Scaling up community-led restoration across the Sahel

Communities Regreen the Sahel

Since 2010, Communities Regreen the Sahel has strengthened food security, livelihoods and biodiversity in the Sahel through community-led Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR). Our locally-led approach has been key in the large-scale restoration of degraded landscapes in Senegal, Niger and Burkina Faso.

Our approach

Our work

Scaling up community-led restoration

Our work centres around eight impact areas. In all of them, local communities are in the lead. Together, through these impact areas we restore degraded landscapes in the Sahel and strengthen food security and livelihoods for communities.

Scaling up FMNR for healthy landscapes

In the drylands of the Sahel, land degradation poses a serious threat to the well-being and livelihoods of millions of people. But thousands of communities in Niger, Burkina Faso and Senegal are taking action to reverse the trend. With support from Communities Regreen...

Resilient food systems

Communities Regreen the Sahel supports farmers in strengthening the resilience of local food systems, enhancing both the health and livelihoods of local communities. Through Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) and agroecological practices, farmers are...

Access to markets

Through Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration, communities across the Sahel are laying a path to a greener future, both literally and figuratively. By increasing the health and productivity of local ecosystems, FMNR offers a means to strengthen local livelihoods through...

Gender equality and social inclusion

In the Sahel, land degradation and climate change affect everyone. But their impacts fall most heavily on marginalised groups, including women, youth, pastoralists and Internally Displaced People (IDPs). Communities Regreen the Sahel is committed to ensuring that...

An enabling environment for sustainable land governance

In the Sahel, where land degradation, conflict and climate stress intersect, land governance is a critical issue. Insecure land tenure, conflicting land-use laws, and lack of recognition for community land use practices can undermine local restoration efforts. Even...

A grassroots regreening movement

Like forests, powerful social movements spread from the roots. In the vast region of the Sahel, where resources are scarce and insecurity is rife, a locally-led movement is essential for turning the tide on land degradation.A locally-led approach Communities Regreen...

Climate resilience

One of the hottest regions in the world, the Sahel is particularly vulnerable to climate change. In addition to long dry spells and shorter and more erratic rainy seasons, climate change is driving temperatures even higher. Degraded land leaves the region’s ecosystems...

Peaceful communities

Communities Regreen the Sahel is helping strengthen the social fabric of communities across Niger, Burkina Faso and Senegal. We aim to catalyse more just, resilient and peaceful futures for people in the Sahel by supporting them in building inclusive local governance...

Our stories

The fruits of women’s labour

For centuries, Soumbala has played an important role in the culture and cuisine of the western Sahel. Made from the fermented seeds of African locust bean tree – the néré tree in French (Parkia biglobosa) – Soumbala is widely used as a condiment in soups, stews and...

Faidherbia albida: a friend to the Sahel’s farmers

In Latin, it’s Faidherbia albida. In Niger, it’s the gao tree. In Senegal, it’s called the kadd. In Burkina Faso, it’s known as the balanzan. The name of the tree may vary. But everywhere cross the Sahel, one thing is true: Faidherbia albida is a trusted friend to...

Local regreening, global support: Advocacy at the UNCCD

Local farmers in the Sahel are at the forefront of sweeping change. They are coming together to halt land degradation and desertification, and restore healthy ecosystems. We aim to ensure that Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration – and community-led ecosystem...

Support for youth-led regreening

The Sahel is one of the world’s most youthful regions. With more than sixty per cent of the population under the age of 25, the Sahel’s young people hold the key to the region’s future. Yet their opportunities – access to land, employment and decision-making spaces –...