A community level workshop convened in Palapye, Botswana from 2-4 December 2003, in the context of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification’s (UNCCD) Regional Action Programme (RAP) to combat desertification in Africa.

Organized jointly by the Secretariat of the UNCCD and the government of Botswana, with financial support from Germany and Norway, the workshop showcased best practices and launched pilot activities in agroforestry and soil conservation techniques. Participants included approximately 50 community representatives, farmers and extension workers from five eastern and seven southern African countries, in addition to over 10 representatives from subregional organizations (IGAD, SADC), the World Agroforestry Centre (WAC) and specialized national institutions.
In addition to presentations, participants: shared their experiences and views relating their own practices and experiences in their projects; visited a number of agroforestry project sites, planting trees on one of the sites and engaging in an onsite participatory evaluation; identified potential agroforestry projects and actions that can be implemented at community levels; and reviewed funding opportunities of agroforestry projects through possible assistance by the GEF, particularly through the PDF Block A Small Grants, and from other partners. The meeting report is available at: http://www.unccd.int/regional/africa/meetings/subregional/palapye2003_12/report-eng.pdf