Local populations around protected and unprotected areas depend mostly on the forest for their livelihood.  Forest provides a variety of resources from firewood, food, and land for agriculture, water and medicines.  Local population usually used these forest resources unsustainably.  In other to reconcile conservation with local development, this programme has as main objective to support rural community through development and alternative livelihood options. The following activities will be implemented in collaboration with local government and community stakeholders.

• Set up a sustainable community development model.
• Identify and prioritize alternative livelihood and economic options in target communities.
• Support alternative livelihood options prioritized by the target communities.
• Sensitize community members on value-added chain of agricultural and Non-Timber Forest Products.
• Sensitization of communities on the Assess and Benefit Sharing Initiative (ABS).
• Identify natural resources for ABS.
• Training of community members on the sourcing, production, and preservation of the resources.