
Restore Local
Accelerating locally led land restoration across Africa’s vital landscapes
Nearly 65% of Africa’s farmland is degraded, by climate change, unsustainable farming practices and deforestation. This drives water scarcity and expands deserts. The livelihoods of the 60% of Africans are at risk who depend on the land for food.
Yet across the continent, "restoration champions" are leading a powerful movement—restoring soil, boosting biodiversity, and addressing climate challenges. With growing support, this movement is being ignited on a scale the world has never seen before.
Restore Local, part of The Audacious Project’s 2023 cohort, builds on the AFR100 initiative to invest in locally led restoration, transforming Africa’s landscapes over the next four years.
Restoration Champions
Restoration champions are the heartbeat of Restore Local's mission to revive Africa’s landscapes and uplift its communities. These dedicated local leaders work tirelessly to restore degraded forests, farms, and drylands, creating real impact on the land and lives they touch. With the support of TerraFund for AFR100 and global allies, they have the resources, training, and support to expand their vital work. Restoration champions don’t just plant trees; they grow opportunity, resilience, and hope across Africa. Together, they embody the vision of a greener future, where each restored landscape is a testament to their unwavering commitment.
The 4 Part Blueprint Supporting Restoration Champions
Restoring Africa’s landscapes requires a comprehensive approach that addresses every aspect of the restoration journey. The Blueprint outlines four essential areas of focus: developing capacity, deploying finance, securing policy, and monitoring progress. Each chapter is designed to support local champions and ensure restoration projects are sustainable, impactful, and scalable. By focusing on these key areas, the Blueprint provides a clear path toward lasting environmental and community change.
3 Key Landscapes
We will restore Africa’s vital landscapes by investing in restoration champions – local organizations who have exhibited an outsized positive impact in their communities. We have identified three initial anchor landscapes for this work based on their overall readiness for restoration activity, the potential for significant benefit, and the presence of key implementing partners. Restore Local will collaborate with key stakeholders and focus on delivering the blueprint in three anchor landscapes:
- The Lake Kivu & Rusizi River Basin in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, expanding to the Albertine Rift.
- The Greater Rift Valley of Kenya, expanding across the East African Rift Valley.
- The Ghana Cocoa Belt, expanding across the West African Guinean Forests.
Tools for Restoration
Driving change requires the right tools. From an online learning platform to a content creation toolkit, Restore Local offers practical resources to empower restoration champions. These tools are designed to make restoration efforts more effective, scalable, and impactful—whether it’s gaining new skills or sharing stories with the world.
Related Projects
The Restoration Monitoring Tools Guide
Launch PlatformLaunch Platform Visit ProjectA starting point for designing a landscape restoration monitoring system
Part of Forest and Landscape RestorationRestore Local
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Part of Forest and Landscape RestorationThe Landscape Monitoring Accelerator
Visit ProjectSupporting the use of cutting-edge technology to track restoration and land use planning efforts
Part of Forest and Landscape RestorationAssisted Natural Regeneration Alliance
Launch PlatformLaunch Platform Visit ProjectThe Assisted Natural Regeneration Alliance is building a technical assistance facility that collects requests from ANR practitioners and connects them with experienced peers, funders, policymakers, and researchers.
Part of Forest and Landscape RestorationLand & Carbon Lab
Launch PlatformLaunch Platform Visit ProjectConvened by World Resources Institute and the Bezos Earth Fund to develop breakthroughs in geospatial monitoring that power solutions for sustainable landscapes worldwide.
Part of ForestsThe Verena Project
Visit ProjectPromoting large-scale land restoration and reforestation in Brazil with native trees
Part of Forest and Landscape RestorationFaces of Restoration
Visit ProjectBrazil's development path has led to land degradation, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. Five champions reveal how they're helping restore the land.
Part of ForestsAfrican Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100)
Launch PlatformLaunch Platform Visit ProjectRestoring 100 million hectares of deforested and degraded land in Africa by 2030.
Part of Forest and Landscape Restoration
