This is our story

GIERI is a grassroots conservation and sustainable development organization operating in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, South Kivu Province, Africa. Enhancing carbon storage by reforestation, conserving land for Indigenous Populations, providing trees for community forest growth, and developing agroforestry programs, represent a mix of carbon and GHG reduction strategies to be monitored by PαC. The economic benefits realized by the project activities will be used to improve the lives of all those in the region. Improvement in nutrition, sanitation, education and community services are needed across the Shabunda region. An additional project perspective is to encourage Les Forêts de la Paix given the history of conflict in the region.

GIERI Update

The African Master Tree Grower 2023 Conference & GIERI Participation

Patrick Kaka reports on this recent conference

The African master tree grower program provides an opportunity for farms and land managers to learn about the establishment and management of multipurpose trees on farmland and community areas.

This year the African master tree grower was celebrating the tenth’s anniversary of their existence since the first meeting held in Kabale in 2013.

The training aimed that farmers understand the needs and opportunities for planting trees on farms.

And to encourage farmers to be master tree growers to lead and demonstrate tree growing to others.

It equipped farmers and extension agents with the skills to become community leaders in agroforestry.

We had a pleasure of being taught by Mr. Craig, Mr. Timothy and Mr. Jon Lambert.

We spent a week learning about the use of trees for multi-purpose uses such as fodder for animals, shelter for crops, burning and building, fruits and seed for the diets and wood for burning and building.

We also discussed the value of trees on farms for erosion control and learned some basic skills in tree measurement, pruning and farm economics and we also shared some experiences with members.

It was a valuable and enjoyable experience.

Meeting Update July 31, 2023

The Satoyama Initiative is a global initiative that aims to realize societies in harmony with nature through the conservation and sustainable management of socio‐ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS). The initiative promotes the sustainable use of biodiversity so that societies can enjoy a stable supply of various natural assets and ecosystem services well into the future. SEPLS are dynamic mosaics of habitats and other land and sea use where harmonious interactions between people and nature maintain biodiversity while providing humans with goods and services needed for their livelihoods, survival, and well-being in a sustainable manner. SEPLS are found in many places in the world under different names and are deeply linked to local culture and knowledge. When well-managed, SEPLS can significantly contribute to the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

While SEPLS provide a wide range of provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services, they can contribute to combating desertification by conserving land from degradation and to climate change mitigation and adaptation, among other things, by conserving and enhancing carbon sinks and reservoirs, and increasing resilience to adapt to adverse effects of climate change at the land and seascape levels. SEPLS also root the identities of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. The Satoyama Initiative was developed to support or re-instate harmony between societies and nature by promoting sustainable socio-economic activities such as sustainable agriculture, fisheries, and forestry that are in line with natural ecological processes. To facilitate and accelerate the implementation of activities under the Satoyama Initiative, the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI) was launched in 2010 during the 10th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Partnership is open to all organizations engaged with SEPLS. As of June 2023, IPSI comprised 304 members committed to supporting SEPLS for the benefit of biodiversity and human well-being through the implementation of their individual and collaborative activities. IPSI members include national and local governmental organizations; government-affiliated organizations; non-governmental and civil society organizations; Indigenous Peoples and Local Community organizations; academic, educational and/or research institutes; industry and private sector organizations; and United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations. Not all the stakeholders working on SEPLS are IPSI members, but IPSI is open to collaborating with all interested stakeholders and sharing knowledge and experiences with other networks.

The large and growing number of IPSI members, their diversity, and the wide range of activities they carry out in diverse geographical, ecological, edaphic, historical, climatic, cultural, and socio-economic conditions, including the conservation of biodiversity at the genetic, species, and ecosystem levels are key assets for the Partnership. However, there is a need to further promote coordination, cooperation, coevolution, and synergy and, thus, maximize results and impacts based on effective and efficient resource use in implementing activities under the Satoyama Initiative. The purpose of the present strategy is to enhance complementarity and synergies among the activities of IPSI members, on the one hand, and guide IPSI members and other partners, on the other hand, to contribute to implementing activities related to the Satoyama Initiative at the local, national, regional, and international levels.

Solar Installation Update Dec 10, 2022

Solar Installation Update: GIERI and German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ)

GIERI is pleased to announce continuation of solar installations for critically needed medical facilities in collaboration with GIZ funding. The effort is part of the

SKY and FOREST INITIATIVE for the Shabunda region, relying on solar power and electric vertical take off and landing (VTOL) emerging technology. Photo’s of the solar installation follow.

Activities of GIERI with Partners 2022 activities in Uvira city, South Kivu Province, DRC.

August 16, 20220

Bukavu, DRC

GIERI STATEMENT

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has 2,345,441km2 of land area,155 million hectares of dense humid forest, dry forest and savanna, mountains ecosystems along the eastern border; with approximately 80 million inhabitants. Whilst the DRC is located on a high sunshine band between 3,500 and 6,750 Wh /m2/day, it remains mostly unexploited, especially in the Eastern of DRC. Despite all these potentialities, the majority of the Congolese population are living with less than one (1) USD dollar a day. The access rate to electricity of the population remains very low: more than 15 million households have no access to electricity. And those who have access to electricity, this one is not even regular. Most people do not have it every day. This low rate of access also applies throughout the country. Due to the lack of electricity in these areas, people rely on other sources of energy as a motor engine with fuel in order to light their houses. Other use dangerous fuel and this causes fire in many houses. In addition, the use of fuel increases the production of greenhouse gases.

