In the Andean Amazon of Peru, the Alto Mayo REDD+ Project protects 182,000 hectares of high-elevation rainforest and cloud forest. The Project’s Community Patrol initiative was conceived as part of their strategy to build an alliance between local communities and Peru’s Natural Protected Areas Service (SERNANP). They do this by including community members as an integral part of patrolling activities that take place in the project’s buffer zone. The main objective is to deter migration into the Alto Mayo Protected Forest (AMPF) project area. Community Patrol Committee members are able to share their first hand testimony with migrants about their own experiences and help new migrants understand why it is not feasible to enter the AMPF.
The Mai Ndombe REDD+ Project protects 300,000 hectares of critical bonobo and African forest elephant habitat within the world’s second-largest intact rainforest and some of the most important wetlands on the planet. To help protect this invaluable landscape and the biodiversity that calls it home, a specialized team in biodiversity monitoring works in partnership with local community members to track high biodiversity areas twice a month. Through this team’s hard work, the project monitors population trends of high conservation value species. Camera traps were placed along transects to record the presence of various species, and recces were made to assess the scope and severity of human induced threats and map wildlife tracks.
The Keo Seima REDD+ project’s theory of change is built on the understanding that to achieve the project’s goals, it must deliver positive benefits to local communities and Indigenous peoples. A vital component of this approach is the deep connection between the Indigenous Bunong people and the forest, which has thrived for generations under their stewardship. The Bunong people possess a unique and intimate bond with the forest, deeply rooted in their cultural and spiritual beliefs.
The Wildlife Works’ plot sampling initiative was established to collect biomass data required for monitoring carbon stocks in the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project area. Carbon sampling, simply put, is a process that measures trees in order to precisely calculate the amount of carbon stored in them. Different trees hold different amounts of carbon depending on their species, structure and age. The team in Kenya, led by Joshua Kitiro, works closely with the Wildlife Works team in the USA. After receiving coordinates with maps from the technical team in the states, the field team in Kenya begins the tree measurement process within the same area, including recording data, measuring the diameter of the trunk of the tree with tape, capturing the height of the tree, as well as tagging the tree for easy identification.
With the increasing likelihood of more frequent and extreme droughts due to climate change and the associated risk to the forest, the Chyulu Hills REDD+ Project (CHRP) partners have developed a plan for preventing, monitoring, and quickly responding to fire outbreaks in the area. In addition to the impacts on both humans and wildlife, fire is also one of the key threats to the carbon stocks on which the success of the Chyulu Hills REDD+ Project depends. The risk from fire can only be expected to increase in the face of higher temperatures and more extreme droughts that are predicted as a result of climate change. However, with the right equipment, training, and collaboration with local communities, it is possible to decrease risks from fire and preserve the integrity of the fragile Chyulu ecosystem.
The Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project successfully conducted its FPIC process for its 4th Monitoring Report (M4), starting February 15, 2023 and was completed by May 5, 2023. The FPIC process has been implemented on a continuous basis since the project began, emphasizing the importance of engaging local community members and indigenous people, and prioritizing their inclusion in the ongoing decision making and governance of the project. This is vital to the project’s ability to successfully deliver the promise of REDD+ in collaboration with the forest dependent communities. For M4, FPIC meetings were held in all 29 communities, reaching almost 1200 community members, an 18% increase compared to the last round of meetings conducted in the third monitoring period.