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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In Yaeda Valley, the basis of our success has been the community developed land use plans that designate areas for farming, grazing and full protection (see map), the latter being critical for the Hadza as a hunting area and of course the core of our REDD project. This 75,000 hectare area is then managed by the village governments and community groups who employ 33 walinzi wajadi, or community scouts, with revenue from carbon sales. Their job is to patrol and ensure that the land use plans are being followed.
In the beginning of July, our project manager in Yaeda Valley, Issac Bryson, called to report some land conflict issues on the Gideru ridge, an important area of woodland used for hunting and gathering by the Hadzabe, and of course an integral part of our REDD project area.
The walinzi wajadi (community guards) had reported to Isaac and the village government, that several groups of Taatoga pastoralists had moved into the protected area to graze their cattle, which is allowed at the end of the dry season, but they had also started to build bomas or cattle enclosures, which involving coppicing Commiphora trees. This report set off a chain of events, and for us a test of the systems in place for dealing with land conflict issues.
The village held a community meeting to discuss these incursions and establish why this had happened. A village task force was sent up to the Gideru ridge, a challenging days walk, to investigate and importantly for us, document the incursions.
Three bomas were asked to vacate but the Taatoga protested that there was no grass this year and they had no choice, this of course led to discussions about why. So lets take a step back for the moment and talk about the reasons for the incursions, this year has been unusual, heavy rains late in the rainy season, a colder than normal June-August period and very cloudy. Yaeda valley, usually an 8000 hectare grassland is currently waterlogged and whilst there is grass, it’s a species that inedible.
Post our community meetings the Taatoga agreed to continue grazing but not make bomas, this sort of flexibility is important as we continue to expand our protected area system in Yaeda. We are of course focused on reducing carbon emissions from deforestation and degradation, but to do that we need to avoid land conflict and continue engaging neighboring village governments in improved land management.
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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.