In order to improve the access to electricity in DRC, and to face climate change and its consequences, GIERI has a dream to develop in all Villages in DRC to implement the solar energy project. In December 2010 and November 2017, GIERI supported the implementation of a solar project at the SOZAME Karhale psychiatric centre in Bukavu, in Shabunda and at the Shabunda brother’s charity congregation. On these projects, GIERI contributes to capacity building and training the staff working at the psychiatric centre on the use of photovoltaic materials and assisted with the installation of the photovoltaic materials.

Since 2017 GIERI, has advocated funding to solve problems of employment in the DRC of young people through renewable energy projects and to assist with the introduction of solar energy throughout the Shabunda region. Planetary Emissions Management Inc., joins with GIERI, is to the funding process to realize solar energy in the Shabunda region.

Meeting Update July 31, 2023

The Satoyama Initiative is a global initiative that aims to realize societies in harmony with nature through the conservation and sustainable management of socio‐ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS). The initiative promotes the sustainable use of biodiversity so that societies can enjoy a stable supply of various natural assets and ecosystem services well into the future. SEPLS are dynamic mosaics of habitats and other land and sea use where harmonious interactions between people and nature maintain biodiversity while providing humans with goods and services needed for their livelihoods, survival, and well-being in a sustainable manner. SEPLS are found in many places in the world under different names and are deeply linked to local culture and knowledge. When well-managed, SEPLS can significantly contribute to the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

While SEPLS provide a wide range of provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services, they can contribute to combating desertification by conserving land from degradation and to climate change mitigation and adaptation, among other things, by conserving and enhancing carbon sinks and reservoirs, and increasing resilience to adapt to adverse effects of climate change at the land and seascape levels. SEPLS also root the identities of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. The Satoyama Initiative was developed to support or re-instate harmony between societies and nature by promoting sustainable socio-economic activities such as sustainable agriculture, fisheries, and forestry that are in line with natural ecological processes. To facilitate and accelerate the implementation of activities under the Satoyama Initiative, the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI) was launched in 2010 during the 10th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Partnership is open to all organizations engaged with SEPLS. As of June 2023, IPSI comprised 304 members committed to supporting SEPLS for the benefit of biodiversity and human well-being through the implementation of their individual and collaborative activities. IPSI members include national and local governmental organizations; government-affiliated organizations; non-governmental and civil society organizations; Indigenous Peoples and Local Community organizations; academic, educational and/or research institutes; industry and private sector organizations; and United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations. Not all the stakeholders working on SEPLS are IPSI members, but IPSI is open to collaborating with all interested stakeholders and sharing knowledge and experiences with other networks.

The large and growing number of IPSI members, their diversity, and the wide range of activities they carry out in diverse geographical, ecological, edaphic, historical, climatic, cultural, and socio-economic conditions, including the conservation of biodiversity at the genetic, species, and ecosystem levels are key assets for the Partnership. However, there is a need to further promote coordination, cooperation, coevolution, and synergy and, thus, maximize results and impacts based on effective and efficient resource use in implementing activities under the Satoyama Initiative. The purpose of the present strategy is to enhance complementarity and synergies among the activities of IPSI members, on the one hand, and guide IPSI members and other partners, on the other hand, to contribute to implementing activities related to the Satoyama Initiative at the local, national, regional, and international levels.

Meeting Update July 31, 2023

The Satoyama Initiative is a global initiative that aims to realize societies in harmony with nature through the conservation and sustainable management of socio‐ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS). The initiative promotes the sustainable use of biodiversity so that societies can enjoy a stable supply of various natural assets and ecosystem services well into the future. SEPLS are dynamic mosaics of habitats and other land and sea use where harmonious interactions between people and nature maintain biodiversity while providing humans with goods and services needed for their livelihoods, survival, and well-being in a sustainable manner. SEPLS are found in many places in the world under different names and are deeply linked to local culture and knowledge. When well-managed, SEPLS can significantly contribute to the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

While SEPLS provide a wide range of provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services, they can contribute to combating desertification by conserving land from degradation and to climate change mitigation and adaptation, among other things, by conserving and enhancing carbon sinks and reservoirs, and increasing resilience to adapt to adverse effects of climate change at the land and seascape levels. SEPLS also root the identities of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. The Satoyama Initiative was developed to support or re-instate harmony between societies and nature by promoting sustainable socio-economic activities such as sustainable agriculture, fisheries, and forestry that are in line with natural ecological processes. To facilitate and accelerate the implementation of activities under the Satoyama Initiative, the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI) was launched in 2010 during the 10th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Partnership is open to all organizations engaged with SEPLS. As of June 2023, IPSI comprised 304 members committed to supporting SEPLS for the benefit of biodiversity and human well-being through the implementation of their individual and collaborative activities. IPSI members include national and local governmental organizations; government-affiliated organizations; non-governmental and civil society organizations; Indigenous Peoples and Local Community organizations; academic, educational and/or research institutes; industry and private sector organizations; and United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations. Not all the stakeholders working on SEPLS are IPSI members, but IPSI is open to collaborating with all interested stakeholders and sharing knowledge and experiences with other networks.

The large and growing number of IPSI members, their diversity, and the wide range of activities they carry out in diverse geographical, ecological, edaphic, historical, climatic, cultural, and socio-economic conditions, including the conservation of biodiversity at the genetic, species, and ecosystem levels are key assets for the Partnership. However, there is a need to further promote coordination, cooperation, coevolution, and synergy and, thus, maximize results and impacts based on effective and efficient resource use in implementing activities under the Satoyama Initiative. The purpose of the present strategy is to enhance complementarity and synergies among the activities of IPSI members, on the one hand, and guide IPSI members and other partners, on the other hand, to contribute to implementing activities related to the Satoyama Initiative at the local, national, regional, and international levels.