Project Achievements

Capacity building and awareness creation on EbA concept, benefits and integration:

• Successfully conducted a series of training sessions focused on gender-responsive ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) for both district and national natural resource professionals, as well as project beneficiaries. Participants included local authorities from the Same, Simanjiro, Kiteto, Chemba, and Mufindi districts, along with representatives from various government institutions and ministries, such as Natural Resources, Tourism, Land, Water, Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Environment. In total, 49 government officials (31 males and 18 females) were trained in various EbA modules, including an analysis of climate vulnerability and risks affecting ecosystems and livelihoods, aimed at identifying potential EbA options. In addition, the project trained 82 decision makers (24F and 58M) decision makers to support the approval of EbA in district budgets and development plans for pilot districts.
• Trained 328 community members as village Ecosystem-Based Adaptation champions (168 females and 160 males) across ten (10) project villages. The project also trained 295 EbA champions (104 female and 191 male) at district level to support planning and execution of adaptation measures. These champions play a crucial role in raising awareness among village government leaders to support the integration of ecosystem-based adaptation actions into local adaptation plans.
• The project engaged 596 community members (312 women) in awareness campaigns and district planning  for  EbA integration. A final reflection workshop with 26 participants (9 women) resulted to the development of a policy brief titled “Scaling Up Best Practices for Resilience and Ecosystem-Based Adaptation”.

Advocated for improved national EbA implementation

• Conducted a policy dialogue workshop whereby 45 stakeholders (17 female, 28 male) from government, academia and NGOs participated. The workshop aimed to advance and ensure sustained EbA integration into national sector policies and plans.
• The project actively participated in climate policy processes, including pre-COP28 meetings (October 23-27, 2023) where CARE contributed to the development of Tanzania’s positions on adaptation, finance, and other key climate issues. At COP28 in Dubai (November 28-December 7, 2023), the Nature Project was part of CARE Tanzania delegation which co-hosted high-level side events on climate-smart agriculture and visited the Nature-Based Solutions Pavilion.

National and District-Level Integration of Ecosystem based Adaptation (EbA)

• The NATURE project successfully mainstreamed gender-sensitive Ecosystem- based Adaptation (EbA) approaches across seven national ministries in Tanzania, engaging a total of 1,392 stakeholders (663 female and 729 male) comprising of planning professionals and decision-makers. At the national level, the Ministry of Water incorporated EbA into Catchment Conservation Plans, while the Ministry of Agriculture embedded these approaches into climate-resilient farming initiatives, including the Tanzania Food System Resilience Program. The Prime Minister’s Office advanced EbA integration in disaster management through the Flood and Drought Response Policy, currently awaiting parliamentary approval.  Other ministries, including Livestock and Fisheries Development, Lands and Human Settlement, and Natural Resources and Tourism, promoted sustainable land use practices such as beekeeping and agroforestry, with particular emphasis on women’s and youth participation.  To strengthen implementation capacity, the project trained 321 natural resource professionals (113 female and 208 male) at national and district levels on executing EbA solutions in drought-prone areas.
• At the district level, all five target councils successfully integrated EbA into their development plans, with a focus on reforestation, sustainable agriculture, and water conservation. Kiteto and Same Districts prioritized agroforestry and beekeeping initiatives, while Mufindi and Simanjiro emphasized women’s training programs, drought-resistant crops, and improved water access solutions. Chemba District implemented innovative approaches including home gardening and food processing to reduce natural resource dependency.

Large-Scale Ecosystem Restoration and Community Empowerment.

Thanks to the various capacity-building initiatives conducted by the NATURE Project and the development of district restoration plans, significant progress has been made in ecosystem restoration across the pilot districts:

• The project    achieved    remarkable    on-the-ground    impact, restoring ecosystems across five pilot districts in Tanzania through the planting of over 30 million trees in critical landscapes. Mufindi District alone planted 21.6 million trees in 2023/24 with plans for an additional 25 million, while Same District complemented its reforestation efforts with the installation of 71,221 beehives.  These interventions were implemented in water sources, forest reserves,   and   public   institutions   to   maximize ecological benefits. Community empowerment formed a cornerstone of the project, with 799 community members (419 female and 380 male) trained in applying EbA solutions within village development plans. The project directly supported 3,371 beekeepers (44% women) and trained over 39,300 farmers in conservation agriculture techniques. EbA champion networks established across   10   vulnerable   villages   created   sustainable   local   capacity   for adaptation, while awareness campaigns reached an estimated 6.4 million people through strategic media partnerships.
• The project also realized various results in Chemba, Kiteto and Simanjiro Districts, whereby a total of 30,399,657 trees planted as follows: Chemba District planted about 1,304,250 trees between 2023 and 2024, Kiteto District planted 1,776,787 trees between 2023 and Simanjiro District planted 1,140,851 trees from 2023. All trees were strategically planted along water catchments, farms, forest reserves, human settlements, and public institutions, contributing to the overall restoration of ecosystems in these districts.