A View from Mozambique

THE PROBLEM
The Nova-Mambone Administrative Post is on the coast of the Govuro district in Mozambique and is especially prone to extreme climate events, such as cyclones and shifting rainfall patterns. As a consequence, the district is vulnerable to floods and droughts. To ensure sustainable livelihoods for the residents, viable and socially acceptable climate change adaptation measures are needed.

THE SOLUTION
Three years ago, the people of the district proposed a project that would identify the climate change risks and impacts they faced, as well as the natural resources used by the community in earning their living, and existing strategies for coping with climate change. Through the Climate Change and Development — Adapting by Reducing Vulnerability programme(CC DARE), UNEP, in partnership with Centre for Sustainable Development of Costal Zones, a governmental institution under the Mozambican Ministry for the Coordination of Environmental Affairs, helped the project team acquire the skills it needed on climate change adaptation and natural resources management.

The team has now also worked with other villages to help them develop new skills that can address pressing local issues such as new measures for public health and sanitation, rehabilitation and construction of water catchments, improved farming practices and livestock management, and community-based natural resource management.

IMPACTS
Sixteen thematic maps and one zoning map of the coastal area around Nova-Mambone showing suitable areas for agriculture, conservation, tourism, fishing and habitation have been developed. With help from UNEP, district technicians were trained in using the maps throughout all stages of the planning processes for new infrastructure works, such as boreholes, schools and medical centres. Using the maps, adaptation measures such as the resettlement of people, improved livestock management, the introduction of drought-resistant crops, the opening of boreholes for cattle in the dry season, and the use of gutters for water collection were adopted. Overall, through CC DARE, six per cent of the local population has been trained in adaptation and natural resource management.

SUPPORT
Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).

WEBSITE http://ccdare.org/

Boosting Carbon Markets in Africa

THE PROBLEM
In Africa, about 600 million people rely on forests and woodlands for their livelihoods. Yet, despite a rapid growth in carbon finance transactions, forest carbon projects in sub-Saharan Africa are often ignored. One of the main obstacles is the lack of local expertise to develop these kinds of projects.

THE SOLUTION
Since 2007, CASCADe, has been helping Benin, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Madagascar, Mali and Senegal to develop carbon projects from forests and farmlands by building the capacities of project developers, communities and national climate change institutions. By enhancing local expertise in setting up replicable projects in forestry, agriculture and bio-energy, CASCADe is helping to open up opportunities for African participation in Clean Development Mechanism and voluntary carbon markets, while linking buyers and sellers and bringing national experts together.

CASCADe helped the Congolese company Novacel generate carbon finance for its afforestation project. The project, called Ibi Batéké, aims to restore lands by means of agroforestry and forestry plantations. Besides supplying the 8 – 10 million inhabitants of Kinshasa’s catchment area with cassava crops, charcoal, service wood and construction timber, the project helps reduce deforestation and forest degradation in the area. Locally, it employs more than 400 people in plantation work and in processing and marketing agricultural produce. More than 1,600 hectares are already under cultivation. On 18 February 2011, the project was successfully registered with the Clean Development Mechanism of the UNFCCC. As a result of these successes, Novacel has sold 500,000 temporary carbon credits generated by the project until 2017 to the BioCarbon Fund of the World Bank, and another 500,000 carbon credits to the private sector company Orbeo. In addition, the project has recently signed a contract with the Livelihoods Fund established by a group of European corporations for the sale of another 300,000 tonnes of future carbon dioxide emission reductions. The significant stream of carbon finance resulting from these agreements will help the project develop further.

IMPACTS
By stimulating local project developers’ ability to set up carbon projects in rural Africa, CASCADe is showing that solutions to climate change and deforestation are possible. CASCADe has helped 13 project developers finalize their Project Design Document that enables them to attract the attention of carbon financiers. The 12 most advanced projects supported by CASCADe will reduce or sequester 297,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent a year, leading to significant climate and ecosystem benefits.

Overall, CASCADe has provided technical assistance to more than 20 projects in community reforestation, commercial forestry, bioenergy, and efficient cooking stoves and fish smokehouses, and has helped to avoid deforestation in seven African countries. The experience gathered from these activities has contributed to national and international policy debates on a more inclusive climate regime.

SUPPORT
Core funding from the Fonds Français pour l’Environnement Mondial (FFEM).

WEBSITE http://cascade-africa

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