Research and action for locally led nature restoration
A five-year programme to fund research-to-action initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia to restore ecosystems and reverse environmental degradation. The first grant call was put out in June 2023.
Harvesting avocados by an IPLC woman on the avocado farm (Photo: Aung Kyaw Naing/RECOFTC Myanmar)
Reversing Environmental Degradation in Africa and Asia (REDAA) is a programme that supports research and action in sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia by offering grants and facilitating mutual learning and technical support between partners.
What is IIED doing?
IIED manages the REDAA programme, which is funded by UK Aid from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
IIED has conducted regional consultations and commissioned scoping studies to find out more where the gaps are in innovation and research. The findings from these activities are informing REDAA’s grant calls.
IIED is making sure that the funding opportunity is widely disseminated and that grants awarded are assisting the programme in achieving its aims.
The REDAA programme also aims to enhance local capacity and foster collaboration among practitioners. It seeks to broaden the impact of its research-to-action initiatives by sharing generated knowledge with a wider community of practice.
Supported initiatives are offered a range of support. This might be, for example, around research methodologies, project monitoring and evaluation, reporting, strategic communications and learning and networking.
What kind of initiatives does it fund?
REDAA grants fund initiatives that are locally led, interdisciplinary and focused on solutions for ecosystem restoration and climate resilience, enabling people and nature to thrive.
Grants are awarded to initiatives for improving evidence, creating new tools or strengthening governance systems to support actions that are nature positive, improve local livelihoods and tackle the impacts of climate change.
Through what it supports and the learning it shares and communicates, the programme aims to help policymakers, practitioners and people in business to have a better understanding of natural landscapes, prioritise more ambitious sustainable strategies and allocate the right financial and human resources to take action.
Grant calls
In June 2023, REDAA launched its first grant call. It received more than 1,200 applications, and 21 locally led research-to-action initiatives received funding ranging between GBP£200,000 to £500,000.
REDAA's second grant call launched in May 2024. It focused on scaling up locally-led restoration and invited proposals for locally-led, multi-locational, research-to-action restoration programmes in specific sub-regions and environments in Africa and Asia. The call received more than over 400 applications and eight programmes have been awarded a grant of between £1m and £1.5m.
Taking place across 25 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South and Southeast Asia, all these initiatives address integrated action for nature, climate and people. Meet the REDAA supported initiatives.
Subsequent grant calls might also include additional grant types, including smaller ‘catalytic’ grants.
The REDAA programme runs until 2029.
