The project aims to protect the ecologically rich but fragile tropical woodland savanna environment and reverse it continued rapid degradation in four communities namely: Tinkifirah, Dainabellifeh, Kasunya, and Badella in the Upper Kamadugu Section of Yiraia-Kamadu Chiefdom in the Falaba District in North West Sierra Leone. The environment for the past couple of decades has been subjected to extensive harmful traditional practices of slash-and-burn farm methods under the bush fallow crop cultivation system, excessive cattle overgrazing under the nomadic pastoralism system of animal husbandry, and more recently the ravage harvests of rare and threatened species of tropical hardwood for timber logs exports by a swarm of local and international Chinese companies operating in the country. In order to reverse this wanton uncontrolled destruction and protect the environment and community natural resources - including forest, pastures, inland valley swamps, streams and rivers, and a diversity of fish and animal species etc ? this project proposes to introduce and strengthen climate smart and sustainable land use practices of agro-pastoral cattle ranching, organic farming, and reforestation of strategic areas of already degraded environments in the project communities. The agro-pastoral cattle ranching is a system of animal husbandry wherein cattle are raised in a large enclosed community pasture ranch land with some portion of the enclosed ranch land being used for cultivation of forage and crops as feed supplement to the cattle in dry season when pastures are not enough to meet grazing requirement. Organic farming is a system of crop husbandry wherein forage and food crops (vegetables) are cultivated using mainly composted cattle droppings as organic fertilizers add nutrient to the soil for yield maximization and production of chemical free animal feed supplement and food for humans. Reforestation involves the planting of fast-growing agro-forestry trees in some strategic areas such as catchment and stream sources of the already degraded environments in the project communities.
It is expected that once these above proposed project activities are carried out effectively the following outcome results will be achieved: (1) about 30,000 hectares of community land will be freed from the burden of animal overgrazing resulting in the natural regrowth and restoration of the natural vegetation; (2) about 226 hectares of some strategic areas of community land already degraded will be planted with forest trees; (3) about 109 women farm families and 126 youths farm families directly engaged in the project?s offered alternative sustainable income generating farming activities; and (4) there is evidence of livelihood empowerment and poverty reduction among 1,329 rural households farm families involving over 5,316 rural women, youths, and other marginalized populations in project communities.