Maputo, Mozambique – The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF) convened policymakers, technical experts and regional stakeholders from 11 Southern African countries in Maputo today to explore ways of strengthening cross-sectoral collaboration for sustainable forest management (SFM).

As part of the Third Regional Stakeholders Workshop for Southern Africa of the GEF-7 Dryland Sustainable Landscapes Impact Program (DSL-IP), participants spent the second day in the field, witnessing first-hand how Mozambique is promoting efforts to protect biodiversity, restore degraded lands and strengthen community resilience.

Maputo, Mozambique – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Government of Mozambique, the African Forest Forum (AFF) and development partners, opened today the Third Regional Stakeholders Workshop for Southern Africa of the Sustainable Forest Management Impact Program on Dryland Sustainable Landscapes, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

In Tanzania, beekeeping is more than just the production of honey and other bee products; it is a sustainable practice that empowers communities, improves livelihoods, and fosters environmental conservation. The DSL-IP project in Tanzania is working with Forest and Farm Producer Organizations (FFPOs) who are basically farmers engaging in productions of bee products and farming activities. 

Omuthiya, Namibia – More than 65 agricultural stakeholders including farmers, extension officers, and community organizations recently completed an intensive training program to boost resilience in Namibia’s dryland regions. The two-week Training of Trainers (ToT) was held in Omuthiya, Omusati, and Rundu regions in August 2025, focused on Community Seed Banks, Farmer Field Schools, and Green Value Chains.

We are pleased to welcome Dr Houria Djoudi as the new Secretary of the COFO Working Group on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Systems.

From 7 to 10 July 2025, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, hosted the Fourth Session  of the Committee on Forestry (COFO) Working Group on Drylands and Agrosilvopastoral Systems, alongside the Third Drylands School, under the auspices of the Government of Mongolia. 

As part of its commitment to integrated approaches, the DSL-IP is developing a manual on Integrated Land Use Planning (ILUP) for Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN). 

National-level farmer organizations are essential allies in forest restoration, conservation and land degradation efforts – through capacity-building, mobilizing internal finance and linking producers to markets.

Ndiyona, Kavango East Region, Namibia – In a bid to tackle food insecurity and biodiversity loss, seventy smallholder farmers in Namibia’s Kavango East have been trained to cut food losses and preserve traditional seeds.

The Dryland Sustainable Landscape Impact Program (DSL-IP) supports the establishment and strengthening of community seed banks (CSBs) as a key strategy for enhancing agricultural resilience and biodiversity in dryland areas. These seed banks serve as locally managed institutions that empower communities to take control of their own seed systems.

17-24 August 2025, Ulaanbaatar city/Sukhbaatar aimag/Khentii aimag in Mongolia – The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with program partners IUCN and WOCAT, is pleased to announce the Second Regional Exchange Event for the Dryland Sustainable Landscapes Impact Program (DSL-IP) in Central Asia.

In Malawi, the Drylands Sustainable Landscapes Impact Program (DSL-IP) is advancing efforts through the ''Transforming Landscapes and Livelihoods Project (TLLP)'' to support beekeeping initiatives, with the overarching goal of improving local livelihoods and fostering sustainable development among rural communities. 

At just 43 years old, Belabina Makoni’s life has been a testament to resilience and determination. Widowed at a young age of 30 and responsible for raising her two children alone, she is constantly faced with the daunting challenge of building a better future for herself and her children. 

Zimbabwe’s Drylands Sustainable Landscapes Impact Programme (DSL-IP), funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF-7) and supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), made a strong impact at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, held from 23–31 July in Victoria Falls.

Francistown, Botswana – Botswana is accelerating its efforts to combat land degradation and build climate resilience in its drylands through an integrated program of field-based learning, institutional strengthening, and community-led restoration.

In Zimbabwe smallholder farmers and community forest users in Zaka – a rural district endowed with vast Miombo and Mopane woodlands in Zimbabwe’s Masvingo Province – are embracing sustainable agriculture and forest management practices.

By Ewald Rametsteiner, Deputy Director, and Fritjof Boerstler, Senior Natural Resources Officer, Forestry Division, FAO

Officials and experts from Algeria, Botswana, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Malawi, Tanzania, Tunisia, Yemen, and Zimbabwe gathered in Hammamet from 12-16 May for an inter-regional workshop focused on advancing integrated, evidence-based approaches to land and water management in drylands.

In the small village of Livayi, tucked away in Namibia’s Kavango East Region, the once-overlooked roots of Devil’s Claw (scientifically known as Harpagophytum spp.) are now fueling a movement for sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity conservation and community empowerment.