2021: Climate Change Preparations Informed by Local Forest Inventories
Climate change poses risks to Sub-Saharan African countries, including higher temperatures, higher frequency and intensity of droughts, and reduced agricultural yields. Researchers aim to use participatory training to bolster more climate-resilient farming practices in Malawi. Preliminary research shows farmers using agroecological methods are more likely to create fallow land and restore forests. Farmer researchers will map the forest quality and quantity in a 1000 km2 area of 24 villages using a combination of GIS and visual forest assessment after training from Malawian forest scientists. These results will provide solutions for conserving biodiversity, ensuring food security, and building community resilience.
[This project received an Innovation for Impact Fund AVF supplement.]
Investigators: Rachel Bezner Kerr, Katja Poveda