Safeguarding Cultural Heritage, Restoring Dryland Forests
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- Project Title: Frankincense Conservation and Ecosystem Restoration Project
- Project Status: Since 2020 (Ongoing)
- Project Partners: Indigenous frankincense communities, local government institutions, and traders.
- Location: 95 Frankincense fields in Bari, Sanaag, and Gardafu regions of Puntland, Somalia.
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- Project Overview & Aim: We partner with indigenous frankincense harvesters in the Bari, Sanaag, and Gardafu regions to protect Somalia's iconic dryland forests. This ongoing initiative, active since 2020, aims to secure both a globally significant ecosystem and a centuries-old cultural livelihood by ensuring Boswellia trees thrive for generations to come.
- The Challenge: Frankincense is far more than a commodity; it is a pillar of Somali heritage and a critical income source. Yet, these ancient trees are dying from overharvesting, climate stress, and parasitic plant infestations. This degradation threatens an entire ecological and economic system, pushing communities toward poverty and eroding a unique natural heritage.
- Our Solution: We deploy a powerful model that blends documented Traditional Ecological Knowledge with science-based action. We train and equip local stewards to manage forests sustainably, remove harmful parasites to revive tree health, and restore degraded habitats. By creating alternative livelihoods like apiculture, we ensure conservation directly benefits the communities who are the forests' most vital guardians
Our Impact
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- 46,424 trees saved or revived from unsustainable harvesting practices.
- 5,300 frankincense trees saved from parasitic plant infestations through targeted removal efforts.
- 5 hectares of degraded woodland restored in key Boswellia
- 4,754 individuals trained, including harvesters, custodians, and traders, on sustainable harvesting techniques and conservation best practices.
- 15,000 native trees planted in restoration areas.
- 95 frankincense fields brought under formal community-led management.
- 15,000+ Livelihoods Supported through sustainable value chains
- 400 years-old Ancient Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and customary laws documented and revitalized to support sustainable field governance rooted in local cultural systems
- Academic & Policy Contribution: The documentation of the TEK has been published in an open-access, peer-reviewed Elsevier journal. This publication enhances the global knowledge base for dryland forest conservation and directly supports our advocacy to integrate this proven, locally-led governance model into regional and national environmental policies
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