Healthy soil is a major carbon pool but over 70% of African rangelands are moderately to severely degraded. Restoring these landscapes will be a potent weapon in the fight against climate change.
Rewilding landscapes through the reintroduction of native species and ecological management practices enriches biodiversity at all scales and enhances the long-term carbon storage capacity of ecosystems.
Carbon finance is a catalyst in creating inclusive nature-based economies across Africa. Rewilded lands are more resilient to environmental and economic shocks, which helps protect local communities against the impacts of climate change.
The Chobe Enclave area is located in the Chobe District in North-East Botswana. This area encompasses 5 villages (5,134 people) and supports livestock grazing on 115,000 ha of communal rangeland. Serving as an initial instance, this pilot project is 19,223 ha working within a larger eligible area of 115,000 ha, aiming to create a substantial long-term climate and community impact.
Shangani is a 45,000 ha mixed cattle and wildlife ranch in the Matabeleland South province of Zimbabwe. The ranch is pioneering a holistic management style to sustainably manage cattle and wildlife with a view to promoting rangeland regeneration and wealth creation for local communities.
The Tswalu Kalahari Project is a pioneering initiative by Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation, supported by Rewild Capital on the carbon development side, aimed at the large-scale restoration and conservation of a section of African rangeland in South Africa. This is the first private protected area in South Africa to earn carbon credits for management put in place to adapt to climate change.