Project To Provide Tools For Carbon Trading Launched, Communities To Gain
A USD 5.5 million project aimed at developing tools that would help boost carbon trading in Africa has been launched.
Written by Naftali Mwaura, ASNS News, Monday, 11 May 2009
The project, targeted to benefit grassroot communities, is a partnership bringing together the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Agro forestry Centre (ICRAF) and a range of other partners actively involved in assisting local communities execute projects aimed at reducing green house gas emissions.
The launch comes against a background of accelerated momentum globally, to cover a milestone in carbon reduction targets as spelt out in the Kyoto Protocol. Implementation of these carbon benefits projects will boost the resilience and adaptation capacity of farmers and fishermen in Western Kenya to cope with adverse effects of climate change on their livelihoods.
The Western Kenya region presents a strategic litmus test on the success of carbon offsetting projects, owing to its rich ecological diversity. However, the region has borne the brunt of climate change induced disasters such as recurrent floods, droughts and disease epidemics.
“There is need to empower local population in sustainable management of the entire ecological infrastructure critical in reducing carbon emissions” says Peter Gilruth, Director, Division of Early Warning Assessment, UNEP.
Carbon offsetting projects presents immense potential for investments in Africa, so long as governments create a conducive policy and regulatory environment, says Mary am Niamir-Fuller, Director, Division of Global Environment Facility, UNEP She observed that carbon reduction projects have been successful in African Countries that have established incentives such as sound policy framework as well as political goodwill.
She called on African governments to entrench carbon offsetting projects in all development activities. “However, true economic value of ecosystem services has not been captured by the policy makers in governments and private sector in Africa, hence the slow uptake of projects that seeks to reduce green house gas emissions”, she told Africa Science News Service.
Echoing similar sentiments, the Deputy Director General, World Agro forestry Center (ICRAF), Tony Simons, called for a paradigm shift in carbon trading, which hinges on “narrowing the gap between science, policy and practice to incorporate local communities in the implementation of carbon benefits projects”
He called on heightened awareness creation to boost the capacity of local communities in measuring carbon footprints.
According to Girluth, grassroot communities present a strategic entry point on carbon reduction initiatives. “However, local populations are not benefiting from carbon sequestration initiatives because of policy and infrastructure constraints”, he said. Girluth told Africa Science News Service that the new carbon benefits projects fully incorporate local communities inWestern Kenya from the design and implementation stages.
The skills of local farmers, conservationists and fishermen will be utilized to support sustainable management of land, forests and water resources, he says.
According to a UNEP statement, catchments in and around Lake Victoria have been chosen as a test-bed for calculating how much carbon can be stored in trees and soils when the land is managed in a sustainable, climate-friendly ways. Similar projects will be launched in Niger, China and Nigeria and are being funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
Dubbed, “Carbon Benefits Projects (CBP)”, the latest initiative incorporate scientists and local communities in measuring, monitoring and managing carbon in a diverse range of landscapes.
The projects implementation will cover eighteen months. The implementation of these carbon benefits projects will open the door to more environmentally friendly types of agriculture such as agro forestry and conservation farming.Grassroots communities will be paid per tonne of green house gases removed from the atmosphere.
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