New Roadmap Challenges Forest-First Approach to Africa's Savannas
A newly published roadmap, Africa's Nature Transition: A Roadmap for People, Nature and Climate, co-produced by the Future Ecosystems for Africa (FEFA) programme at Wits University and Conservation International, is challenging the widespread misclassification of Africa's savannas as degraded land in need of reforestation. Drawing on research by Ghanaian ecologist Mohammed Armani and other African scientists, the roadmap outlines how the continent can realistically deliver 1.6 gigatonnes of CO₂e mitigation per year — roughly equivalent to removing 350 million gas-powered cars from the road — without damaging ancient, ecologically distinct savanna systems. Revised global mapping, central to the research, reduces suitable land for afforestation by 92%, leaving just 195 million hectares where tree-planting can deliver genuine climate, biodiversity and social benefits.
The implications for Africa's tourism and conservation economies are significant. Savannas cover roughly half of the continent and support iconic wildlife — lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, wildebeest and giraffe — alongside communities whose livelihoods depend on grazing, fuelwood and ecotourism. The roadmap adopts a "protect, manage and restore" framework that recognises soil and grassland carbon, supports community-led land management, and warns that indiscriminate tree-planting in non-forest ecosystems risks severe soil carbon losses and biodiversity damage. With nature estimated to underpin around 62% of Africa's GDP, the roadmap argues that sound ecological science — not forest-first policy — must guide the continent's climate strategy - Report.
Source: Daily Maverick
