April 29, 2026
JOHANNESBURG (April 29, 2026) – Better livestock and fire management across Africa’s vast savannas, grasslands and shrublands could unlock one of the continent’s biggest opportunities for climate action — while boosting food security, supporting pastoral livelihoods and protecting iconic wildlife, according to a new report by Conservation International and the Future Ecosystems For Africa program at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa.
Covering nearly 70 percent of sub-Saharan Africa, these landscapes could sequester up to 11 gigatons of emissions equivalent to the warming impact of carbon dioxide by 2050 through sustainable practices such as rotational grazing and prescribed burns. That’s roughly one-fifth of current global annual greenhouse gas emissions.
Drawing on expertise from across the African continent, the findings are part of Africa’s Nature Transition: A Roadmap for People, Nature and Climate, a report that identifies science-based actions to protect and restore nature while advancing economic growth and social development.
Although Africa contributes only 4 percent of global emissions, it faces disproportionate climate impacts. The report argues that the continent’s own natural landscapes represent an important opportunity for mitigating those impacts. It shows how protecting, managing and restoring grasslands, forests and coastlines can advance Africa’s climate agenda — even as rapid population growth and rising temperatures increase pressure on land, water and food systems.
“For too long, global climate policy and finance have treated Africa as an afterthought. This roadmap seeks to change that,” said Conservation International’s Chief Field Officer in Africa, Jimmiel Mandima. “It’s an African-led initiative that says economic growth doesn’t have to come at a high carbon cost — we can drive climate action while also advancing economic growth aspirations and lifting people out of poverty.”
Overall, the roadmap finds that protecting and restoring Africa’s ecosystems could deliver up to 1.6 gigatons of carbon mitigation annually from 2026 to 2050, while also creating jobs and protecting nature.
The roadmap highlights sustainable livestock and fire management as the largest climate mitigation opportunity among its eight priority “action tracks.” For example, following rotational grazing plans that allow the land to rest and recover can increase carbon storage in soil and native grassland species.
Conservation International is already putting this approach into practice through Herding for Health, a community-led program that works with pastoralist communities to implement planned grazing and remove invasive vegetation while improving the health of their cows and sheep, and accessing better markets and higher prices for them. The model is being applied across 1 million hectares (2.5 million acres) of rangelands in seven African countries – demonstrating how better livestock management can strengthen livelihoods while restoring nature.
The roadmap highlights several other “action tracks,” including:
- Reforestation and freshwater ecosystem restoration: Restoring degraded forests, wetlands and watersheds through natural regeneration, assisted planting and sustainable water management could capture up to 8Gt of carbon dioxide equivalents by 2050, while improving water quality, and reducing flood and drought risks. Notably, the report fills a gap by proposing ecologically appropriate methods for restoring tree cover in savannas and woodlands — areas previously subject to inappropriate afforestation targets.
- Climate-smart farming and cultivation: By scaling regenerative and agroforestry practices across just half of Africa’s smallholder farms, the continent could prevent 6.5 Gt of carbon dioxide equivalents by 2050 while boosting yields and creating millions of new agricultural jobs.
- Climate-critical landscape protection: Expanding and better managing protected areas and wildlife corridors in Africa’s most important natural landscapes could prevent up to 4 Gt of carbon dioxide equivalents by 2050, while protecting wildlife.
“The Roadmap provides practical and inclusive pathways for nature-based climate action”, said report co-author Laura Pereira, co-Principal Investigator of the Future Ecosystems For Africa program. “We aim to inspire novel approaches to natural climate solutions globally by defining best practices that start with the needs of local people and their environments. It also fills an urgent gap by using ecologically-based methods for restoring tree cover in savannas and woodlands, which previously have been subject to inappropriate afforestation targets.
A call for investment and partnership
Nature already underpins an estimated 62 percent of Africa’s GDP, with about 70 percent of communities in sub-Saharan Africa relying on forests and woodlands for economic security — underscoring the importance of protecting these landscapes.
But the continent faces mounting pressure from population growth, rising food demand and intensifying climate impacts.
The roadmap calls for coordinated action across sectors, urging governments to embed nature targets into national climate plans while encouraging financial institutions to expand green investment and close persistent climate finance gaps.
Ultimately, the report argues that advancing natural climate solutions in Africa is not only a regional priority, but a global necessity that must be done in a way that puts equity first.
“Climate change is accelerating and the window for action through adaptation is closing,” said Perushan Rajah, who leads Conservation International’s nature-based solutions in Africa and co-authored the report. “This report shows that Africa is central to the global solution. Investing in nature now can help chart a unique path forward that allows people and nature to co-exist in harmony.”
Africa’s Nature Transition: A Roadmap for People, Nature and Climate builds on Conservation International’s global Exponential Roadmap for Natural Climate Solutions, which outlines a path to reach net-zero emissions from the land sector by 2030 through natural climate solutions. Issued in 2022, the global roadmap is designed to help communities steward lands, support countries in identifying climate opportunities, and guide companies and financiers toward effective climate investments.
Read more on Conservation International’s work in Africa:
- TED talk by Conservation International’s Managing Director for East Africa, Seif Hamisi: “Why I want to bring lions back to my village”
- Can an ancient tradition save an African savanna?
- In the fight to save a unique desert, tradition meets innovation
- Long silenced, an African park roars back to life
- In Kenya, global crisis sparked 'a new way to do conservation'
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About Conservation International: Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, for biodiversity and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples and local communities to help people and nature thrive together. Go to Conservation.org for more, and follow our work on Conservation News, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
About Future Ecosystems for Africa: Future Ecosystems for Africa supports research on conservation and development issues across the continent. We manage a portfolio of projects that work together to: Promote strong voices coming from within Africa - creating diverse, African-led futures that are just and sustainable; Support multidisciplinary science that taps the wealth of knowledge and data existing on the continent; Empower African citizens to drive and respond to global change by providing useful tools and mechanisms for decision making and action. Funded by , FEFA is a flagship initiative of Wits University’s and School of Animal Plant and Environmental Sciences. We unite experts and partners across Africa and beyond to build resilient ecosystems, conserve biodiversity and promote sustainable resource management across the continent. For more information, visit our website and LinkedIn.