Eritrea was endowed with an abundant and diversified plant species, but due to mismanagement continuing for a century, the long-drawn-out war and recurrent droughts these natural resources have declined dramatically. Thus, woody vegetation, which once covered some 30% of the total land area of the country, has been drastically reduced and reached less than 1% (FAO, 1997). The depletion of vegetation has resulted in shortage of fuel and construction wood, excessive soil erosion, vanishing wildlife, siltation of dams and general environmental degradation. Particularly, at household level an immense amount of wood is consumed for cooking purpose. Studies showed that more than 80% of Eritrea's total domestic energy use is dependent on biomass including wood, dung and crop residues. Therefore, the combination of high demand for firewood and inefficient method of use has contributed to deforestation and shortage of energy sources.

To alleviate this problem communities under the development framework of the Government of Eritrea (GoE) is working diligently on the afforestation program. In areas where there is adequate rainfall with high soil moisture retention tree seedlings able to survive but in most cases seedlings couldn?t endure the long dry period. Thus, there is a need to undertake a soil and water conservation activity (hillside terrace) in order to retain high soil moisture in raining season and to plant indigenous plants like olive, Acacia etbaica and Dodonaea angustifolia.
Project?s goal is to contribute to the improvement of environmental conditions, to enhance the soil moisture content of the farm lands and improve the livelihoods of the community. Project will therefore restore original vegetation and additional beneficial species.

Project objectives include the rehabilitation of degraded land, enhancement of biodiversity conservation and livelihood improvement of rural target community.

Project activities include site selection, soil and water conservation measures, pit excavation, plantation of selected indigenous trees and development of permanent closures.

The selected target site is bare land with degraded soil, hence the project is intending to rehabilitee it through implementation of necessary soil and water conservation activities, afforestation and development of permanent closures.

The area is suffering from land degradation, deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion, unsustainable land management practices and loss of biodiversity. Hence this project will play a vital role to minimize these environmental challenges and develop sustainable use. It will also help in minimizing the climate change.

a) Primary objective:
? The overall objective of the action is to enhance a sustainable watershed management of Mibtak watershed in Nakfa 01, Nakfa sub region, Northern Red Sea Region through conducting of soil and water conservation measures and afforestation with trees species that have natural adaptation to the ecosystem.
Specific objectives:
? Strengthening organizational capacity of Nakfa 01 community in undertaking sustainable watershed management and other rural development measures.
? To rehabilitate degraded land of project target area through SWC measures such as construction terraces and loose rock check dams
? To afforest the target area with selected indigenous trees
? To enhance the moisture content of the farm lands on the dawn stream
? To promote Nakfa 01 community?s project management of watershed management

b) Project results:
? 30 ha catchment will be rehabilitated
? 45,000 indigenous trees will be planted
? 175 community members will be trained on sustainable resource conservation measures
? Technical and institutional capacity of the local environmental actors (community, groups and relevant stakeholders) for biodiversity conservation and rehabilitation of degraded land enhanced;
? The natural resource condition of degraded areas in the project target area recovered;
? Soil erosion of the target area will be minimized
? Moisture content of the farm land on the dawn stream will be increased and as a result the productivity and production will be enhanced,
? The livelihood asset conditions of rural target communities improved.