Enhancing livelihoods through forest and landscape restoration

Expected outcomes

• Higher household incomes through increased agroforestry, agricultural and fuelwood production.
• Between 500 and 1000 ha of unproductive land reforested within ten communities.
• Improved survival of seedlings planted within participating communities leading to cost savings for government and greater longer-term financial benefits for communities.
• Improved household incomes from the production of biofertilisers.
• Improved ability to access funding from government to support FLR initiatives.

Summary of outcomes to date

2021–22

• The project has effectively carried out various activities despite travel disruptions attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this reporting period, surveys combining phone calls, online, and face-to-face interviews were undertaken to carry out research activities. This included research on: assessing agroforestry systems as communal livelihoods; socio-economic impacts of restoration projects; fire incidence in restoration projects and its underlying issues; pests and diseases in tree plantations; biofertiliser use and as an alternative for smallholder livelihood; and integrating trees in corn-dominated forest landscapes.
• Interviews and virtual meetings were also conducted to determine the factors affecting the organizational strengths of partner POs. Field trials on mixed-species plantings, variable spacing, and use of fertiliser were monitored. Livelihoods and restoration activities of partner POs in the three regions were also monitored.
• A weekly meeting with research partners and project staff has been conducted since June 2020.
• A policy workshop was conducted in Biliran in March 2022 to understand the success, challenges, and interventions in implementing community-based forest restoration. Results revealed a number of issues and concerns like lack of transparency in the use of funds, reluctance of land claimants to plant trees in their lands, tardiness, carbon ownership, and sharing scheme.
• The scaling out of forest restoration through a private company restoring at least 10,00 ha has commenced, benefiting from the experiences of the ACIAR FLR Project.
• Partnerships with the LGUs of Baybay and Ormoc, in Leyte Province, have been sustained to provide technical support in implementing their forest restoration projects.