The habitats that are home to the Hadza, Datooga, Masai and a range of smallholder farmers are subject to exploitation by migrant farmers and practices that are not allowed under their land use plans. Indeed, 70% of Tanzania’s total emissions come from deforestation and the majority of this is due to illegal land conversion to subsistence agriculture.
Carbon Tanzania designs and implements projects that not only recognise the role of Indigenous people and local communities in conservation, but integrally depend on their involvement. Indigenous people and local communities are often the most effective conservationists, with valuable traditional knowledge about their forests and landscapes that makes them the best stewards of nature. By fairly and respectfully rewarding these communities for their success in protecting and managing biodiversity, and preventing additional carbon emissions, we are making nature a truly sustainable economic choice. Instead of bearing the cost of conservation, communities are benefiting from a commitment to manage and conserve the ecosystem
“The financial revenues from the carbon credits we now earn from protecting our forests in the way we always have, mean that we now have the resources to ensure our land is not invaded and our forests stay standing.”
Supuk Olekao, Makame WMA
We create a link to the global financial system for the communities that are developing forest protection activities, through the certification of carbon credits. The sales of these credits enables local communities to earn revenues from the protection of their community-owned natural resources. It allows us to deliver regular, reliable financial flows to local communities, stimulating rural economies and through that the national economy.
Carbon finance incentivises communities across Tanzania to protect local forests, ecosystems and wildlife, making it economically worthwhile for them to do so.
Because local communities are so effective at protecting their natural resources, Carbon Tanzania contracts with Indigenous peoples and local communities who develop their own community-created land use plans. This ensures they have a legal basis on which they can benefit from carbon finance as well as helping international efforts to protect nature.
Recent reports tell us that recognising indigenous land rights leads to lower deforestation rates, higher biodiversity conservation and higher carbon storage. In the Yaeda Valley and Eyasi region our community partners hold CCROs, in Makame and Ruvuma WMAs provide management rights while in the Ntakata Mountains the communities protect their forests with Village Land Forest Reserves.
Carbon finance encourages communities across Tanzania to protect local forests, ecosystems and wildlife, making it economically worthwhile for them to do so.
“We set up a community conservation area, or Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in 2009 to stop the invasion of our land and its deforestation by nearby subsistence agriculturalists.”
Supuk Olekao, Makame WMA
We guarantee that all of our forest community partners receive a minimum of 61% of the initial sales revenue, aligning with the Tanzanian Carbon Trading Regulations. Each project is different in terms of how the money is allocated, but in all cases it is done transparently through existing social and governance structures with a clearly defined grievance process.
We guarantee that all of our forest community partners receive a minimum of 61% of the revenue generated by the sale of carbon credits. Each project is different in terms of how the money is allocated, but in all cases it is done transparently through existing social and governance structures with a clearly defined grievance process. The communities and the village government hold regular meetings where the revenue is announced and decisions on how the revenue is to be allocated are made. Revenue is transferred directly into local village bank accounts while minutes of the meetings are held as legal documents and verified as part of the carbon project.
Carbon Tanzania is a business making the protection of forests and biodiversity valuable to Tanzania and its people.
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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.
