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Photography TFCG

Deloitte

Conserving Forest and improving lives in the Eastern Arc Mountains, Tanzania

Employee Engagement

“The team at Deloitte has really got behind our rainforest project in Tanzania. They’ve committed to donating more than £300,000 through their own fundraising efforts and we’re currently running a national competition for three of them to go out and visit the project to see the benefits they’ve brought to local people.”
Heather Hancock, Managing Partner for Innovation and Brand at Deloitte

With support from Deloitte LLP the Tanzania Forest Conservation Group is promoting community forest management, improved land use planning, more secure land tenure, community development and tree planting in the Rubeho Mountains, Tanzania.

What will the project achieve?

  • Forest protection – Three village forest reserves established, protecting 3500 hectares of rainforest imminently threatened with deforestation;
  • Tree Planting – Tree planting groups in 58 communities supported to plant over half a million trees;Tree planting groups in 58 communities supported to plant over half a million trees;
  • Environmental Education – Environmental education supported in 65 primary schools benefiting 30 000 students;
  • Livelihoods – Farmers in 8 villages practicing more profitable and more ecologically sustainable agriculture, village households have reduced wood fuel consumption through improved efficiency, including the use of fuel efficient stoves.

Resolving conflict between communities

A 15 year conflict between two villages over village boundaries has been resolved. TFCG organised meetings including the village councils of both villages and the government officers to discuss the conflict. The two villages agreed to forego their original boundary and set a new boundary. The new boundary will be included in the districts’ village boundaries map.

Playing a pivotal role in global climate change mitigation

The forests being protected as part of the Deloitte Rainforest project have been selected for inclusion in a REDD piloting project being financed by Norway. The Norwegian finance will cover technical aspects of the project (measuring, reporting and verifying carbon, meeting requirements of carbon standards). The purpose of the project is to demonstrate a pro-poor approach to REDD by generating equitable financial incentives from the global carbon market for local communities in Tanzania.

New species award

Deloitte’s leadership in protecting the African rainforest has been recognised by having a new species of frog named after the firm. The new species will be named in recognition of the Deloitte’s work in helping to preserve the Rubeho Forest in Tanzania where the frog was discovered.

Project progress to date

  • Forest protection – The Ilole, Ipondelo and Ndege forest reserves, which cover some 3550 hectares, have been established or are positivity progressing towards legally protected areas managed and supported by the local people.
  • Tree Planting – Tree seeds and tree planting equipment have been distributed to 30 tree nursery groups and school environmental clubs resulting in the planting of 1,182,494 trees between 2010 and 2011.
  • Environmental Education – 300 teachers, school inspectors and local government staff have been trained in environmental education and has been disseminated down to some 65 schools. The establishment of environmental clubs and provision of tree planting equipment (e.g., seeds, watering cans) in schools has increased environmental conservation awareness and participation in many young people.     
  • Livelihoods –More than 300 farmers have now been trained in conservation agriculture with the farmers already reporting increased crop yields and increased income allowing payment of their children’s health costs. Training on the construction and use of fuel efficient stoves has been conducted in six villages. A total of 141 people have been trained on how to construct and utilize fuel efficient stoves. Up to now there are about 380 households using the fuel efficient stoves. The use of improved stoves not only reduces the consumption of fuel wood, slowing deforestation, it also reduces the smoke laden air inside village huts which is one of the leading causes of poor health, especially in women and children across Africa.

Find out more information from project report summaries :