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A nature-based carbon credits programme in Tanzania is helping rural communities raise funding for conservation and developmental projects.
How it works: Carbon Tanzania, a social enterprise, partners with Maasai and other communities whose forests are under threat from the illegal encroachment of farmlands, it says.
The company assists in structuring carbon projects that meet global third-party standards, and equips community members with the tools they need to protect the lands they hold rights over. The groups then sell avoided-deforestation credits to companies in Europe, the US and Tanzania.
Most of the revenues (61%) flow to the participating community, while Carbon Tanzania retains the other 39% to cover costs such as certification, issuance, marketing, and operations, a spokesperson tells The Progress Playbook.
Community representatives have a say in how their share of revenues is spent. At one flagship project, about 40% goes towards developmental projects, including to healthcare and education facilities, the company says. Roughly 30% is allocated to conservation activities, 20% to administration and governance, and 10% to the district government.
Impact: In 2024, the Makame Savannah project, which includes five Maasai communities and 350,000 hectares of wildlife-rich forests and grasslands, earned $1.3 million in carbon revenues.
To date, that specific project has generated a “social return on investment” – a measure of impact – of $6.7 million, according to Carbon Tanzania. Social gains have been amplified by “strong social cohesion, accountable governance, and a shared long-term vision of socio-economic development within the community.”
Kisaro Thomas, a project manager on the Makame Savannah initiative, says the scheme “has greatly facilitated the protection of our community land and forests from degradation.”
“As a result, we have secured pasture and water for our livestock, ensured our livelihood, and developed various community development projects in our villages,” Thomas tells The Progress Playbook.
According to Carbon Tanzania, traditional pastoralist lifestyles have been enhanced thanks to improved conservation, and education has been a high priority for many of the communities. Close to 10,000 children have benefited from new school infrastructure and sponsorships for vulnerable families, with notable gains in schooling outcomes, the company says.
