Donate Now
Donate Now
Miombo Belt Regeneration
Miombo Belt Regeneration
Mafinga Hills,
Zambia
Forest restoration for nature, water and people
0 ha

under restoration

0 million

trees growing

0

species regenerating

0

families engaged

0

individuals trained

A mix of wet and dry miombo forests, along with montane grasslands, create an exceptional ecosystem in north-east Zambia’s majestic Mafinga Hills. 

Despite not witnessing significant deforestation, the practice of chitemene, or slash-and-burn agriculture, poses a danger here, particularly within the National Forest Reserve and along the rivers.

The project aims to restore this vital forest landscape surrounding and including the Mafinga Hills by setting up a community forest covering 1500 ha in the Mwenechifungwe Chiefdom.

Why and how we’re working here

Montane and riverine forest patches are degrading, and man-made fires from illegal activities on the plateau are impacting biodiversity and reducing the ability of soils to retain water.
Play Video
Latest project updates
Latest project updates

Location

Muchinga province, northeast Zambia

Restoration approaches

Assisted Natural Regeneration; agroforestry (agrisilvicultural systems)

restoration partners

The Wildlife and Environmental Conservation Society of Zambia (WECSZ)

Fauna Species

Blue Swallow; African Crowned Eagle; Nchisi Pygmy Chameleon

FLORA Species

Four known endemic and five near-endemic species

The project’s impact on people and nature

Our restoration here will safeguard the water catchment of the Luangwa River, protect the biodiversity of the Mafinga massif and the Luangwa valley, and ensure that the farming communities neighbouring the massif have an increased resilience to climate change.
The source of the mighty Luangwa River, an essential watershed for the farming and fishing communities downstream, lies in the Mafinga Hills. This montane area stretches over 12,000 ha and incorporates parts of a National Forest Reserve. © Ruben Foquet, WeForest
Animals that call this biodiversity hotspot home include samango monkeys, vervet monkeys, yellow baboons, side-striped jackals, spotted hyenas, wild cats, servals and leopards. Many large mammals are no longer present, however. © Ruben Foquet, WeForest
Deforestation here is driven by agricultural expansion, chitemene (slash-and-burn agriculture), uncontrolled bush fires, timber logging and the collection of firewood. © Ruben Foquet, WeForest
Protecting the forest and stopping the chitemene (pictured) requires improved governance and more sustainable farming approaches, as well as the development of alternative income sources for those who depend on the forest. © Ruben Foquet, WeForest
In the first phase of the project, a community forest covering approximately 1500 ha is being set up in the Mwenechifungwe Chiefdom. Communities are keen on building landscape solutions, and village headmen have welcomed the concept of the community forest shared between Inzinza and Mariko villages. © Ruben Foquet, WeForest
To increase the well-being and climate resilience of the farming communities neighbouring the massif, we will develop and diversify alternative livelihoods, potentially including beekeeping and/or poultry. © Ruben Foquet, WeForest
The project will also introduce and optimize sustainable agricultural production, exploring native conservation agricultural techniques (for example in-field composting and crop rotation) to shift away from destructive chitemene millet farming. © Ruben Foquet, WeForest
To ensure good forest stewardship in the project area in the long term, the project will design an FLR Plan which includes strengthening the technical and financial capacity of WECSZ to permanently oversee and safeguard the socio-economic and agro-environmental future of this landscape. © Ruben Foquet, WeForest

Explore the interactive map

Who’s funding the Mafinga Hills project?
Become a Forest Restoration Partner
Become a Forest Restoration Partner

Updates from the Miombo Belt Regeneration programme

See more updates
See more updates
Mount Mulanje landscape
info Mount Mulanje landscape
Miombo Belt RegenerationResearch news

Five years of growth: The story of Mulanje’s Forest green revival

Discover the remarkable transformation of Mount Mulanje’s forest over just five years!...
GART pasture demo site showcasing legume and pasture grass production
info GART pasture demo site showcasing legume and pasture grass production
Miombo Belt RegenerationResearch news

Growing greener pastures: Advancing dairy farming through forage production

To strengthen the Copperbelt project implementation, WeForest Zambia recently conducted learning visits to the top research and demonstration sites....
Miombo Belt RegenerationResearch news

Revolutionizing smallholder farming with organic solutions

Smallholder farmers working with WeForest in Zambia are set to take part in an exciting new research project aimed at...
Press releaseMiombo Belt RegenerationWildlife Corridors

WeForest announces major funding from Nationale Postcode Loterij

WeForest is delighted to announce a major gift of €1M from Nationale Postcode Loterij – made possible by the Dutch...
WeForest in the MediaMiombo Belt Regeneration

LandLinks: “Meet Zambia’s Conservation Gender Champions”

WeForest’s very own Sara Banda is one of the “Conservation Gender Champions“ showcased on the USAID's knowledge sharing platform LandLinks today!...
Partner newsGreat Green WallMiombo Belt RegenerationWildlife Corridors

Dots.eco and Weforest: Connecting Dots for a Greener future

Dots.eco is an environmental impact-as-a-service platform that transforms millions of casual actions into real-world environmental impact. They celebrate everyone who...
Great Green WallMiombo Belt Regeneration

How do WeForest’s projects support community resilience?

It’s no good restoring a forest if the surrounding communities still need to use it for firewood or to produce...
NewsGreat Green WallMiombo Belt Regeneration

Healthy forests, healthy people

Forests are essential to the well-being of present and future generations. ...
Miombo Belt RegenerationWeForest in the Media

“Conservationists assist a forest reserve in Zambia to regrow itself“

Our Katanino project is the focus of an article in Mongabay, the nonprofit environmental science and conservation news platform, today. ...
Great Green WallMiombo Belt RegenerationWildlife Corridors

Thanks to you, amazing things happened this year!

Over 9600 hectares were restored during 2022 - that's almost 13.5 million trees....

Progress reports

Ready to start making an impact?

See which solution is right for you and get started today.

Get started
Get started

HQ (BE): WeForest asbl/vzw
Cantersteen 47, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

VAT number BE0826.151.968
Incorporated May 26th 2010

Follow Us
Linkedin-in Facebook-f Instagram Youtube Flickr
Info
What we do
Partnerships
Language
Explore
Contact Us
+32 (0)2 308 49 43
contact@weforest.org

Receive Our Newsletter

WeForest is a supporting member of:

1torg-300x149
one-percent-for-the-planet-vector-logo
UNDecade_LOGO_MASTER_white2_EN-300x149
LOGO_CMYK_GEA NAME_WHITE
afr100

Copyright WeForest 2023 | All Rights Reserved | Website by PW Creative | Photos © R. Foquet, S. Maes, N. Van Ingen, M. Maeder, T. Syrikova, D. Bartus, Our project partners, WeForest staff

Subscribe
Receive WeForest's latest updates from the field
By subscribing, you consent to receive WeForest's regular email newsletter.