Carbon Tanzania answers questions on Verra’s VM0048 methodology
August 21, 2024
© carbon tanzania 2024
Image credits: Carbon Tanzania/Roshni Lodhia/Paul Joyson-Hicks.
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Carbon Tanzania works with forest communities in Tanzania to protect community owned, threatened forests. The contracts we develop with the communities stipulates that it is our responsibility to develop the carbon project and sell the resulting carbon credits, and that it is the communities’ responsibility to determine the mechanics of how they will protect their forests. At each of the three project sites where we work the communities have decided to employ their own Village Game Scouts (VGS) to patrol and protect their forests from deforestation, land incursions and poaching.
We spoke with SSGT Joshua Alamayani, one of 27 VGS at the Makame Savannah project, to gain a better understanding of what impact the work of the Village Game Scouts has on his community.
I am from Ngabolo, one of the member villages of the Makame WMA. I have been a VGS since 2013 when I completed my studies at Community Based Conservation Training Centre (CBCTC) – Likuyu Sekamaganga until now.
From when I started working as a VGS until now I’ve seen big changes in the Makame landscape, which is a wildlife rich ecosystem covering 364,322ha. In 2014 the situation in the south of the project area was very bad. The southern area was regularly being invaded for unsustainable agricultural activities by people from outside the member villages of the WMA. People were destroying large areas of the reserve but since I started working as a VGS, I, together with my team, have been able to save the invaded area. Now the Makame Savannah Project area is secure. All land incursions and poaching incidents are now being addressed through the legal process and leadership of the WMA.
The community sees that the environment is now protected by the VGS with the funding of the carbon project. As a result, we can all now use the land in accordance with our pastoralist traditions and in accordance with the village land use plans that have been developed by the entire community.
We have always coexisted with Tanzania’s wild animals and our community benefits from wildlife tourism so protecting habitat for the wildlife is also valued.
Working closely with the community is vital in our efforts to protect our natural resources. Our friends, family and neighbours always communicate with us when they see illegal activities like poaching or environmental destruction which ensures these offenses can be dealt with quickly.
If you would like to support Joshua and his team of VGS protect the Makame Savannah Project Area please contact us here.
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© carbon tanzania 2024
Image credits: Carbon Tanzania/Roshni Lodhia/Paul Joyson-Hicks.
Director of Operations
David is a dedicated conservationist with both an excellent academic record and extensive field experience in designing and implementing practical conservation and agricultural project work. At Carbon Tanzania, he oversees the highly technical aspects of project operations, while also using his interpersonal and language skills to communicate the many and complex details of our projects to our partner communities and field collaborators.
Director of Finance
Alpha is a Certified Public Accountant with a degree in accountancy and finance. Alpha is responsible for overseeing all the finance and accounting systems both within the company and across our projects. Alpha’s work with the communities also ensures that they are able to plan the financial management and implement best practices in the allocation of the revenues from their successful natural resource protection activities.
Co-founder
Marc oversees project operations, often in the field as well as from the Arusha base, and leads the search to find and develop new areas where our approach can deliver lasting results. As a co-founder of Carbon Tanzania, maintaining a connection with the landscapes in which Carbon Tanzania works is critical to Marc.
Co-founder
After an established career as one of East Africa’s leading professional outdoor, trekking and wildlife guides, Jo co-founded Carbon Tanzania. Jo’s focus is to ensure business sustainability through financial management and sales, and to ensure that the company has the financial capacity to scale when opportunities arise.