Malawi: Kulera Landscape REDD+ and Cookstoves Through the combination of forest protection and the distribution of improved cookstoves, the project is using carbon finance to deliver significant emissions reductions and protect an important area of biodiversity value. The project is targeting the conservation of approximately 170,000 hectares of forest and working with local households to reduce fuelwood use, develop sustainable livelihoods, increase community resilience to climate change and promote biodiversity. Project type: Forestry and landscapes; household devices Region: Africa Standards: Vulnernable wildlife: Hunting by community members represents a significant threat to a number of endemic and threatened species in the project area.
The project The project, which has received Triple Gold from the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard because of its role in climate change adaptation and delivery of exceptional community and biodiversity benefits, is protecting forests which are gradually being degraded through a range of activities, including collection of wood for charcoal production, human-induced forest fires and animal trade. It was established to create a ring of protection around three key protected areas and reduce deforestation and degradation in Nyika National Park, Vwaza Wildlife Reserve, and Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve. These areas all differ climatically and ecologically but are facing similar threats. These protected areas, the conservation area (carbon accounting zone), and the areas where the communities live, total about 750,000 hectares combined. More than 50% of the population in the project area lives below the poverty line and one in five is chronically food insecure The project is working with farmers to adopt conservation agriculture techniques to increase yields and build resilience to climate change. The project is working with over 45,000 households who live within 10km of the protected parks and wildlife reserves. In total this is approximately 225,000 people and the average annual income is roughly US $250. More than 50% of the population in the project area lives below the poverty line and one in five is chronically food insecure. The goal of the project is to create forest based sustainable livelihoods for these communities and mitigate threats to forest resources. This includes implementing community based forest protection through patrols and project area demarcation, creating energy sources for local communities, and distributing more efficient cookstoves. A critical requirement for the project s success has been the formalising of a long term partnership with local communities, giving them rights to sustainably use the areas natural capital and conserve it. To achieve this it has strengthened the land tenure agreements and is creating participatory, decentralised governance through community associations and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife that will co-manage the area. This also allows for the rights and access to natural resources to be transferred to local communities. Contribution to sustainable development The project contributes to sustainable development in several areas: Biodiversity Protection The project was established to protect biodiversity in an area where mounting population pressure is leading to unsustainable land-use. Hunting by community members with homemade firearms and wire snare traps for large mammals represents a significant threat to species within the protected areas. In addition to reducing overall pressures, the project s biodiversity-related activities include forest patrolling, maintenance of forest boundaries, fire prevention and suppression, and assisted natural regeneration of the landscape, such as thinning, enrichment planting, and coppicing.
The project area has a High Conservation Value (HCV) since it surrounds wildlife reserves and national parks which contain some of the largest amounts of forest in the country. There are endemic and threatened species in the project area and the existing forest is large enough to support significant concentrations of species that require large habitats to survive. In Nyika National Park, there are over 95 species of mammal and an estimated 430 species of birds In Nyika National Park, there are over 95 species of mammal and an estimated 430 species of birds in what is considered an Endemic Bird Area (EPA). The most important species include the bustard and wattled crane, with the largest breeding populations in Malawi. In Vwaza Wildlife Reserve, nearly one-third of the park is covered by an extensive wetland, which provides habitat for 50 mammal species and 341 species of bird. Several endangered or vulnerable animal species are found in Vwaza, including the African elephant, African wild dog, and wattled crane. Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve is the oldest and largest wildlife reserve in Malawi and has been identified as an area of global biodiversity significance, home to lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, kudu, zebra, hippo and the endemic Malawian waterbuck. Each of the three protected areas contains aquatic ecosystems and is important for different reasons. Nyika National Park protects an important regional watershed which provides water to the Northern Region for domestic consumption, irrigation and hydro-power generation. The Vwaza marsh is an important location for waterfowl and large mammals, and the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve is an important catchment area for Lake Malawi because three major rivers (Bua, Dwangwa and Kaombe) pass through it. Energy Access The project is aiming to deliver a fuel-efficient cookstove to every household in the project zone to reduce fuelwood consumption. By the end of 2013, the project had distributed a total of 27,494 improved cookstoves. This is expected to grow until all 45,000 households are reached. The project is also creating an alternative source of fuelwood and has succeeded in planting almost 8,500,000 trees that are to be used as fuel, benefitting almost 32,000 households. The project has also had success in establishing community management of natural woodlands with almost 1,000 hectares of natural woodlands under community management so far. More than 10,000 farmers have been trained on nursery management and natural woodland generation against a year three target of 35,000. The project has purchased 100 bicycles to facilitate community monitoring of activities taking place in the project area. Water Stewardship Ecosystems have a crucial role in the global hydrological cycle as they regulate the flow and purification of water. Importantly, vegetation and forests influence the quantity of fresh water available locally 1. According to data from the World Resources Institute (WRI), all three sites are expected to become extremely more water stressed by 2025 and so maintaining forest habitats is particularly important to maintain hydrological processes.
