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Having just returned from almost three weeks in Tanzania and Kenya, visiting some truly inspiring nature-based carbon offset and conservation projects, as well as experiencing wild animals as raw as they get in their natural environment, I find I am still processing a lot of what I can only categorise as an adventure.
Visiting the Ntakata REDD+ Project
The catalyst for my trip was the opportunity to visit the Ntakata REDD+ project in Tanzania’s Katavi region, a flagship project of our carbon credit partner Respira International, who generate investment for the developers, Carbon Tanzania. Ntakata is a project that both ATPI and several of our clients contribute towards through ATPI Halo, helping to compensate for part of our carbon footprint.
Experiencing first-hand the powerful impact of such an exceptionally well-managed, fully certified nature-based carbon offset project provides justification for why businesses should be including carbon compensation in their sustainability strategies. It is an affordable way to give back to nature and remote communities, which often suffer most as a result of climate change.
Challenges Facing Tanzania’s Forests
East Africa, and Tanzania in particular, faces three main environmental threats:
- Poor farming practices
- Small-scale artisanal mining
- Poaching of both cattle and endangered species
Flying into Mpanda, Katavi, the scars left by 100s of years of unsustainable farming and local, unregulated mining are abundant. Poor agricultural practice has resulted in farmers simply moving further into the forest to find pastures and arable land, while artisanal mining not only puts lives in danger but also leaves the land completely ravaged. To help local communities to better understand and respect their environment, the impact they have on their land, and how that needs to change, is a huge task that Carbon Tanzania has been embracing since 2017 in close cooperation with the local District Heads.
Building Resilient Communities
Key to the protection of this environment, on the edge of 216,000+ hectares of hugely valuable rainforest, home to 13 endangered species such as the chimpanzee, East African Elephant and other large mammals and birds, is improving livelihoods. As community welfare improves, awareness grows, and villagers actively want to protect their native ecosystems. Education and health care are critical factors, and the Ntakata Project is making huge strides in building health centres, expanding and improving schools with the funds raised through voluntary carbon credit sales.
I was able to hear from villagers and district heads how the Ntakata investments are transforming lives.
The building of healthcare centres enables local outpatient and maternity care. A visit to the hospital could take one to two days previously. And where a day of work is equivalent to feeding the family, that has huge implications. Improved medical care means children can be inoculated, and hopefully, typhoid won’t be one of the top three ailments, along with Malaria and HIV going forward.
I saw extensions and improvements being made to school buildings, new desks made for the pupils, and also homes for community leaders, which include meeting spaces, where local administration can be improved.
Simple Gifts, Big Smiles
The excitement created by just a few boxes of coloured chalks and pens that I donated to the schools is evidence of the simplicity and poverty common in these villages. Meanwhile, new staff housing means hospitals and schools can encourage teachers and doctors to stay and be part of the community they work in, creating jobs and stability.
Communities must be allowed to develop. What I have seen in the three villages we visited as part of the Ntakata Project (Mpembe, Katuma and Kagunga) are solid foundations for teaching and adopting sustainable farming practices. Local communities were actively engaged and understood the magnitude of what it means to secure the future of their environment, and the land they have inhabited for generations. Generating revenues through farming and other local initiatives helps families and forests alike.
Driving through this vast landscape, the difference was striking between the healthy rainforest inside the Ntakata project area and the degraded land in villages not yet participating in conservation efforts.
Tracking Chimpanzees in Mahale
After my field trip to Ntakata, I travelled from Ikuu Airstrip to Mahale, and then by boat to a camp within the national park on Lake Tanganyika, Mahale. Even the journey became an adventure, with elephants, impala, monkeys, baboons, crocodiles, hippos, buffalo, and countless birds appearing on the way to the Ikuu Airstrip.
Mahale has been home to chimpanzee research since 1965. The camp where I stayed collaborates closely with researchers and rangers to ensure that chimpanzee treks respect the rainforest, the chimps, and the safety of visitors. In early June, chimps are often higher in the mountains due to seasonal food patterns. Local trackers search from dawn, staying in radio contact with camp guides. On our first day, we set off at 09:30 for a steep 2.5-hour trek through dense rainforest. We were rewarded with an extraordinary encounter with a group of around 30 chimpanzees, just minutes after they had made a rare monkey kill.
We observed the full drama of their hierarchy: dominant males asserting themselves, females and juveniles waiting their turn, and moments of calm amid bursts of noise and movement. We sat quietly for an hour, mesmerised. Seeing the chimps up close and witnessing their intelligence and social dynamics was life-changing.
On our second trek, we saw a smaller group but recognised some individual chimps by their features and behaviours, a testament to the trackers’ knowledge and the connection built through responsible ecotourism.
How anyone could wish to harm these amazing creatures, with whom we share so much in common, is unfathomable.
Flipflopi: Fighting Plastic in Lamu
The final destination on my journey was the island of Lamu, on the Lamu archipelago, a myriad of small islands and mangroves.
Here I visited a truly inspiring project called “Flipflopi”, focused on plastic recycling. Lamu Island, idyllic in many ways, is heavily impacted by plastic pollution, worsened by tides and storms washing debris ashore.
Founded over 10 years ago, it is far more than just a plastic recycling project. It embeds an entire philosophy and a stubborn belief that through education, we can reduce plastic use, as well as encourage correct disposal, which in turn leads to recycling opportunities. The team receives a whopping 8–10 tonnes of plastic every month, which they process at their facility.
Their first milestone was creating the world’s first sailing dhow made entirely from recycled plastics. Today, Flipflopi also produces plastic-based furniture, household items, and construction materials that look and perform like traditional wood.
A training centre equips local craftsmen and interns with skills, while the material recovery facility employs over 30 people. As part of the circular economy approach, the project educates the local community, raising awareness of the dangers of single-use plastic dump sites, illicit burning, and how to reduce dependence on plastics. Plastic waste presents a huge threat to the mangroves and the many fish, birds, mammals and other wildlife that thrive in these most amazing carbon sinks – the most valuable forests on our planet in terms of carbon sequestration. The Flipflopi team also plants mangrove seedlings in the protected area between the administrative office and the material recovery facility.
I was lucky enough to enjoy a trip on one of the Flipflopi boats back to the town of Lamu. A beautiful and graceful piece of craftsmanship. I couldn’t help but be awestruck by the co-founders’ stubborn and optimistic approach to educating people about single-use plastics.
Seeing Impact, Firsthand
This journey reaffirmed for me the power of well-managed carbon offset programmes and sustainable tourism to transform both nature and communities. The funds generated by projects like Ntakata, supported through ATPI Halo, improve education, healthcare, livelihoods, and conservation, creating a ripple effect that benefits us all.
By investing in certified, transparent carbon offset initiatives, we can give back to the ecosystems and communities that are on the frontline of climate change. At ATPI Halo, we’re committed to delivering solutions that not only reduce emissions but also empower people and protect the incredible biodiversity we all depend on.
