1. VEDA Climate Change Solutions Ltd
Improving Rural Livelihoods Through
Carbon Sequestration by Adopting
Environment Friendly Technology
based Agro-Forestry Practices
Communicating Carbon Workshop
12-14 October 2011
Nairobi, Kenya

2. Local Context
• Total land for Plantations: 1607.7 ha
• Number of Farmer Participants: 1590
• Profiles as per caste:
– General – 583
– Backward Caste – 828
– Scheduled Caste – 31
– Scheduled Tribes – 148
– Any stats on gender? N/A.

3. Describing Carbon Sequestration
• Climate Change and changing weather patterns are discussed
• Followed by identifying the reasons of the same
• The relationship between changing weather patterns and climate change are
related and the impact explained
• Explaining the activities that are required to be undertaken
– Planting more trees to sequester carbon
– Bringing degraded lands to use
• The trade off between the food security and carbon sequestration is not relevant
in this project as the plantations are undertaken on degraded lands.
• The communication tools that were used in this project include pamphlets, direct
interaction, workshops, community meetings and village gatherings. Please bring
examples
• Two main challenges in communication
– Creating interest in the farmers
– Explaining the need
• Engaging the community leaders, local body heads.

4. Financial and Non-Financial Benefits &
Costs
• The costs of joining the project are borne by the project
entity, hence there is an incentive for the farmer to join .
The benefits are additional revenue to the regular income
that would accrue to the farmer.
• We set the expectation at the beginning of the project by
conveying the time frame taken for the project will be for
30 years.
• Usage of pamphlets and Direct communication methods
were useful
• Challenges Faced:
– The time factor
– Additionality rather than main source of revenue
• Time factor issue remains a challenge

5. Monitoring, Reporting, and
Verification (MRV)
• Educate farmers about the need to verify as a means
for confirming the project activities.
• Necessity for continuous monitoring of the project as
part of ensuring growth of plantations.
• Pamphlets and village meetings Please bring examples
• Use of local language provided an advantage and the
meetings help in building consensus among the
farmers.
• Maintaining positive environment in village level
meetings is the challenge. How do you address this? I
am not clear how this relates to MRVs.

6. Legal Issues
• Tripartite agreements were made between the
farmers, project entity and end purchaser of wood.
• The agreements are on revenue stamp papers
• Communications used:
– Community meetings
– Village level interactions
– Pamphlets
• Answering the apprehensions about signing a contract
• Negative perception towards signing a contract
• Building awareness about the project

7. Thank you!