The achievement of Sustainable Development Goals requires that the earth’s natural resources are wisely utilized, conserved and sustained over time. Sustainable natural resource management is already a great challenge because of multiple pressures on resources that result from population growth, urbanization, industrialization and increasing and changing consumption patterns.
Ecosystems in Uganda are increasingly being threatened by various human activities, even those that are protected by Government Laws. The progressive, systematic and induced unsustainable management of fragile ecosystems has caused declining resource productivity and resilience, resource scarcities, inequitable access that breeds conflicts, population displacements and worsen human vulnerability. As such, ecosystem management and restoration is key for enhancing land productivity, reducing poverty and enhancing the quality of life or resource-dependent farmers, pastoralists, agro-pastoralists and fisher-folk.
SARD-Net’s strategy is to adopt a Community-led process based on communities priorities, needs, knowledge and capacities which should empower people to plan for and adapt to the impacts of environmental degradation and Climate Change as well as take action based on their own decision-making processes. However, our Community Based Approach aims at building resilience of communities and ecosystems in Uganda.
A Community-Led Tree Planting Approach
Sustainable Agriculture for Rural Development Network (SARD-Net) supports smallholder farmers in addressing poverty, land degradation, and climate change through planting trees. It aims to improve the lives of some of the poorest people in the world through capacity and capability building, leadership development, information sharing and work towards gender equality. This is achieved through an innovative, community driven and led approach to tree planting and reforestation, ensuring that local farmers are the architects and managers on the ground, which creates benefits for themselves and their families, for the land, and through climate change mitigation, for the planet.
Strategy
SARD-Net’s strategy is to adopt a Community-led process based on communities priorities, needs, knowledge and capacities which should empower people to plan for and adapt to the impacts of environmental degradation and Climate Change as well as take action based on their own decision-making processes. However, our Community Based Approach aims at building resilience of communities and ecosystems in Uganda.
- Create environmental awareness in communities and institutions.
- Build the capacity of communities in modern tree nursery establishment and management.
- Promote tree planting and management.
- Promote on-farm tree management and conservation.
- Promote Bee keeping
- Promote energy conservation at household and community levels.
What have we achieved so far?
- 30,000 smallholder farmers and 20 institutions have been sensitized on environmental degradation and climate change.
- 2 community-led tree nurseries established.
- 550,000 assorted tree seedlings raised, distributed, planted and managed by the 2,750 smallholder farmers in Uganda. The survival rate of trees planted and managed is over 85%.
- Trained 1,500 households on construction of energy saving cook stoves. 900 households have adopted the use of energy saving cook stoves at household level.
- 10 beekeeping sites supported with trainings and beehives & other accessories. This is intended to increase household income, household food & nutrition security and conserve the environment.
Sustainable Development Goals
This community-led tree planting approach helps to achieve a number of the UN Sustainable Development Goals:


