Since July 2016, 14 African countries have endorsed the visionary Kigali Declaration – a Pan-African commitment to accelerate forest landscape restoration interventions in support of the Bonn Challenge. Recognising the close connection between restoring forests and ensuring food and water security for vulnerable communities, signing ministers declared, “Forest landscape restoration offers multiple benefits that align directly with African nations’ economic growth and poverty reduction plans.”

We, Ministers of African countries and representatives gathered in Lilongwe on July 12th and 13th, 2017 for the SADC+ Ministerial Bonn Challenge Summit, hosted by the Government of Malawi issue this ‘Call for Action for Forest Landscape Restoration in Africa’.

To further raise ambition on forest landscape restoration and the Bonn Challenge in the Southern Africa region, especially among the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member countries, the Government of Malawi hosted a Ministerial Roundtable at the Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe, Malawi, from 12th to 13th July 2017, with organisational support for this event by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The Government of Rwanda, with the support of the Secretariat of the East African Community and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), hosted the Bonn Challenge EAC+ 2016 High Level Roundtable.

We, Ministers of African countries and representatives gathered in Kigali on July 26th and 27th, 2016 for the Africa High Level Bonn Challenge Roundtable, hosted by the Government of Rwanda, in collaboration with the East Africa Community and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The major drivers of deforestation and degradation are excessive logging, bushfires, extensive agriculture, itinerant livestock farming as well as political, legal, institutional, technical and economic constraints.