This project will mobilize 300 farmers within the target area to intensively restore natural resources on their farms, local forests and on riparian reserves with special focus on soil, water and diversity of forest tree cover and crops grown. The forest adjustment farms will be mobilized to intensively conserve biodiversity, soil and water on their farms for specific incentives. Other community groups? farmers in the larger watersheds will support the project with tree seedlings and participate in public events to lay foundation for project replication. This 2 year project will focus efforts in 2 sub-catchments in Gura and Upper Sagana watersheds. Gura watershed on Eastern Aberdares is a coffee and tea zone with Gura River traversing its length, while Upper Sagana on Western Mt Kenya is semi-arid region with intensive small scale annual crops farming and livestock keeping.

The target people are mainly small scale farmers who practice intensive agriculture. The area is predominantly volcanic terrain with steep slopes, but with naturally good infiltration characteristics. The farmers in the sub-catchments will realign their resource management practices to the recently developed Zuti and Kabaru participatory forest management plans, water act 2002 and agriculture act CAP 318). The degradation in the region is therefore linked to detrimental agricultural practices, increasing population, overgrazing and farming of forestlands. Working with these farmers will positively impact both Mt. Kenya and Aberdare ecosystems.

The project will contribute to overall PFM objectives on ecological integrity, livelihood support and support of ecosystem services by following best practices for biodiversity and ecosystem health. The project conservation actions for soil, water and natural forest are expected to increase land productivity, improve water flow by improving 110 hectares of forest land and creatively generate additional income for 300 families. In line with the Agricultural Act, it will promote and maintain a stable agriculture that provides for the conservation of the soil and its fertility through accepted practices of good land management and husbandry.

The NGO will work with communities around the Upper Tana Watershed on afforestration and PEs promotion. The degraded areas need restoration, protection of existing resources and improve communities resilience to climate change. The vision is to secure ecosystem services through community based resource management and protection action in Gura and sagana watersheds of upper Tana.