Bees and trees have a complex symbiotic relationship, with trees providing food and shelter for bees and bees providing pollination for trees. A program in Rwanda is teaching beekeepers to plant trees so the insects are more protected on hot days and, as a result, more productive.
The strategy is part of the Regreening Africa initiative that has already restored 350,000 hectares of land across eight African countries, with a focus on getting farming communities involved. Campaigners are now aiming to regreen 5 million hectares by the end of this decade. “Over half of productive lands in Africa are degraded, with climate change exacerbating this challenge,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. “The good news is restoration works and can bring major benefits to communities – from supporting smallholder famers to helping raise household incomes. As people begin to quickly recognize the benefits of ecosystem restoration, it makes perfect sense to extend regreening practices to more lands and kickstart a renaissance of nature.”
Gardner from UNEP said projects like these are a message of hope. “With so much catastrophic news about climate change and its devastating impacts, people feel helpless,” she said. “But everything doesn’t always need to be catastrophic.”