ESP supports the restoration of forests and rehabilitation of degraded land as a central pillar of its efforts to bring about better watershed management contributing to improved water supplies to downstream users. A broad range of approaches will be utilized to achieve this.

On the ground, ESP will support the development of community nurseries, agroforestry and agricultural development activities that lead to improved land stewardship through forest restoration and the rehabilitation of degraded land. Specifically, ESP will work with the Ministry of Forestry to support and strengthen the National Forest and Land Rehabilitation Movement (GNRHL).

ESP will also support policy reform to encourage quicker progress toward forest restoration and the rehabilitation of critical land. At the national level ESP will work with the Ministry of Forestry and other stakeholders on developing policies that support responsible land tenure for community groups and individuals living in and around degraded forest land. At the local level, ESP will work with local government to explore more efficient administrative procedures for designating areas under responsible community and/or individual tenure. ESP will integrate field activities with policy reform by using field activities as pilot projects for investigating and encouraging policy reform.