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August 21, 2024
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Image credits: Carbon Tanzania/Roshni Lodhia/Paul Joyson-Hicks.
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Comparing the value of a tree pre & post the implementation of a REDD project
Over the last 5 years the outlook for a tree in the Yaeda Valley has changed dramatically. In 2009 one tree had a greater monetary value cut down than it did when it was standing. Our REDD+ project (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) was implemented in 2010 after the Hadza gained legal title over their ancestral land and were looking for ways to protect it. The project has increased the value of standing forest in the area, meaning trees are worth more alive than cut down – our infographic below explains how.
The Fate of a Tree Pre REDD+
Agriculture
The Hadza were losing their ancestral land to outsiders looking to convert healthy forests to farmland. Using slash and burn techniques farmers were razing trees to the ground and as their farming practices were unsustainable they quickly moved on to destroy more forest once the land stopped producing a good crop yield.
Grazing
Trees in the Yaeda valley were being cut down to make temporary bomas to protect the livestock of encroaching neighbours.
The disappearance of trees has enormous consequences for both the local and global environment. The removal of trees is the first step to destroying an entire ecosystem as wildlife moves on and the indigenous Hadza community are left with a barren landscape that can’t support their sustainable hunter-gatherer lifestyle. The Hadza are left without land, without food, water, shelter, history and identity.
The consequences for the global environment are just as far reaching. When a tree is cut down or burnt it releases stored carbon into the atmosphere. This release of carbon accelerates climate change with the effects being felt around the world in the form of heatwaves, increased flooding, extended droughts and more frequent super storms.
The fate of a tree POST REDD
Habitat
The trees of the Yaeda Valley provide habitat for a thriving bird population including two endemic species; the Ashy Starling and Grey-breasted Spurfowl, as well as the endangered wild dog,s and cheetahs, and a variety of other large mammals. Today the Hadza are able to maintain their traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle supported by trees that provide honey, berries, habitats for wildlife and protect water sources.
Revenue
One tree kept standing generates carbon offsets which are sold on the international carbon market with the revenue flowing back to the Hadza community. This revenue provides health care, education, employment and resource ownership to a community of over 1200 people.
Climate
Acacia trees in the Yaeda Valley also have benefits for the global community as they absorb and store carbon, helping to regulate the climate globally and slowing the rate of climate change.
If you would like to help keep one tree in the Yaeda Valley standing contact us about our gift certificates. One certificate represents 1 tree in the Yaeda Valley, each with a unique GPS waypoint to show the location of the tree you have kept standing.
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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.