There are almost 150 groups involved in village loans/saving schemes which has enabled additional livestock to be distributed to farmers. Local enterprises are being developed based on sustainably harvested non-timber forest products such as honey. Food Security With small-scale farming the main occupation in the area (92% of households) and one-fifth to one-quarter of households reported to be lacking food, a critical part of the project s work is increasing agricultural output and resilience to climate change. As of 2013, there are over 2,000 hectares of land under soil and water conservation practices and the project has also addressed irrigation in communities on a small scale. By 2013, more than 40,000 households had received training in improved livelihoods In order to reduce hunting pressures in the project zone, small livestock is being promoted as an important source of protein for farmers. By 2013, over 1,200 households had access to small livestock for nutrition and income. Training on feeding, veterinary care, and diagnosis of common diseases was conducted for 4,100 farmers; 26 club committees were established in order to improve farmer access to veterinary services and medication for their livestock; and 67 livestock committees who work together to look after animals and share the benefits have been set up. Financial Security Shifting livelihoods away from subsistence and improving the financial security of households is critical to reduce hunting and the use of fires for poaching in the forest. The project is working to improve household income, strengthen business capacity and improve access to financial services. Another focus of the project has been developing local enterprises based on sustainably harvested non-timber forest products (NTFPs) such as honey, coffee, macadamia, and livestock. In 2013, more than 8,000 farmers were trained in microenterprise production and processing by working with local organisations. The project produced 2.4 million coffee plant seedlings and macadamia production and processing activities are ongoing (more than 80,000 macadamia trees were planted in 2011). Education and Skills By increasing the communities knowledge in business, marketing, agriculture and forest management, the project s goal is to work with them to improve their natural resource management and livelihoods. By 2013, more than 40,000 households had received training in improved livelihoods and natural management practices, over 10,000 farmers had received training on nursery management and natural woodland regeneration, and more than 550 coffee farmers were trained in coffee husbandry and business during seven courses and eight community demonstrations. There were also 107 entrepreneurs and 50 groups trained in business skills and marketing with particular emphasis on price negotiation. Economic Growth Crops grown in the area have historically been low value for local markets, but the project is looking to increase the quality and value of products grown, as well as improve access to new markets. Honey, coffee, macadamia and livestock production are being developed to transform livelihoods away from subsistence while reducing hunting pressure and encroachment on protected areas. More than 8,000 farmers have been trained in microenterprise production and processing.
