Miombo Thrive: Laying the foundations for a movement that bottom-up restores grasslands, forests and livelihoods across the Miombo region

GLF Africa 2026: Stewarding Our Rangelands

Date: May 6th Wednesday

Time: 12:00 - 13:00 EAT

Location: CIFOR-ICRAF Campus, Nairobi, Kenya, Watering Point Pavilion

The Miombo woodlands form the world’s largest tropical dryland ecosystem, supporting over 65 million people across Southern Africa. Yet these landscapes are rapidly degrading due to deforestation, unsustainable land use and weak economic incentives for restoration. Communities depend on extraction, charcoal, timber and land conversion for income, while policies and programs remain fragmented and top-down. 

Real change requires connecting conservation, livelihoods and finance into one system. During this interactive session, we will explore the foundations of a movement that provides a regional framework to co-design and finance locally-led landscape programs that regenerate ecosystems and grow rural economies.