Pre-feasibility study for a REDD+ project on the Selous Game Reserve United Republic of Tanzania

Context of the service

Savannahs, which are home to about 10% of the world's human population and cover about one-sixth of the earth's surface, face a risk of deforestation twice that of tropical rainforests. They are particularly affected by fires, particularly in Africa, where 71% of the CO2 emissions due to savannah fires in the world come from.

The Miombo Forest in Tanzania, including the Selous Game Reserve (SGR), has been particularly hard hit by these fires. This is unfortunate because the SGR is one of the most intact wilderness areas in Africa, home to large-scale ecological processes with no significant human impact.

To help preserve the SGR, the Wildlife Conservation Foundation of Tanzania (WCFT), the Tanzanian Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) and a private investor (the confidential client of this service) therefore considered developing the Selous Voluntary Carbon and Offset Project (SVCP) and having it certified in order to protect biodiversity while generating financial benefits, through the sale of carbon credits.

Services provided

SalvaTerra has consolidated a Project Idea Note (PIN) and developed a roadmap to develop an Emission Reduction Project Document (ER-PD) for the project's carbon certification. The NIP included analyses on the following aspects:

- Project scoping: regulatory context (land, environmental and social), project boundaries, stakeholders (project leaders, institutional and implementing partners), objectives and approach, timeline, start date, project duration, type of activities carried out, etc. ;

- Carbon and biodiversity methodology: identification and review of the different carbon/REDD+ methodologies of the VCS, review of CCBS certification standards (allowing the valuation of REDD+ co-benefits in terms of biodiversity and local development), recommendations;

- Scenarios: revision of the baseline scenario, project scenario, assumptions and guidance for the demonstration of additionality, conservative estimation of emission reductions;

- Expected environmental (non-carbon) and social benefits;

- Risks: risk of non-permanence, leaks, implementation of risk mitigation measures, etc.

Summary of the service

Pre-feasibility study of a REDD+ project on the Selous Game Reserve: Consolidation of a Project Idea Note (PIN) and elaboration of a roadmap to develop an Emission Reduction Project Document (ER-PD). The NIP included analyses on the following aspects: Project scoping; Analysis of carbon and biodiversity methodologies: Revision of baseline and project scenarios; Analysis of the expected environmental (non-carbon) and social benefits; Risk analysis (non-permanence, leaks, etc.) and mitigation measures.