Kuzuko - South Africa
Forest restoration and creation
Reforest’Action is joining forces with C4 EcoSolutions and AfriCarbon, two South African companies into the protected reserves of Kuzuko and Koedoeskloof.
2020 - 2021
Financé
Within the Eastern Cape, in South Africa, land desertification is due to the increasing pressure of livestock on pastureland. Nowadays, the increasing scarcity of vegetation cover and the degradation of local farmers’ land and surrounding reserves are causing many negative environmental effects, such as the drying up of water resources, loss of biodiversity and soil erosion. The plantation areas are made up of former degraded pastures, and are located close to areas that have been protected for several decades.
The aim is to restock these areas with Spekboom, a true keystone species, which is essential to the ecological functioning of the ecosystem. The cuttings will be planted approximately 2 meters apart from each other and in a random arrangement. The proximity of protected areas will facilitate the circulation of plant species and their natural regeneration within the planting areas, where they will find the right conditions to develop. A true natural ecosystem will thus be reconstituted, which will be rich in animal and plant biodiversity. For the frequently flooded areas, the trees will thus play a role in retaining rainwater and protecting the local communities’ land from potential flooding and landslides. Our partner also offers training to local farmers in order to enable them to develop environment and ecosystem-friendly livestock farming. The project will enable to create many jobs within the local communities, which are affected by an unemployment rate of 40%.
The project is led in the field by Anthony Mills, a geochemist and expert in environmental development projects. He is the founder of two companies, AfriCarbon in 2009 and C4 EcoSolutions in 2015, which ensure the technical and operational deployment of the project.
