The project was implemented in Lingeka and Nyanza villages in the Meatu District, Shinyanga region. The main goal was to improve livelihoods for poor rural households, with a special focus on women. The core problem addressed was the lack of reliable and clean energy for lighting and inefficient use of biomass for heating and cooking. Women and girls are the most affected by indoor air pollution and burden of collecting firewood. The project addressed the problem by introducing solar home lighting systems (SHS) and energy efficient stoves.

Using indigenous knowledge (IK), communities in most parts of Tanzania have been able to conserve the environment and cope with the challenges of climate variability. Local environmental and astronomical indicators have been used to predict rainfall, and various local coping measures have been used to lessen the impacts of droughts and floods. Unfortunately, no systematic and comprehensive documentation of IK and existing coping strategies has been done.

The project entails a comparative study on incentive options for forest-based emissions reduction, biodiversity conservation and livelihood improvement, comparing villages with REDD+/PFM (Participatory Forest Managment) and without REDD+/PFM and also comparing each set of villages over time. The project interrogates the adequacy of incentives offered by REDD+ pilot projects in winning effective participation of communities living adjacent to project forests.

Climate change is one of the biggest global problems posing challenges to sustainable livelihoods and economic development, particularly for Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The adverse impacts of climate change on environment, human health, food security, human settlements, economic activities, natural resources and physical infrastructure are already noticeable in many countries. There are a number of global and national efforts to address the problem of climate change through adaptation and mitigation activities.

Coastal forests are among the hotspots of biodiversity and therefore critical for conservation in Tanzania. However, most of the previous climate change mitigation efforts in Tanzania focused on participatory forest management in rural areas and did not address the major driving force of deforestation and forest degradation from urban areas. Further, coastal forests have not been given adequate attention in climate research and on their resources linkages with urban and peri-urban environment.

Over 20 million Tanzanians depend on Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) for their livelihood, but the extent to which NTFPs and community livelihoods are vulnerable to climate change is not well established. The coping strategies of these communities have not been fully documented either. Climate change threatens the livelihood security of millions of rural Tanzanian households that rely on natural resources and rain-fed subsistence farming . Women are especially affected, because their livelihoods are vulnerable to climate hazards that are expected to become more frequent.