MVIWAARUSHA Participates in CBD COP17 in Armenia: Strengthening Community Leadership in Landscape and Biodiversity Restoration

MVIWAARUSHA was represented at the 17th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17), held in Yerevan, Armenia, by its Programs Officer, Mr. Damian Sulumo, who participated in several side events and engagements aimed at strengthening partnerships, sharing experiences, and promoting community-led approaches to biodiversity conservation and landscape restoration.

During the conference, Mr. Sulumo actively engaged with different stakeholders and development partners, representing MVIWAARUSHA and bringing the experiences and perspectives of local communities in Tanzania to the global biodiversity dialogue.

One of the key highlights of his participation was representing MVIWAARUSHA and Tanzania as a panelist in an important discussion titled:“From Participation to Leadership: Communities Driving Landscape and Biodiversity Restoration.”

The discussion brought together community leaders and development partners to explore how local communities can move beyond participation to become active leaders and decision-makers in landscape restoration and biodiversity conservation.

During the panel discussion, Mr. Sulumo shared experiences and perspectives from MVIWAARUSHA’s work with local communities, emphasizing the importance of empowering communities, strengthening local institutions, recognizing indigenous and local knowledge, and ensuring that communities are at the centre of biodiversity conservation and restoration initiatives.

He also exchanged knowledge and experiences with representatives and partners from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through its Forest and Farm Facility (FFF), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), World Vision, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and the World Resources Institute (WRI).

These engagements provided valuable opportunities for learning, networking, sharing good practices, and exploring ways to translate global biodiversity commitments into practical, locally led actions that deliver meaningful benefits to communities and ecosystems.

MVIWAARUSHA recognizes that achieving global biodiversity and restoration targets requires strong community leadership, inclusive partnerships, and meaningful participation of local people in decision-making processes. The organization’s participation in CBD COP17 provided an important platform to amplify community voices and contribute to international discussions on sustainable landscape management and biodiversity restoration.

Through Mr. Sulumo’s participation, MVIWAARUSHA reaffirmed its commitment to promoting community-led conservation, sustainable natural resource management, and inclusive landscape restoration, while strengthening collaboration with national, regional, and international partners.

From participation to leadership, local communities are not just beneficiaries of restoration efforts; they are key drivers of lasting biodiversity conservation and sustainable landscapes.