2pm – 3:30pm Bujumbura, Kigali | 12pm – 1:30pm Accra | 8 – 9:30am EDT 

Over the past decade, African nations have made significant commitments to restore their degraded forests and landscapes through initiatives like the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100). With 34 African governments pledging to restore over 129 million hectares by 2030, the focus is now on turning these commitments into actions. 

Speakers will dive deep into how the right mix of public policies and economic incentives can catalyze innovative financing and spur large scale investments in FLR. They will explore ongoing challenges, share lessons learned, and present examples of how effective policies and economic incentives can accelerate and scale FLR efforts in the African context. 

This webinar, the first in a three-part series, is hosted by WRI’s Landscape Policy Accelerator, a key component of Restore Local. This flagship initiative aims to advance locally led land restoration across three of Africa's vital landscapes: Kenya's Greater Rift Valley, the Lake Kivu & Rusizi River Basin (spanning Burundi, DRC, and Rwanda), and the Ghana Cocoa Belt. Future webinars in this series will explore innovative financing mechanisms and approaches to empowering communities through economic incentives and market-based policies. 

Join diverse stakeholders from government, restoration champions, researchers and technical partners committed to restoring Africa’s landscapes. This webinar will be in English with French interpretation. 

Speakers 

  • Duncan Okowa, Research Associate, Landscape Policy Accelerator, WRI 
  • Maggie Gonzalez, Manager, Landscape Policy Accelerator, WRI 
  • Bernadette Arakwiye, Senior Manager, AFR100, WRI 
  • Caroline Njiru, Great Rift Valley Landscape Restoration Manager, WRI 
  • Peterson Kamau, Deputy Director, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, Kenya 
  • Joram Kagombe, Deputy Director, Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) 
  • Tangu Tumeo, Forests, Landscapes and Livelihoods Program Officer, IUCN 
  • Isaac Charles Acquah Jr., Director and Head, Natural Resource Department of the Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana (EPA) 
  • Jeanne Mukarukundo, Head of Rwanda Tree and Out Grower Program, One Acre Fund 
  • Nelson Muiru, Director, Kijabe Environment Volunteers (Kenvo) 
  • Kalkidan Mulatu, Post Doctoral Researcher, Alliance of Biodiversity International and CIAT