Nature-based Intervention:

A group of researchers launched a Participatory Ecological Restoration project in the Béni Boufrah Forests. The approach was based on knowledge sharing, trust, and active stakeholder participation with scientists, managers, and local stakeholders involved in and guiding every step of the process from planning to outcome monitoring. This participatory process was applied to all steps of the restoration initiative including the identification of restoration priorities, assessment of land-use options, definition of the restoration procedure, participatory plantation, evaluation, surveillance, and monitoring. Specifically, the restoration efforts were conducted on a one-hectare area of land where 250 plants were planted by 90 participants (57 men and 33 women). The area is primarily Tetraclinis articulata forest. As such, a stakeholder workshop concluded that the planting of Tetraclinis and other similar wood species would be most appropriate.

Overview of context and outcomes:

Semiarid regions of North Africa face frequent challenges of land degradation resulting from both human- and climate change-induced pressures. Simultaneously, efforts to achieve the ecological restoration of previously degraded land has had minimal success as they are often conducted in an often non-participatory and top-down manner.