The French Development Agency (AFD) and the French Fund for the Global Environment (FFEM), in partnership with the Foundation for the Conservation of Biodiversity – BIOFUND, are launching a new project to improve the balance between the conservation of biodiversity and ruraldevelopment in the Chimanimani National Reserve.

This is a project, with a duration of four years, which seeks to guarantee the conservation of biodiversity and to ensure the sustainable development of the communities in the Chimanimani National Reserve. The project is the result of a new subvention to the value of 4.2 million euros, financed by AFD and FFEM in partnership with BIOFUND.

In the component of conservation of biodiversity, the projectwill support reduction in deforestation through guaranteeing the community land rights of the populations living in the 12 villages of the buffer zone, and strengthening the involvement of the local population in managing the natural resources.

On the other hand, the project seeks to promote the inclusion of women in the community representation bodies through issuing land titles (DUATs) to households headed by women, alone and together with their spouses, and to raise the awareness of women and of the community to the land rights of women.

In the same context, an ecological restoration pilot area will be set upand a mechanism for the ranking of compensation for the impacts on biodiversity of that Conservation Area will be tested, with the support of BIOFUND.

For further information, see the Press Release link