Located in the Great Rift Valley in Ethiopia, and enjoying a unique climate and dramatic topography, the Desa’a (Dat’Garab) Forest is one of a kind. It is one of the oldest remaining dry Afromontane forests in Ethiopia and the largest in the Tigray and Afar regions. It regulates climate, secures freshwater, and maintains fertile soils for agriculture, providing essential resources for millions of people. The United Nations has recently recognized its uniqueness.
We are proud to announce that on October 29, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) named the Desa’a Project a World Restoration Flagship. WeForest has been working in Desa’a since 2019 restoring and conserving the landscape alongside the local communities.
Our Ethiopia Country Director, Dr. Aklilu Negussie Mekuria, received the award at the last CBD COP17 in Armenia. For him, this acknowledgment shows people in Ethiopia believe in the future and are doing what they can for the next generations:
“Desa’a is more than a landscape; it is a promise carried by generations who chose protection over loss. For the people of Desa’a, this forest means water, livelihoods, and a future for their children.”
About the award itself, he says: “This UN recognition reflects years of commitment by local communities and partners working under difficult conditions. Here, people and nature rose together, turning struggle into strength and transforming a local initiative into a model that inspires the world.”
What was lost and what remains
Sadly, the Desa’a Forest has suffered tremendously from deforestation. Once covering about 154,000 ha, only about 30% remains intact. These intact patches were either difficult to reach due to its altitude or protected by its proximity to the Orthodox Monastery. That small fragment is now the source of seeds for restoring the degraded 70%. These remaining protected areas at high altitude. Their use for reforestation efforts in the region are the focus of UNEP’s documentary that will be released on November 17th.
Restoring Desa’a degraded lands depends on the local government, which has identified the area as a priority, and on the communities who carry out the work. It also depends on addressing why people cut trees in the first place. WeForest provides alternative income sources like beekeeping, vegetable and high value fruits production, sheep and poultry farming, so families can earn a living without logging. Solar lights and efficient cookstoves reduce the need for firewood.
We have also created green jobs for neighboring farmers and landless families. They collect seeds, grow seedlings in nurseries, and dig water holes and ditches, covering them with stones and mulch to retain moisture. Forest guards earn extra income by pruning trees, removing dead branches, and patrolling the area.
A flagship project
Desa’a was awarded as a Restoration Flagship Project for the whole world, but it has also been a flagship project for WeForest. We have learned a lot in its eight years of implementation. Especially, just how important community work is and how it is even bringing communities closer together.
As our Co-Founder & CEO Marie-Noëlle Keijzer puts it: “Being named a UN World Restoration Flagship is a tribute to the communities of Desa’a and to our partners in Tigray, who are restoring this landscape against all odds. Their work shows that restoring forests brings back water, and with it, hope. On the road to COP32 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is showing the world what is possible.”
As the award and the documentary brings Desa’a to a global audience, the work on the ground continues season by season. The recognition is meaningful, and we want to dedicate it to the communities who show up every day to care for this forest. For them, Desa’a is their home and their gift to the generations still to come.
