Did you know that an area equivalent to New York City is lost every second day to deforestation? Let’s just think about that for a moment. That’s 1 215 square kilometres of our precious forests, the lungs of the earth, lost to bush fires, large-scale developments and infrastructure, mining and agriculture every other day! Not only that, but the process of destroying these forests accounts for over 17% of the total greenhouse gasses released into the air, which is a major concern for global warming. Thankfully through proven climate change solutions such as REDD+, there is most definitely still hope for our planet.
What is REDD+?
Following the global concern surrounding deforestation and climate change, the United Nations created Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+), aimed at reducing the emissions released from deforestation and increasing forest degradation throughout the world.
The current focus of REDD+ is to raise money by protecting forests throughout the world. This is done by adding financial value to forested areas that remain intact. The protected landscapes generate carbon credits, which large corporations can buy off a carbon marketplace when they are unable to meet their emission reduction targets. Local communities then receive a percentage of the sales, which are used for developmental projects. You can read more about these here.
The Importance Of Forests
Forests cover about 30% of the world’s land area and play a vital role in maintaining life on Earth. Acting as a sponge by absorbing rainwater through their roots, filtering and then releasing it into streams, rivers and lakes, these green lungs are critically important to the water cycle. They provide the air that we breathe, absorb and store vast amounts of carbon dioxide and are home to a large amount of the world’s biodiversity.
Many humans are also dependent on forests for their livelihoods, and in parts of southern Africa, communities have depended on and protected this land for centuries gone by. But as populations and the dependence on the forests here increases, the growth of new trees is simply outdone by the rate at which they are being cut. As a result, many indigenous forests in countries like Mozambique and Zambia are rapidly disappearing. When these trees are cut down, the carbon they store is released into the atmosphere.
Peace Parks and REDD+
Following a 20-year agreement signed between Biocarbon Partners (BCP), Peace Parks Foundation and Eni to address the effects of deforestation and protect a biodiversity corridor between Lower Zambezi and Luangwa National Parks in Zambia through REDD+, Peace Parks has now expanded the programme into Mozambique.
Although still in the initial phases, Peace Parks’ Community Development Manager for the REDD+ project in Mozambique, Milva Mandlate, takes us along to some of the meetings that are going on where they are informing the government, the public and local companies about what the REDD+ programme entails.
Forest conservation efforts can only really be successful if they involve and benefit the local communities who have been living off this land for years. The income generated from REDD+ projects will not only help keep Mozambique’s forests protected but also serve as an example of how important conservation is to the planet and its people.
