The Nou Forest is a state water catchment forest lying in the southern part of Babati and Mbulu Districts of Manyara Region, northern central Tanzania. The forest, which is surrounded by eighteen villages, covers 320 square kilometers and is a source of 28 permanent rivers directly affecting the livelihoods of about 200,000 people.

The project is under the Government JFM Programme, which works with Village Environmental Committees to develop sustainable management plans that will combine watershed management and biodiversity protection with sustainable forest use. 

The main approach of the project is to facilitate and provide support to communities adjacent to the forest so that they take responsibility for their own development; thereby contributing to conservation and poverty alleviation in Tanzania. The role of the project is to support the process and provide technical expertise to enable communities and government staff to implement JFM initiatives.