AfricaPress-Tanzania: RESIDENTS of eight villages in Tanganyika, Katavi Region, have every reason to smile after earning over 300m/- for forest conservation.
The villagers were able to sell 82,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide offset last year to Carbon Tanzania. They also expect to earn up to 1.0bn/- from carbon offsetting to Carbon Tanzania.
The firm is measuring the amount of carbon dioxide emissions reduced in various ways, including protecting forests and planting new trees in a specified area.
For instance, by protecting one tree equals to offsetting one tonne of carbon.
Katavi Regional Commissioner (RC) Juma Homera urged villagers to continue conserving forests, saying carbon output trading did not depend on smokers, but on conserving forests and the environment.
“Tanganyika District Council should ensure 630,000ha of the forest it owns be well conserved and protected because it is the reliable and credible source of its domestic revenue collection, because the council will sell its carbon dioxide output and establish beekeeping,” the RC said, adding: “The council should have a strategic plan for beekeeping.”
The eight villages are in three wards of Katuma, Kasekese and Mwese in Tanganyika District.
The RC also said leaders from the eight villages should make sure villagers used part of the money for Community Health Fund (CHF) and establish pharmacies in their areas.
The RC made the call while addressing a good governance stakeholders’ meeting held on Tuesday in Tanganyika District.
Earlier, Tanganyika District Commissioner, Salehe Mhando said the eight villages from Katuma, Kasekese and Mwese offset 82,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide last year.
He further said such a success story was possible after the eight villages entered a contract with Carbon Tanzania.
“The eight villages spent part of the money to set up dispensaries and making desks to address shortages of desks in schools,” noted the DC.
Carbon Tanzania representative Frank Kweka said in the future the eight villages would have the capacity to produce 280,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
He further disclosed that such a project of carbon dioxide output trading was only implemented in Tanganyika District alone in the country.
According to Mr Kweka, 90 per cent of the money realised after selling carbon dioxide output goes to the village while 10 per cent goes to the council.
He said how the money was spent was decided by the villagers through the village general meeting.
Carbon Tanzania protects forests by working with communities and governments to realise the economic value of their forests.
