Designed in response to environmental pressures and the needs of local communities, this project aims to strengthen community-led natural resource management, restore degraded habitats, and improve environmental awareness among local populations.
Istituto Oikos has been active in Tanzania since its founding in Milan in 1996, with a mission to restore natural habitats and raise awareness among communities – especially women and youth – about the sustainable management of natural resources.
This project represents the second phase of an initiative supported by the Audemars Piguet Foundation for Trees from 2022 to 2024, aimed at combating deforestation and strengthening the resilience of 20,000 people living near Mount Meru in northern Tanzania.
Designed in response to environmental pressures and the needs expressed by six local villages, the project seeks to conserve savannah and Afromontane ecosystems while improving ecological connectivity between Arusha National Park and neighboring protected areas.
The objectives are as follows:
- Strengthen community-led natural resource management through improved governance of land and resource use, benefiting 19,000 residents across a 156 km² area.
- Restore degraded ecosystems by planting native shrubs and preventing further fragmentation.
- Enhance environmental education in schools, involving 4,500 students and 30 teachers, and carry out community awareness activities, including the promotion of improved cookstoves to reduce wood consumption.
In parallel, the initiative supports the development of sustainable livelihood activities to reduce destructive practices such as illegal deforestation and charcoal production.
