Protecting or Profiting from Kenya’s Rangelands
In northern Kenya, a climate project meant to help the environment is stirring up deep concerns among locals who worry it could cost them their land and traditions.
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??????????????,??????????: A climate project stirs dust in northern Kenya amid sustainability claims and a tide of skepticism.
The Northern Kenya Grassland Carbon Project promises to offer solutions for the climate while grappling with some very important community consent issues.
Northern Rangelands Trust, who lead the project, argues that the process will enhance livelihoods, while communities accuse them of "selling them off".
Grazing rules under the new project blanket over two million hectares, changing ways of life for pastoralists.
International giants such as Meta and Netflix are buying the project's carbon credits, increasing tension among locals over the intent and benefits of the project.
In March 2023, Survival International accused NRT of flouting FPIC procedures during the implementation stage of the project.
Verra, one of the big international carbon credit certifiers, suspended credits under the NKGCP, citing transparency and compliance concerns.
The Borana Council of Elders denounced the project, described as a "green scam" that will destroy ancestral lands and cultural heritage.
Traditional pastoralism is being slowly eroded by new approaches to land management.
NRT says greater incomes are appearing thanks to the project, with improved land management, adding that consultations were conducted with the communities.
The community is further skeptical due to concerns about gender representation and unequal benefit-sharing.
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The ambitious project is coming under the close watch of environmentalists, indigenous advocacy groups, and multinational corporations.
For pastoralists in Kenya, long relegated to the margins, this is another attempt at dispossessing them in disguise through climate action.
In interviews with DW, locals express a range of emotions, from gratitude for economic opportunities created to the threat of losing their autonomy.
Survival International has criticized NRT, saying the project places corporate interests above community interests and thus is exploitative.
Proponents argue that the project contributes to Kenya's ambitious climate agenda and, on a global scale, to combating climate change.
The Kenyan government now has the arduous task of balancing community rights with its climate ambitions after showing its support for carbon offsets.
If it succeeds or fails, the repercussions will be global in terms of the credibility and viability of carbon markets worldwide.
The $850 billion global carbon market is increasingly dependent on projects like the NKGCP-a trend that raises red flags about the commodification of nature.
Pastoralists are calling for approaches that would protect the group's traditions of sustainable grazing and preserve ancestral land rights.
Meanwhile, communities fear losing their lands, while the companies involved jeopardize their brand reputation.
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?????? ???????? ~ Independent Journalist based in Nairobi. His coverage focuses primarily on climate change and human rights and he has previously worked as a contributing reporter for CGTN, Kenya News Agency, and a fact checker for Code for Africa.