Assisted natural regeneration, Northern Highlands, Ethiopia
The Ethiopian highlands are facing intense degradation and loss in biodiversity. That is why so-called "exclosures" have become increasingly important. In these areas, vegetation is being regenerated and protected. Livestock and uncontrolled woodcutting are excluded from these areas. In this way, the project aims to protect about 540 hectares of "exclosures", which will remove about 5,530 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year from the atmosphere, further improve the vegetation and reduce soil erosion.
In addition, the project supports landless farmers in implementing soil and water conservation, enrichment planting, and applying improved management techniques. It also helps with installing distillation units for aromatic oil production and beehives for honey production. By building local capacities and providing free training on the sustainable use of these ecosystems, the rural household income for landless farmers is improved and community-wide benefits are created.
How Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) contributes to climate action
There is a wide range of approaches to regenerating forest landscapes: from self-regeneration, where native trees and plants grow back naturally, to active regeneration, where seedlings are grown and planted in the forest. In between these two approaches lies Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR), which accelerates the natural regeneration of the forest. The local population can support this drawing on traditional knowledge about nature and land.
For example, firebreaks minimise the risk of forest fires, or native trees are given enough space by removing invasive grasses and shrubs. Research from 2020 (World Resources Institute) shows that natural regeneration of forests can absorb 23 percent of global CO2 emissions each year. Thus, ANR climate projects represent a particularly promising and viable approach to climate action. The ANR projects in the ClimatePartner portfolio are registered with international standards.
