Assessing Carbon Credits as a Sustainable Funding Mechanism for Participatory Forest Management in Tanzania

Assessing Carbon Credits as a Sustainable Funding Mechanism for Participatory Forest Management in Tanzania

Assessing Carbon Credits as a Sustainable Funding Mechanism for Participatory Forest Management in Tanzania

Country: Tanzania

Lead Partner: Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania

Summary: Tanzania is rich in biodiversity but faces rapid deforestation and severe poverty. Villages own 46% of forests, but resource limitations hinder effective management and deforestation continues apace. Carbon credits offer potential incentives for climate mitigation and biodiversity preservation, yet their applicability to village forests remains unproven at scale.

This project aims to collaborate closely with local communities to evaluate the feasibility of carbon credit schemes, considering costs, benefits and governance. Additionally, it will focus on capacity-building initiatives for village governments and stakeholders, empowering them to navigate carbon markets effectively. Through this approach, the project aims to harness the power of carbon markets to combat climate change, safeguard biodiversity, and alleviate poverty in Tanzania’s forested areas.

Photograph (detail): Laitche

Creation of an Intercultural biodiverse Seed Bank with the Indigenous “Resguardo Puerto Naranjo” for enhancing restoration and conservation efforts in degraded areas in the Colombian Amazon

Country: Colombia

Lead Partner: Fundación Tropenbos Colombia

Summary: The programme will establish intercultural seed banks to store and distribute a wide variety of seeds of indigenous forest species for a variety of uses such as food, medicine, architecture and art, in line with the government’s restoration objectives.

The programme will integrate Indigenous and scientific knowledge to identify and geo-reference seed source trees. Laboratory tests will determine the most efficient local practices for seed production. Local methodologies, participatory action research and quantitative data coming from a live laboratory will be deployed to create a sustainable strategy for intercultural seed banks suitable for the climate and geography of Puerto Naranjo Resguardo and the Amazon.

A systemic approach will allow for innovation in the creation of a scalable plan that positions intercultural seed banks as a local solution to help improve livelihoods, address the current effects of climate change and restore biodiversity in indigenous territories.  Outputs will include local research, scientific articles, a collaborative database, storytelling and a business plan for the community to transform the initiative into a sustainable income-generating opportunity.

Photograph (detail): Dmitry Makeev

 

EMBRACE: Engaging Local Communities in Minor Crop Utilisation for Biodiversity Conservation and Livelihood Enrichment

Countries: Ghana and Kenya

Lead Partner: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI), Ghana

Summary: EMBRACE is a comprehensive project aimed at improving the livelihoods of 1250 impoverished households in Ghana and Kenya, to achieve a 40% improvement by 2027.

EMBRACE will work with 25 communities to promote sustainable agricultural practices, forest conservation, and community empowerment, targeting significant poverty, biodiversity loss and inequality reduction.

EMBRACE’s approach involves establishing 25 agroforestry model farmsteads that integrate snail, mushroom, and beekeeping production, and training 500 women and youth in sustainable agriculture and nursery management to enable them to produce diverse and nutritious food, generate income, and conserve natural resources. The project will also support community-owned nurseries and revolving funds to promote self-sufficiency, gender equity, and social inclusion.

Additionally, EMBRACE will engage stakeholders such as local governments, community leaders, and the private sector, to influence policies that support resource and biodiversity conservation. Through EMBRACE, communities will be empowered to drive their development and make informed decisions about their natural resources.

The project’s impact will be felt beyond the 25 communities, serving as a model for sustainable development and community-led conservation in Ghana and Kenya. Thus, EMBRACE will contribute to a more just and sustainable world, where communities thrive in harmony with nature.

Photograph (Detail): McKay Savage

Exploración de vías de uso sostenible de la tierra para los ecosistemas, la seguridad alimentaria y la mitigación de la pobreza: oportunidades para el programa de propiedad de alimentos de Indonesia

País: Indonesia Socio principal: Universidad de Sussex Resumen: Este proyecto transdisciplinar se ocupa de comprender la dinámica del cambio en el uso de la tierra y de apoyar la creación conjunta de vías hacia un uso sostenible de la tierra que aborde los problemas de la biodiversidad, el cambio climático, la seguridad alimentaria y la pobreza. Se centra en las oportunidades de los programas de agricultura sostenible en Indonesia, en el contexto de la gran preocupación que suscitan sus efectos medioambientales y sociales adversos. El programa trabajará con comunidades agrícolas, ONG, agencias conservacionistas y organismos gubernamentales, reuniendo datos cuantitativos y cualitativos (y conocimientos formales e informales) para visualizar y evaluar los múltiples valores de los paisajes y el impacto de las intervenciones en fincas alimentarias en lugares con diversos sistemas de monocultivo y agrosilvicultura. Pretende apoyar un diálogo productivo y basado en pruebas mediante el desarrollo y el uso de una herramienta de cartografía y modelización de acceso abierto; desarrollar escenarios de uso de la tierra que integren la resiliencia climática y la conservación de la biodiversidad en iniciativas que apoyen los medios de subsistencia sostenibles de las comunidades agrícolas y preocupaciones más amplias sobre la seguridad alimentaria. A través de la investigación-acción participativa y de actividades de desarrollo de capacidades con las principales partes interesadas, el programa identificará oportunidades de planificación del uso de la tierra y del proceso político, así como puntos de intervención práctica.