The integration of sustainable agriculture and landscape management practices in land restoration efforts is crucial in conserving soil and water, promoting biodiversity, and mitigating climate change. This approach also improves livelihoods, enhances ecosystem services, and builds resilience. To achieve this, we conducted thorough assessments, engaged local farmers and other stakeholders, developed context-specific plans, provided training, monitored progress, and foster policy support. This ensures a holistic and sustainable restoration of degraded lands, benefiting both people and the environment, including water resources. It's important for the community to collaborate, contribute, and learn effective environmental management approaches to ensure the project's long-term sustainability and unsustainable agricultural practices.

The project involved engaging the local community in a baseline survey to assess the hydrological conditions and the appropriate restoration approach. The survey aimed to gather information on water flow, salinity levels and mangrove health, which are necessary for designing effective hydrological restoration strategies.

Stakeholder mapping involves reviewing the diverse interests of stakeholders across various sectors at both local and national levels. This process should be as comprehensive as possible, mapping out existing influence and power structures to determine who to engage directly or indirectly. Prior to stakeholder mapping, a thorough analysis of existing policies is conducted to fully understand the issues and why they matter to the community. This understanding then informs the stakeholder mapping activity, making it clearer who to engage with.

The first step involves identifying local environmental challenges at the community level, such as water shortages, diminishing grazing areas, food scarcity, soil erosion, landslides, or flooding. NACOFA gathers community input on possible solutions and explores the links between these challenges and forest or environmental degradation.

Next, NACOFA studies the existing laws and policies that could address these issues, identifying any gaps, or determining if enhanced implementation or enforcement is needed. This process allows NACOFA to pinpoint the responsible government institutions, key officials, CSOs, partners, and community groups to collaborate with.

The purpose of this building block is to conduct thorough landscape assessments on the land owned by colleges and universities. By evaluating the environmental conditions, we can determine which species are best suited to thrive in these areas. This careful selection process ensures higher success rates for planting and contributes to more sustainable conservation efforts. The landscape assessment serves as the foundation for effective planting strategies, aligning species selection with the specific ecological characteristics of the land, ultimately leading to more resilient ecosystems.

This building block focuses on identifying and utilizing climate-resilient tree species, particularly the Red Pod Terminalia (T. brownii), in dryland restoration efforts. Extensive research has shown T. brownii’s exceptional survival rate and growth potential in arid regions. A screening trial in Baringo, Kenya, demonstrated a 97% survival rate for T. brownii within two years, outperforming other indigenous and Australian Acacia species. These promising results highlight T. brownii's suitability for dryland restoration, making it a prime candidate for combating deforestation and climate change in Kenya's drylands. Our goal is to scale up the use of T. brownii and other drought-resistant species to enhance reforestation efforts. The research also explored effective seedling production and improved germination techniques to ensure the successful establishment of these trees in harsh environments.

The biodiversity survey training took place for one month from Janury to February 2024 at the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in Boa Vista. 11 participants from 3 different NGOs completed the training led by Dr Dario Cesarini which was further enforced by Professor Andrea Brusaferro who provided technical support and training in GIS. They provided extensive training on: 

• The monitoring of protected areas
• Behavior and abundance of ravens 
• Fisheries Biology of Goat whelk
• Tracking of introduced and potentially invasive plant species
• Study of the population of Phoenix Atlantica and Ficus Sycomorus, 
• Recording of human pressures and impacts
• Collection of atmospheric climate data in communities
• Use of GIS
• Sharing and managing data

Identifying strategic locations for solar panel implementation with communities involves assessing areas with high sunlight exposure and low shading. Engaging local members ensures that sites are selected based on practical needs, accessibility, and minimal disruption. This collaborative approach optimize's energy efficiency and aligns solar installations with community priorities.

Creating community-led committees ensures participatory approaches by involving local members in decision-making. These committees empower communities to actively engage in project planning, implementation, and monitoring, fostering ownership and accountability. This approach enhances relevance, cultural alignment, and sustainability, ensuring that solutions are effectively tailored to the community's specific needs and priorities. Community members would be chosen through election in their local language.

The purpose of this building block is to empower communities to identify and address local issues through a participatory, community-led process. By involving the community in problem identification, the approach ensures solutions are relevant, culturally appropriate, and sustainable. This method fosters ownership, encouraging long-term commitment and effective implementation of solutions tailored to the community's unique needs. This is done with the involvement of traditional leaders.