How forests push high TZ carbon trade

BUILDING A PROSPEROUS TANZANIA

TANZANIA boasts to be one of the countries with the highest levels of forest cover in Eastern and Southern Africa.

Among African nations, Tanzania is home to more than one-third of the continent’s plant species and the fourth richest in terms of fauna and with a fifth of all large mammal species.

Additionally, Tanzania is the second in East Africa, with an annual 10.1 million metric tonnes of green – house emissions equivalent to 0.02 per cent of the carbon dioxide products.

In the lineup, Uganda produces 0.01 per cent while both Burundi and Rwanda emit less than that.

According to the United Nations (UN)’s statistical database, the entire African continent churns out just 3.6 per cent of the total global green house gases production per year.

Official figures indicate that the more industrialised Kenya is leading the pack of emitting an annual average of 11.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, however, this accounts for just 0.04 per cent of the World’s green house gases fumes production.

According to the database, the entire African continent churns out just 3.6 per cent of the total global green – house gases productions per year.

In line with this, eight villages from three wards in Tanganyika District in the Western region of Katavi, for three consecutive years from 2020 have seized the opportunity by earning over 5.6bn/- carbon credit trade through forest conservation.

The beneficiaries are residents of eight villages of Katuma, Mpembe, Kipanga, Lwega, Mwese, Lugonesi, Bujombe and Kagunga from three wards of Mwese, Kasekese and Katuma.

However, 34,242 citizens from the aforementioned eight villages in Tanganyika District of Katavi region could now have sigh of relief as they will no longer need to trek long distance to access health services.

This is made possible after they injected some 130m/- that they earned from carbon trade to construct a new dispensary at Kagunga village, where the government injected 50m/-.

Kagunga Village Executive Officer (VEO), Ms Regina Jonas, said the new health facility that is built at Kagunga village was initiated by citizens of eight villages in November 2021, and the project was scheduled for completion in December 30 last year.

“Upon completion the project will cost 180m/- and to date it has consumed 129.8m/-, being the citizens’ contribution after earning 149.4m/- from carbon trade in four and five phases,” she explained.

Mid July this year, while in official working tour in Tanganyika District, Vice-President Dr Philip Mpango handed over a dummy cheque worth 2.3bn/- that has been earned by the  Tanganyika District Council and eight villages through the carbon credit trade.

In his analysis, he directed the State Ministry (Union Affairs and Environment) to work on shortfalls in the policy that administers carbon trade in the country so that the nation can benefit from the business.

Dr Mpango also instructed the ministry to embark on public sensitisation programmes that will create awareness on opportunities that are being brightened by carbon business for individual and national development.

In response, Tanganyika District Council Chairman, Mr Hamad  Mapengo said the project goes along with maintaining the ecology of the area, which has a total of 216,944 hectares of forest being surrounded by 34,242 residents of eight villages.

In analysis, the Vice-President’s Office (VPO) is keen to ensure that the eight villages in Tanganyika earn between 6bn/- and 7bn/- a year through carbon emission trade.

The VPO Assistant Director (Environment), Mr Faraja Ngeregeza said that would be possible through project dubbed Supporting implementation of Integrated Ecosystem Management Approach for Sustainable Landscape Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation in Tanzania.”

The five year project is implemented by VPO.

Equally, he called upon other district councils to borrow a leaf from Tanganyika District, whose eight villages from three wards have earned over 2.5bn/- mid – last year through carbon emission trade.

On his part, Tanganyika District Forestry Officer, Mr January Kazoba said such success story was made possible through sustainable forests conservation and land management initiatives.

He added: “It was after the eight villages from three wards entered a contract with Carbon Tanzania…citizens from three wards of eight  villages mid – last year were able to earn more than 2.5bn/- metric tonnes from carbon set off trade to Carbon Tanzania from 99,000 ha of conserved forests.”

Carbon Tanzania is a firm measuring the amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced in various ways, including protecting forests and planting new trees in specified precincts to realise the economic value of their forests.

For instance by protecting one tree equals or off setting one metric tonne of carbon.

The government launched guidelines and regulations for doing carbon business in the country, with the ministry responsible instructing  the Vice-President Office’s Environment Department, Carbon Monitoring Centre and the National Environmental Management  Council (NEMC) to cooperate with all sectors in all regions to oversee its implementation.

The minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office (Union and Environment), Dr Selemani Jafo, launched the crucial documents in Dodoma last year, as he underscored the need for legal compliance on the guidelines and Regulations.

Dr Jafo equally directed all regional secretariats, local government authorities and development stakeholders to effectively manage the implementation of the regulations and guidelines so as to bring financial gain to the nation.

He said carbon trade is one of the most important resources in dealing with climate change in the world.

“This business takes place among members of the Climate Change Convention and, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement to which Tanzania is a member.

“Together with the existing policies and strategies, the government has been taking into consideration the importance of this business and prepared the National Regulations and Guidelines for the management of carbon business in the country,” he added.

Elaborating, Dr Jafo noted that the main aim of the newly launched regulations and guidelines was to set the procedures and conditions that will be considered by all stakeholders, and entrepreneurs of carbon business, when implementing new and ongoing projects within and outside the country.

“These regulations and guidelines also aim at creating a friendly environmental and business management in the country, they have been already signed and announced in the National Gazette No. 636 and 637 of October 28, thus they are ready for use,” said the minister.

He also explained that they are based on strengthening the country’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, hence reducing their impact on the environment.

Carbon trade is the process of buying and selling of credits that permit a company or other entity to emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gasses.

The carbon credits and the carbon trade are authorised by governments with the goal of gradually reducing overall carbon emissions and mitigating their contribution to climate change.

Emergence of carbon accounting and footprint management software has enabled businesses of all sizes to accurately, easily, and cost-effectively measure their scopes 1-3 emissions, as well as get guidance on reducing their carbon footprint. Some emissions, however, simply can’t be reduced or eliminated.

The forests in Tanzania mainland are high in biodiversity. The country contains over 10,000 plant species, hundreds of which are nationally endemic. Of the plant species, 305 are identified as threatened in the IUCN Red List, with 276 species classified as Endangered.