The project has implemented improved cookstoves throughout the project area Climate Adaptation Malawi and farmers in the area have experienced a number of adverse climatic hazards over recent decades. The most serious have been dry spells, seasonal droughts, intense rainfall and flash floods. The project is building the capacity of farmers for adaptation through training and transferring to high yield, disease resistant and drought tolerant crops, introducing small livestock to increase income and access to protein, and support in the production of other cash crops such as coffee, macadamia and citrus. In the project s first verification period, it was verified by the CCB to have climate change adaptation benefits. Empowering Women Rural Malawians rely on fuelwood, often gathered by girls and women, for domestic cooking and heating. The project has implemented improved cookstoves throughout the project area to improve cooking efficiency, therefore saving fuelwood and time required to collect it. This frees many women s time, allowing them to pursue other activities. With greater fuel efficiency, improved cookstoves afford women more time to spend with family and participate in community activities. Health and well-being The project is working to reduce indoor air pollution to prevent illnesses and sickness by installing improved cookstoves in ventilated cooking environments (such as three walled kitchens). The project has also completed studies to improve the stove design to reduce indoor air pollution with Aprovecho Research Center in Oregon. Monitoring has found that the new 16 brick rocket stove reduces average particulate matter concentrations by over 80% and carbon monoxide concentrations by over 50%. Job Creation In order to improve the existing protected area governance structure, 50 protected area officials have been recruited and trained. Training included corporate governance, team building, fundraising, project write-ups, resource assessments, natural resource rights, and conflict resolution. Project partners The project s primary implementing partner is Total LandCare (TLC). The organisation has extensive experience in the country and has worked in Malawi since 1999. TLC s mission is to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the region with a focus on community based approaches to increase agricultural production, food security and income within a context that ensures sound management of natural resources. The project was established through money from a USAID grant award for the Kulera Biodiversity project, with the explicit aim for carbon revenues to support the project after this initial funding was secured. The funding for these activities has been supported entirely from carbon credit sales since 2013. Notably, the local communities are participants in this project. The communities are represented by Nyika-Vwaza Association and Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve Association which were created as a result of the project and will be democratically elected to serve the communities. These community associations will maintain agreements with community members to ensure that communities have given informed consent and continue to support the project.
NYIKA NATIONAL PARK VWAZA GAME RESERVE The region Malawi s climate is subtropical, with 95% of rainfall occurring in the warm wet season which stretches from November to April. The three parks in the project area are all quite different, including mountain plateau, evergreen forests, wetland grasslands, marshes, and miombo woodlands. ZAMBIA NORTHERN MALAWI MALAWI Carbon accounting The project is verified and validated to the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). The carbon emissions reductions are calculated from a protected area of approximately 170,000 hectares. However, the total management zone of the project compromises over 750,000 hectares with the additional area acting as a buffer around the carbon accounting area and supporting all the project s community and conservation activities. CENTRAL MALAWI National Park / Game Reserve NKHOTAKOTA GAME RESERVE Community Area The project has achieved Gold Level status under the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard Carbon Accounting In addition to the VCS validation for carbon accounting, the project also ensures there are net positive community and biodiversity impacts and conforms to the Climate, Community, and Biodiversity (CCB) Standard. The project has achieved Gold Level status under the CCB Standard as it both significantly assists communities in adapting to the impacts of climate change and displays high biodiversity benefits. Notably, the methodology used for this project is Carbon Accounting for Mosaic and Landscape-scale REDD+ Projects. This methodology quantifies the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions and removals generated in mosaic and landscape scale REDD+ projects by allowing such project activities to be combined with improved forest management, afforestation, reforestation and re-vegetation activities, as well as clean cookstove initiatives. This allows for a more holistic landscape approach to REDD+ activities that integrates efforts to protect forests with programmes to improve the livelihoods of rural communities. 1 The Economics of Ecosystems & Biodiversity (2015) Ecosystem Services (Available from http://www.teebweb.org/resources/ ecosystem-services/), (Accessed 1/2/2015) Contact us: London: 167 Fleet Street, 3rd Floor, London, EC4A 2EA United Kingdom T +44 (0)20 7833 6000 sales@naturalcapitalpartners.com New York: 116 East 95th Street, New York, NY 10128 T +1-212-390-8835 salesna@naturalcapitalpartners.com