Why I Believe Forest Governance is the Key to Sustainable Change
By Alexis Sompougdou, Forest Governance Specialist at Tree Aid 25th June 2025
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As Tree Aid’s Forest Governance Specialist, Alexis Sompougdou has spent nearly two decades working with communities to protect and restore forests across West Africa. Discover why he believes forest governance holds the key to lasting change.
Across Africa, trees are a lifeline. They offer food security, income, and protection for the fragile ecosystems that support life on this planet. But who has access to them? Who manages them? And who gets to decide?
Since 2007, I have dedicated my life to environmental work and have seen first-hand how forests are critical for the rural communities who depend on them for survival.
These are questions I’ve asked myself since the beginning of my career, first as a water and forestry engineer, and later when I joined Tree Aid in 2013. Over the past 18 years, I’ve seen just how vital it is to put forest governance at the heart of any meaningful restoration effort.
That belief has guided much of my work - including the Tond Tenga carbon project - first in the world to be registered using a new, globally approved standard for high-quality carbon credits, and one that puts communities and forest governance centre stage.
Time and again, we have seen how putting communities in the driving seat of forest management leads to stronger protections, for both forests and the people who rely on them. And here is why.
What is forest governance?
Forest governance is about how decisions are made and who gets to make them when it comes to managing forests. In dryland areas of Africa, where people rely heavily on trees for food and income, good forest governance means giving local communities the power to protect and manage their own forests. When communities are involved and supported, forests are better cared for - helping to fight poverty, restore land, and build resilience to climate change.
Why Forest Governance Matters
For me, forest governance is the key to sustainable development. It offers real, practical solutions to the environmental, social, and economic concerns of the communities we work with. Why? Because when local people are empowered to manage and protect their forests, they can make decisions that meet their needs while also restoring the land for future generations. It creates a sense of ownership, strengthens livelihoods, and ensures that environmental efforts are rooted in local reality.
In Burkina Faso, where I’ve worked with Tree Aid for over a decade, this approach has made a real difference. Between 2019 and 2024, communities involved in our forest governance programme saw an 84% increase in annual household income and a 55% reduction in poverty levels, proving that local forest governance can transform lives as well as landscapes.
Being able to contribute to this through my work at Tree Aid has been deeply motivating and rewarding. Listening to and addressing the environmental and socioeconomic expectations of communities is crucial. It’s through this engagement that we can unlock the full potential of trees - not just to restore landscapes, but to transform lives.
Trees Are at the Heart of It All
I’m constantly amazed by the power of trees: their ability to sequester CO₂ and give us oxygen - the very source of life.
One tree that holds special significance for me is the néré (Parkia biglobosa, or sometimes called Dawadawa). This remarkable tree is a vital source of food and nutrition in Africa. It embodies the connection between forests and wellbeing that I’ve seen throughout my career.
At Tree Aid, I’m proud to be part of a movement that sees the forest not just as a resource, but as a building block for more resilient futures.