Mind the Gap has a long-term focus on restoration of Africa’s vulnerable dry highlands. The unique biological and geographical attributes of Africa’s mountain forests have significance for climate change, water management, soil conservation, and livelihoods far beyond their own boundaries.
Mind the Gap has collaborated on post-mining ecological restoration and conflict management in Sierra Leone, with the military on land restoration of dune systems and arid lands, and with local parks on coastal salt marshes. Sometimes our professional brief is narrow and focused mainly on soils and plants. Elsewhere we have been able to take a broader approach, including the social, political and economic drivers that will ensure long-term success of agreed restoration objectives.
We take a pragmatic, holistic approach involving in-depth social understanding and collaboration, deep knowledge of local land use systems and needs, and as much detailed understanding of prior ecology and anticipated climate change as possible. This combination of social, ecological, political and economic approaches, based on an understanding of local needs and interests, has enabled significant successes in some of East Africa’s most vulnerable and degraded lands.
An example of our recent work from our long-term restoration work in Eritrea is our report A Successful New Approach to Improving Livelihoods in Degraded East African Highlands.
Please get in touch with Megan or Scott for further information, or if you would like to discuss this core aspect of Mind the Gap’s work.
