Protecting lions, zebras and elephants
Our Carbon offset project in Kasigau in Kenya
Forest conservation, Kasigau Wildlife Corridor, Kenya
How do you actually conserve 200,000 hectares of forest? The forest in question is a section of dry forest and savanna in the Kasigau Wildlife Corridor, which connects the Tsavo East and Tsavo West Natural Parks in Kenya. It is home to countless endangered species such as lions, elephants and zebras as well as numerous species of birds.
However, this forest area is facing massive deforestation and slash-and-burn practices. In order to protect the Kasigau Wildlife Corridor, people from the local population are being trained as rangers to guard and defend the area. More income opportunities for the local population are required in order to reduce the depletion of the natural environment. Hence, this project creates jobs in both small businesses and larger factories.
This project was chosen as the Best Offsetting Project in Environmental Finance's 8th voluntary carbon poll in 2017.
Contribution to the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs)
No Poverty
Living conditions for the 100,000 inhabitants in the project area got improved.
Good Health and Well-Being
Financial support of health infrastructure, construction of a hospital.
Quality Education
Residents' training for long-term protection of forest areas, building of new schools, scholarships.
Gender Equality
Creating 350 job opportunities, especially for women in sustainable clothing industry and tree nursery.
Clean Water and Sanitation
The project is working on a systemic, watershed scale program to address the increasing water scarcety which affects tree planting, community greenhouses and increases human-wildlife conflict.
Decent Work and Economic Growth
New jobs have been created in the area, for example in tree nurserey, in health care or education or for rangers - important alternatives to illegal deforestation.
Sustainable Cities and Communities
Throughout the area, regular exchange meetings take place between project team and communities.
Climate Action
This project protects an important carbon sink.
Life on Land
Protection of the biodiversity in the area and conservation of an important eco system.
Partnerships for the Goals
Our carbon offset projects are building bridges from companies from industrialized countries to people in the world's poorest countries.
How does forest protection help fight global warming?
Forests, especially tropical ones, store CO2. For projects aimed at combatting climate change, there are essentially three methods for creating and sustaining forestry as a carbon sink:
- forestation and reforestation
- sustainable forest management (where the amount of timber harvested does not exceed the amount that can grow back)
- financial incentives for the protection of forestland as a carbon sink (the UN's REDD+ program), whereby the project owner must ensure that tree cover is maintained