This article describes important and sustained local initiatives that have protected the remaining forests in Senegal, assisted natural regeneration on agricultural fields, controlled bush fires, and promoted the sustainable harvesting of natural products. These efforts have helped to restore landscapes while improving farmers’ livelihoods and strengthening their resiliency. Scaling up of such practices requires an understanding of the key enabling factors and critical interventions.
This article was submitted for inclusion in the forthcoming edition of ETFRN News 60 - Restoring African drylands, due for release in December 2020, containing 25 articles plus interviews and boxes describing farmer-led, NGO, private sector, government and international initiatives. These highlight the roles of varied policies and stakeholder interests, and identify opportunities to encourage smallholder and community participation in scaling out successes and meeting national, regional and global commitments.