Garissa Reforestation Project

The Garissa Reforestation Project is a high-impact ecosystem restoration initiative located in the Kamuthe Conservancy, in the drought-stricken drylands of southeastern Kenya. Developed by Sustinere Global and implemented in partnership with EarthLungs, a leading Kenyan reforestation NGO, this project aims to restore 5,000 hectares of degraded land through native species planting, while simultaneously improving community access to clean water. Garissa County faces extreme environmental and humanitarian challenges, including severe drought, soil erosion, loss of vegetation, widespread unemployment, and limited access to safe water. The local ecosystem—once home to reticulated giraffes and Gravy’s zebras—has been decimated, threatening biodiversity and community survival. This project tackles these interconnected crises through three key interventions: large-scale reforestation, the installation of solar-powered boreholes, and habitat conservation. By leveraging carbon finance, the project generates long-term funding while empowering local communities as rights-holders and participants in decision-making. The project contributes to 6 of the 17 UN SDGs and is backed by rigorous geospatial monitoring and biodiversity safeguards, ensuring transparency, permanence, and measurable impact on both climate and livelihoods.