Usambara rainforests in northern Tanzania are part of the Eastern Arc Mountains. They are listed as one of the world's biodiversity hotspots and centres of plant diversity. They are also recognized as among the most valuable conservation areas in Africa.However adjacent forest communities depend on these varsty resources for their livelihoods leeading to intense exploitation by human pressure, also the biodiversity is threatened. Land degradation inthe Usambara is contributed to by poor farming practices, uncontrolled bush fires, deforestation, overgrazing and subsequnt increase in human population. The project is expected to tackle these challenges.

The project main objective is to promote establishment of energy farms for supply of wood fuel and charcoal with the view to reducing extraction pressure in forests reserves.