Highland Restoration - Tigray, Ethiopia
The EthioTrees project aims to restore degraded land in the Tembien Highlands of Tigray, Ethiopia, which has been heavily affected by drought, erosion on steep slopes, and overgrazing. The project supports natural regeneration through native tree planting and the creation of “exclosures” that protect restored areas from livestock grazing. In the process, they are improving biodiversity and connecting other important habitats such as the sacred Orthodox church gardens. The project invests 60% of carbon credit revenue in the local communities, installing crucial percolation ponds to improve water access and even providing life-saving food assistance during the Tigray War (2020-2022).
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Project information
EthioTrees
The project is located in the Tembien Highlands in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, where it now supports restoration across a total of 24,620 hectares. The dryland ecosystems in the Ethiopian highlands are vulnerable to degradation because of their high livestock densities and steep slopes. Additionally, climate change and the loss of forest cover increase the risk of drought. Drought and periods of social instability have also contributed to deforestation and land degradation across the region.
The project is tackling these issues through a combination of grazing exclusion and the planting of indigenous trees within protected exclosures. This approach sequesters a significant amount of carbon while also delivering important ecosystem and social benefits. More than 45,770 households benefit from the project’s interventions, and in 2025 alone, over 54,495 seedlings were planted within restoration enclosures.
This initiative has also invested heavily in percolation ponds to improve water access; made significant payments to communities and provided for food support during the Tigray War (2020-2022); and promotes training in sustainable land management and improved production of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) such as frankincense and honey.
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Intervention
Improved Land Management
Location
Ethiopia
Standards
Plan Vivo
Sustainable Goals
Project performance
The Earthly rating
The Earthly rating is the industry-first holistic project assessment. Earthly researchers analyse 106 data points, aggregating information across the three vital pillars of carbon, biodiversity and people. Projects in Earthly's marketplace all exceed a minimum score of 5.5/10.
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102,273
tonnes of CO2 sequestered since the start of the project
41%
increase in the number of tree species
$335,640
paid to participants since the start of the project
Project impact
Local impact
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The image illustrates the changes in the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from 2018 to 2022. Normalised Difference Vegetation Index represents the health of the ecosystem within the project area. For instance, in a forested project, the greener the NDVI across time, the healthier or more protected the area would be. Assessing the health of vegetation using NDVI is a widely accepted practice in various ecosystems, including savannah and dry grasslands.
Sentinel-2 (2018-2022) modified
Project area: through time
The Tembien Highlands (and many high elevation areas) suffer from the effects of climate change and land degradation. At the same time, many of these ecosystems support some of the world’s poorest people, and their degradation only exacerbates the problem. In the Tembien highlands in particular, poverty is magnified by the effects of lingering social and political instability, most recently the Tigray War of 2020-2022. The EthioTrees Project is addressing these issues and more, rooted in an intimate understanding of the social context and priorities of the communities.
Geospatial analysis reveals that deforestation and degradation have been evident in the area, occurring both before and after the project's initial commencement in 2016. However, a closer look at the years 2018 to 2022 reveals a significant improvement in vegetation health across most of the project regions. This improvement suggests that the project is effectively preserving its allocated forest areas, not only preventing further deforestation but also contributing to the enhancement of vegetation health.
Good for earth
The project generates several benefits for biodiversity. First, the project only plants indigenous/endemic tree species. In the first five year monitoring period, the tree species richness increased by 41% on average (from 70 to 99 species) and the total number of trees in the exclosures increased by 155%. Similarly, the Shannon index in the exclosures (a measure of biodiversity) increased by 20% over the first five years.
Today, EthioTrees supports restoration across a total of 24,620 hectares, and in 2025 alone, more than 54,495 seedlings were planted within restoration enclosures, further strengthening ecosystem recovery and habitat diversity.
The project benefits water retention through the build-up of soil organic matter, leading to more groundwater and spring water availability and a decrease in runoff and erosion. These impacts are supported by investments in water infrastructure, including 15 ponds and 6 spring developments across higher slopes. The project is also increasing the amount of fodder available for livestock by allowing grass in the enclosures to be cut and fed to animals, reducing degradation of the surrounding grassland.
Lastly, the project improves connectivity between biodiverse and culturally significant church forests. Nearly half of the project areas are close to Orthodox church forests and unique rock churches, crucial oases for biodiversity in an increasingly degraded region.
Positive for people
The sale of carbon credits has been instrumental in improving the incomes of local community members, with 60% of the revenue from the sale of credits invested in the communities. More than 45,770 households benefit from the project’s interventions, which is particularly important in times of acute crises.
When the Tigray War broke out in November 2020 (eventually leading to thousands of deaths over the next two years), it led to a severe famine in the region. The farmers enrolled in EthioTrees were able to use the money from the sale of credits to buy food, and 18 communities within the villages set up systems to allocate food and funds to particularly vulnerable people.
This was only possible through the EthioTrees organisational structure, which negotiated with banks and community leaders to enable the delivery of money to communities. The project has then developed a direct cash-for-food support, with nearly 30,000 families benefiting from the program.
In addition to cash support, the project also invests in boosting production of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) such as frankincense and honey. Revenues have also helped finance wider community initiatives, including the construction of 30 new classrooms to improve access to education and the distribution of solar lights to 696 households. The project also invests in improving water availability through the construction of percolation ponds on high slopes, including 15 ponds and 6 spring developments.
Lastly, the project is focused on underrepresented groups. 40% of project participants are women, and the project focuses on supporting vulnerable groups such as those with HIV and those that have suffered from sexual violence.
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