Thousands of people are benefiting from a carbon financing scheme in Kenya, which covers over 500,000 acres of threatened forest and contributes to wildlife conservation by securing a migration corridor.

Wildlife Works' Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project is situated between Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks - Kenya's largest protected areas, which cover four per cent of the country's total land mass. In total, the project is expected to save 30 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over its 30-year life.

Charcoal burning is a main driver of deforestation, and 84 per cent of the Kenyan population use charcoal and fuelwood as their main source of energy. Rob Dodson, Wildlife Works Director says that demand is fuelled by rapid population growth in the urban centres. "Mombasa, Kenya's second largest city, has always seen this area as its free energy supply," he said. "It's gotten bigger recently as Mombasa suddenly got very, very large. About 2,000 bags of charcoal are coming out of this area to Mombasa each day."

To meet the demand in a legal and sustainable manner, the carbon credit scheme has initiated charcoal production methods that reduce pressure on forests.

"The illegal production of charcoal has definitely reduced since the REDD+ project started," said Mr. Dodson. "We are working to try and find an alternative to the old way of making charcoal - that is, instead of cutting the whole tree down and making charcoal, we just give it a haircut, we take those trimmings into a special kiln, carbonize and then briquette that."

The Kenyan government is also attempting to minimize illegal logging and charcoal production "The Kenyan government has considered charcoal production as a serious issue, which led to the enactment of 2009 rules to regulate the production of charcoal," said Rose Akombo, Assistant Director of the Kenya Forest Service. "The charcoal rules enable the Kenya Forest Service to promote sustainable charcoal production in the dryland areas - which cover over 80 per cent of the Kenyan land mass."

"The governments in Eastern Africa have recognized the importance of the charcoal trade and of the illegal timber trade, and have asked the United Nations for support," said Tim Christophersen, UN-REDD coordinator at UNEP. "We are working on a new initiative to help the countries to improve customs controls, train the judiciary and the law enforcement officials, and sensitize consumers and producers about the effects of illegal charcoal."

The project generates over 1 million Voluntary Emission Reductions, a carbon offset that can be bought or sold. The revenues from the sale of the offsets are benefiting almost 150,000 rural people through schools and water supplies. It has also resulted in direct employment for 300 members of the local community - some of whom are reformed poachers and people who logged illegally.

The project is also conserving wildlife, demonstrating further the multiple benefits of the REDD+ initiative. The corridor is now home to over 50 species of large mammals, more than 20 species of bats, over 300 species of birds and important populations of endangered wildlife species, including over 2,000 African elephants.

UNEP contributed to the story.

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