The Zamani Foundation, known for its commitment to empowering communities and changing lives, is proud to re-introduce its latest initiative: the Garden Buddies project. This innovative program aims to foster intergenerational connections, promote physical activity, and improve interest the environment for school age children through the therapeutic power of gardening.

The Roots of Garden Buddies

Garden Buddies pairs kids with trained volunteers to engage in shared gardening activities, either in community gardens or at the kids’ homes. This program not only helps them stay active and connected but also provides an opportunity for knowledge exchange between generations.

Key Benefits:

• Improved physical health through gardening activities
• Enhanced mental well-being and reduced social isolation
• Opportunities for intergenerational learning and bonding
• Promotion of sustainable and healthy food practices

Growing Need for Support

While the Garden Buddies project has shown promising results, there is a pressing need for additional support and funding to expand its reach and impact. The Zamani Foundation believes in the power of this program to transform lives, one garden at a time.

Areas Requiring Funding:

• Training more volunteer mentors
• Expanding the program to new communities
• Providing gardening supplies and tools
• Developing educational materials and workshops

How You Can Help

The Zamani Foundation is calling on individuals, organizations, and businesses to support the Garden Buddies project. Your contribution can make a significant difference in the lives of the next generation and volunteers alike.

Ways to Contribute:

• Financial donations to support program expansion
• Volunteer as a Garden Buddy mentor
• Donate gardening supplies or equipment
• Spread awareness about the program in your community

Planting Seeds of Change

By supporting the Garden Buddies project, you are not just helping to grow gardens – you are cultivating connections, promoting wellness, and sowing seeds of positive change in communities. The Zamani Foundation envisions a future where every child has access to the benefits of gardening and the joy of intergenerational friendships.

Join us in nurturing this vital program and help create a greener, more connected world for all generations. Together, we can ensure that Garden Buddies continues to flourish and touch more lives across our communities.

Reforestation and landscape restoration efforts are gaining momentum worldwide as crucial components of climate action initiatives. Recent developments highlight the significant progress and potential of these nature-based solutions in combating climate change and biodiversity loss.

The Restoration Initiative (TRI) has made substantial strides in 2023 and early 2024, uniting 10 countries and three Global Environment Facility agencies to restore degraded landscapes. TRI has successfully brought over 355,672 hectares of land under restoration and placed more than 715,164 hectares under sustainable management, positively impacting over 810,526 people. These efforts have resulted in reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 27.4 million tCO2eq.

Forest and landscape restoration (FLR) is increasingly recognized as a cost-effective strategy to tackle climate change. A report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) emphasizes the potential of FLR to mitigate and help humanity adapt to climate change effects. This approach not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also protects ecosystems and improves the livelihoods and resilience of local communities.

Global Initiatives and Partnerships

Several global initiatives are driving reforestation and landscape restoration efforts:

1. The Trillion Trees ReForest Fund supports forest restoration across multiple sites, focusing on restoring natural forests and enhancing biodiversity. As of summer 2024, over 376,000 trees across 13 projects are being restored, including new initiatives in various countries.
2. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is at the forefront of implementing forest landscape restoration at scale. WWF supports country pledges to bring 150 million hectares of deforested and degraded land into restoration by 2020, and 350 million hectares by 2030.
3. AstraZeneca’s AZ Forest initiative aims to plant and maintain 200 million trees across six continents by 2030, focusing on natural forest restoration, restoration of degraded agricultural land, and agroforestry.

Regional Efforts and Conferences

The Asia-Pacific region is also making significant contributions to global restoration efforts. The upcoming Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Forest Landscape Restoration 2024, themed “Forests as Climate Champions: Harnessing Restoration for Global Resilience,” was held in Sarawak, Malaysia, from August 27-29, 2024. This conference aims to highlight and promote effective forest landscape restoration practices that benefit local communities and support international forest commitments.

Challenges and Future Directions

Despite the progress, challenges remain in scaling up restoration work. The FAO report notes that governments are struggling to find the necessary funds to expand restoration efforts. To address this, countries are encouraged to engage donors and explore diverse funding mechanisms to secure the resources needed for large-scale restoration projects.

As we move forward, the integration of indigenous knowledge, community engagement, and innovative financing models will be crucial in ensuring the success and sustainability of reforestation and landscape restoration initiatives. These efforts not only contribute to climate action but also provide multiple benefits, including biodiversity conservation, improved livelihoods, and enhanced ecosystem resilience.

COP16 of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from December 2-13, 2024, under the theme “Our Land. Our Future”. This marks the largest UN land conference to date and the first UNCCD COP held in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Key highlights of COP16 include:

1. Global Drought Regime: Negotiations are underway to establish the first global regime for drought resilience, addressing systemic risks highlighted in previous UNCCD articles and decisions.
2. Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership: Saudi Arabia announced this initiative, securing initial pledges of $2.15 billion to support 80 vulnerable and drought-affected countries.
3. High-Level Participation: The conference features a Heads of States Summit and interactive dialogues, uniting leaders from governments, private sector, and civil society.
4. Saudi Green Initiatives: Saudi Arabia showcased its efforts, including Vision 2030, the Saudi Green Initiative aiming to rehabilitate 40 million hectares of degraded land by 2030, and the Middle East Green Initiative for large-scale reforestation.
5. Special Report on Land: Johan Rockström presented a report emphasizing the links between land, resilience, and planetary health.
6. Dual Approach: COP16 introduced a Negotiation Track for formal decisions and an Action Agenda for voluntary commitments.
7. Dryland Forests Focus: A side event on December 6 will highlight the significance of dryland forests in achieving land degradation neutrality and combating biodiversity loss and climate change.

COP16 aims to accelerate global action on land restoration and drought resilience, marking a renewed commitment to addressing these critical environmental challenges.