Report on the development and use of manuals and associated selection tools for tree species and management options for agroforestry interventions in the Lake Tanganyika basin

'Report on the development and use of manuals and associated selection tools for tree species and management options for agroforestry interventions in the Lake Tanganyika basin', p.33, 2012

This report synthesizes the research work conducted by the World Agroforestry Centre in developing, customising, and testing recommendations for tree selection and management in the Demonstrations Sites located in DRC Zambia and Tanzania, to promote the adoption of sustainable agroforestry practices under the Lake Tanganyika Regional Integrated Management and Development Programme (LTRIMDP). Using a novel approach combining local and scientific knowledge concerning trees and ecosystem services, the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) created an innovative toolkit suited to the different sites in the Lake Tanganyika Basin to support the design of agroforestry interventions to reduce soil erosion and sedimentation and improve livelihoods.The â??Useful Trees for the Lake Tanganyika Basin Toolkitâ?? encompasses a number of simple electronic tools with information customised from ground-truthing participatory fieldwork and several workshops conducted in each of the three countries over the period 2010 to 2012, combined with scientific and technical knowledge. The Toolkit is designed to help extension agents, natural resource managers and users within the different catchment areas make decisions about selecting and managing suitable trees for planting or assisting natural regeneration. Decisions are guided by matching community needs and site conditions with specific local trees (native and exotic) that provide a wide range of key products and environmental services. The Toolkit is a tangible product that the LTRIMDP is keen to leave with local communities through trained extension agents and community leaders, to foster successful tree planting interventions, tailored according to different farmersâ?? preferences and farm conditions around the Lake Basin. Having successfully tested the different tools with a total of 130 individual farmers, the World Agroforestry Centre refined the Toolkit and the associated User Guide and produced a series of customized Field Manuals on Tree Selection and Management for each country, in English for Zambia and Tanzania, and in French for the DRC component. The Field Manual and Toolkit are to be disseminated to local agricultural, forestry and environmental extension services and community leaders, and is expected to serve as an important local reference guide beyond the life span of the programme and to contribute to scaling out sustainable agroforestry interventions that reduce sedimentation in the Lake Tanganyika whilst providing socio-economic benefits to the local communities around the Basin