One of the smallest countries in Africa, Burundi's lands are mostly agricultural or pasture. Settlement by rural populations has led to deforestation, soil erosion and habitat loss. The government of Burundi pledged to restore 2 million hectares of land by 2020.

Ethiopia has 31 endemic species of mammals and is a global center of avian diversity, but is struggling with deforestation. Ethiopia has pledged to restore 15 million hectares of its land by 2020, through a Bonn Challenge pledge.

Although the Guinean and Ivorian sides of the Nimba Massif, a protected area, are a UNESCO Strict Nature Reserve, the portion of the so-called Guinean Backbone continues into Liberia, where it has been mined for decades.