Since 2021, we have planted 2 million trees in the Kigoma region of Tanzania. This benefits both the climate in the area and the thousands of refugees living there.
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Tree planting is just one of several DRC climate initiatives in Tanzania.
Refugees are dependent on the climate they live in. That's why it's important that we invest in projects that help improve it.
Stephan Deutekom, Country Director for DRC Tanzania
Planting trees benefits both climate and refugees
Since 1996, families in the Nyarugusu refugee camp in Tanzania have been forced to cut down trees to provide firewood for cooking. Over the years, this has resulted in the forest surrounding the camp shrinking significantly.
And the consequences of the tree felling are palpable. The fewer trees, the less moisture in the soil - and the less moisture in the soil, the harder it is to cultivate. This has a severe impact on the thousands of families in the camp who are heavily dependent on being able to harvest crops.
By planting new trees in and around Nyarugusu camp, we not only ensure that destroyed nature is restored and that biodiversity in the area is maintained, but we also ensure better farming conditions for families and provide them with sustainable access to firewood. Because when a tree is cut down, we plant a new one!
Climate: The project has already borne fruit
The trees in our plantations are planted and cared for by refugees who have been provided with gardening tools and trained in sustainable planting - resources they can take back to their own kitchen gardens.
A common feature of the tree species we plant in the Kigoma region is that they are "water-positive". This means that they can survive on small amounts of water compared to other tree species. This is an important factor for planting in areas that are often affected by drought.
The fruits we harvest from our plantations are distributed to refugees in places like Nyarugusu refugee camp. These include avocados, lemons and papayas.
Want to know more?
Read about our other climate projects in Tanzania:
