The science behind better decisions to restore degraded landscapes

Project Update July 23, 2026

Why is soil carbon an important part of this story? Carbon itself is not necessarily a bad thing. When it is stored in the soil, it is part of a healthy ecosystem. The concern is when that carbon is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. In our semi-circular bunds project, we first have to dig the soil to create the bunds. That disturbance may release some of the carbon stored in the ground. At the same time, the bunds are designed to support vegetation recovery. As the vegetation returns, it recaptures carbon dioxide and stores carbon in the soil again. Our hypothesis is that, over time, the benefits will outweigh the initial losses. The challenge is understanding where that balance lies. So the project is trying to put numbers behind the hypothesis? Exactly. We want to know how much carbon is released when the bund is dug, how much carbon is stored again as vegetation comes back, and how long that process takes. If we lose a certain amount of carbon at the beginning, do we recover the same amount later? Twice as much? Three times as much? Or not enough? That is what we are trying to understand. What inspired this project?  We started working with semi-circular bunds in Kenya through the support of an organization called Justdiggit . Later, during discussions with one of our partners, a question emerged: could digging the soil to create bunds convert these areas to carbon sources and release too much carbon to offset some of their restoration benefits? That conversation led to the idea for this project. We wanted to understand how much carbon is lost when bunds are dug, how much is regained as vegetation returns, and at what point the balance becomes positive.  How are you measuring this in the field? We are comparing sites with bunds to nearby control sites without bunds. First, we sampled undisturbed soil, then dug new bunds and sampled again to measure the immediate carbon pulse caused by the disturbance. We are also sampling bunds of different ages, including sites established in different years, to build a picture of how soil organic carbon changes over time. Samples are taken at different depths and then sent to the laboratory for analysis. What makes the findings useful beyond this single project? The findings can help practitioners make more informed decisions. If the results show that bunds are a net positive for climate mitigation, that is useful information. If they show a net negative impact, that is useful as well. It does not automatically mean we should stop digging bunds. Climate mitigation is only one objective. In some places, restoring pasture, supporting biodiversity, or improving livelihoods may be equally important. Our role is not to make the decision for practitioners. Our role is to provide information that helps them understand the trade-offs. What have you already learned from the fieldwork? One important lesson is that soil type matters. In some places, the ground is so hard or rocky that water may not infiltrate as expected. If the objective is groundwater recharge, that changes some of the assumptions. It suggests that geological information should be considered before digging bunds. In some cases, additional techniques may be needed to help water infiltrate deeper into the ground. In others, bunds may simply not be the right solution for that objective. 

Shell power: the unexpected fuel of the Amazon 

Project Update July 19, 2026

If you would like to know more about the project, reach out to Diana Miranda, Project Lead and Technical Advisor for Learning, Monitoring, and Evaluation at the Wyss Academy for Nature

Transformation Fund – Ready to Start

Project Update May 4, 2026

Shaping the Transformation Fund together 

Project Update February 27, 2026

Refining the path forward for the Transformation Fund 

Project Update October 30, 2025

On 30 October 2025, the Wyss Academy for Nature and Fondation Botnar reconvened foundations and partners in Basel for the second Transformation Fund roundtable, building on the momentum of the August co-creation workshop. Participants included both returning and new foundations, reflecting growing interest in a collective, contribution-based approach to climate responsibility. The discussion started with a brief recap of the initiative’s rationale: the Swiss philanthropy sector contributes significantly to positive societal outcomes, yet foundations create a footprint through their operations and financial assets. The fund, therefore, provides a new way to take responsibility for this footprint, not by offsetting, but by contributing to a pooled fund, hosted by the Wyss Academy for Nature. It represents an opportunity for foundations to demonstrate climate responsibility collectively, transparently and in alignment with the Paris Agreement. A central part of the meeting was a narrative refinement exercise, during which participants, including representatives from the Wyss academy and Fondation Botnar, explored tree proposed narratives and created a fourth from scratch. Across all groups, several themes emerged: the importance of emphasizing reduction first, the need for a humble and responsible tone, and the value of positioning the fund as a sector-wide movement rather than a standalone mechanism. Participants favored narratives that balance ambition and clarity, avoid sounding like carbon-offsetting and highlight pooled resources, shared values and transformative potential. This was followed by input from the Wyss Academy on monitoring emissions, and from the New Climate Institute (Carsten Warnecke) on their climate responsibility approach. These inputs reassured that robust frameworks underpin the Fund. Participants engaged in open and constructive discussions, including on eligibility criteria for foundations interested in contributing to the Fund. The workshop also clarified next steps, which includes a third and final roundtable will be hosted by the Wyss Academy in February / early March 2026, with a focus on monitoring and learning. After the official launch of the Transformation Fund, Fondation Botnar will transition from its enabling role to becoming a contributor.

Launching a collective approach to climate responsibility 

Project Update October 27, 2025