospheric modeling, she is creating guidelines for landscape restoration projects to maximise their positive local climate effects, ultimately combatting land degradation in arid and semi-arid areas.
Ishani Sonak holds a master’s degree in Climate Science from Wageningen University & Research and specialises in ecology and agroecology. She has extensive experience in environmental policy, land restoration, land acquisition, and social and environmental impact assessment across India and parts of Africa. Complementary to Jessica Ruijsch’s research, Ishani has been leading community-led research on landscape restoration combining both quantitative data and qualitative data to assess the effects of landscape restoration efforts.
Ogali Makui is a Maasai from the South Rift. He has lived in the South Rift since birth and has over 20 years of experience in community development and conservation leadership. He is part of SORALO as a team leader in Conservation and Restoration of the South Rift.
Secure your spot on November 22nd by signing up here! Stay tuned for more details about this event through our monthly newsletter and on our social media channels.