Regreening with Justdiggit

Restoring desertified, dry land using techniques including rainwater harvesting

Nature-based solutions are now widely recognised as a key approach to tackling climate change. This community-owned and implemented project restores desertified, dry land using proven methods including rainwater harvesting through earth bunds (“earth smiles”) and large-scale tree restoration (Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration, or Treecovery). By helping landscapes regenerate naturally, the project improves soil health, restores vegetation, and supports local communities. A greener planet is a cooler planet.

Info

Purchase type

By funding this project you are contributing to their work. You will receive impact reports and measurements but you won't receive a carbon credit.

Active since: 28 October 2022

Category

Biodiversity

Background

Why did we choose this project?

Restoring nature is essential alongside reducing emissions if we are to maintain a liveable planet. As climate change drives desertification across Africa, valuable land is becoming less productive despite the continent’s fertile soils and strong growing conditions. Through proven, community-led restoration techniques, this project helps reverse land degradation, improve biodiversity, strengthen food and water security, increase carbon sequestration, and create lasting benefits for both local communities and ecosystems.

How does it work?

The project combines two proven restoration techniques to help degraded landscapes recover naturally. Rainwater harvesting bunds (or ‘Earth smiles’) capture rainfall, reduce erosion, and improve soil moisture, allowing grasses and other native plants to return. At the same time, existing tree stumps are carefully managed through natural regeneration, enabling indigenous trees to regrow from established root systems. Together, these approaches restore biodiversity, improve water retention, and create healthier, more resilient ecosystems.

How do we know it's working?

Our partner rigorously measures and reports its impact, ensuring restoration outcomes are transparent and evidence based. To date, more than 450,000 rainwater harvesting bunds have been created, helping restore over 430,000 hectares of degraded land and capture millions of cubic metres of water. In addition, over 18 million indigenous trees have been restored through natural regeneration, soil health, carbon storage, and providing valuable resources for local communities.

UN Sustainability Goals

About UN Sustainability Goals

Location

Kenya, Tanzania

Want to find out more?

Get in contact

Action feed

In Central Tanzania, the Kisiki Hai campaign brought restoration messages to life through football tournaments, public transport branding and radio programmes promoting regreening practices. Photo credit: Justdiggit

Early in 2026, Justdiggit's first movie roadshow in Kenya was a success, attracting more than 16,000 people across several locations in Kajiado County, showing strong interest in grass seeds, hay production and restoration training. Photo credit: Justdiggit

In 2025, 42 kilometres of new water-harvesting trenches were dug. This brings the total to over 260 kilometres of trenches that help reduce soil erosion and improve water retention on farms in project areas. Additionally, 127,906 new bunds were constructed across the project landscapes — a 20% increase compared to last year. Photo credit: Justdiggit

In 2025, Justdiggit trained 144 new Champion Farmers, bringing the total to more than 2,350 trained champions. These respected and motivated farmers inspire, train and coach others in their communities, and are the driving force behind the grassroots regreening movement. Photo credit: Justdiggit

In 2025, Justdiggit passed over 500,000 hectares of land regreening - 45,000 hectares of which were added last year alone. This impact has been driven by a team of over 215,000 farmer households regenerating trees on their land. Photo credit: Justdiggit

Zebras spotted next to the Ilchakita & Lormeuti Extension site in January 2026, signaling a crucial return of wildlife. Photo credit: JustDiggit

The digging process involves training Supervisors on bund placement according to the gradient or slope, ensuring they face the direction of water flow to collect water, which aids in grass germination and growth.

Lormeuti bund digging is one of the bunds restoration initiatives which commenced early August 2025 with 244 community members engaged as casuals, 44 supervisors, and 200 diggers for both sites (Lormeuti and Ilchakita). So far, over 45,800 bunds have been constructed, seeded.

Completed bunds at the Lormeuti site. The microclimate created by these bunds will alleviate the prolonged droughts faced by the community.

A woman digging a soil bund in the Lormeuti bund site in the Chyulu Hills, Southern Kenya. The resulting soil and water conservation will bring back vegetation, leaving more natural pastures available to the community.

The Climate Classic and Climate Marathon in the Netherlands raised around 170,000 Euros for Justdiggit. Hundreds of people cycled 375km along the length of the country, while others ran a marathon - together generating funding to support tree recovery and the digging of 'earth smile' bunds.

With 112 community members, the digging started in Kuku Group Ranch in the Chyulu Hills which started in April to meet the target of 24.220 bunds (also known as ‘Earth Smiles’) covering 303 hectares–around 600 football fields–of land.

Grasses and shrubs already returning and being protected from wildlife by dried branches until fully recovered.

The rains begin in November and the bunds start collecting to allow the lands to regreen.

In partnership with the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, the community of Langata, Southern Kenya in the Chyulu Hills digging bunds.

🤝 Support our new project area in Langata, Kenya, where we aim to dig 10,000 Earth Smiles. Help us fill Langata with Earth Smiles, because regreening is done together! 🇰🇪🌱

The effect of regreening over six years – from dry, dusty desert to green, expanding savannah. Imagine the impact these #EarthSmiles can have in the years to come! 🌱🌱🌱 Photo courtesy of Justdiggit in partnership with Lead Foundation.

1-year regreening effect! These Earth Smiles grow greener with every rainy season, and there’s no turning back, as the vegetation sprouting is perennial. Now, Meserani village is bursting with new life, and soon, the village will be covered in lush, green grasses.

From dust... to life These powerful Earth Smiles might do more than you think: besides capturing rainwater, they also slow down erosion and preserve the precious, fertile soil! These incredible before-after shots were taken at our project area in Mesrani, Tanzania.

Some very green Earth Smiles, after new bunds were dug in order to harvest rainwater and re-generate desertified and dry land.