News published 21 May 2025

How an IKI project is supporting large-scale restoration in five African countries through more diverse, high-quality native tree species.

Which species, where and why? Answering these questions before starting tree planting initiatives is critical to harnessing trees’ full potential to fight climate change, support biodiversity, and sustain livelihoods.

Under the Right Tree in the Right Place for the Right Purpose project (RTRP–Seed), which is funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI), major strides are being made to prioritise native tree species for restoration and reforestation in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Burkina Faso.

A key focus of the project is to identify and prioritise the most suitable native species for a given context. This supports nature-based solutions by aligning ecological, socioeconomic, and cultural values, and helps countries meet their landscape restoration pledges under the Bonn Challenge and the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100).

Designed to be highly participatory, the prioritisation process is driven by a range of stakeholders, led by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) in collaboration with the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), Unique Land Use, and national partners.

Read about BGCI’s work in Africa here. Contact Cristina Coletto for more information.