Rwanda is planning to plant 63 million indigenous and exotic tree seedlings to be able to sell carbon credits on the carbon market, mitigate climate change, and build resilience to extreme weather, The New Times has learnt.
Indigenous trees are species that have evolved in the same area, region, or biotope where the forest stand is growing. They are adapted to the specific ecological conditions that were predominant when the stand was established.
A plant is considered indigenous to an area if it naturally occurs there without human influence. Exotics, on the other hand, are plants that have been introduced from other parts of the world and often require extensive care to thrive.
Carbon credits are a tradable instrument on the carbon market that allows nations, companies, or entities to finance carbon-cutting projects in other countries and count the avoided emissions towards their own climate targets. A carbon credit represents a tonne of carbon emissions removed.
Rwanda's 10-year climate action plan aims to reduce an estimated total of 4.6 million tonnes of carbon emissions by 2030. This reduction represents a 38% decrease, achieved through various interventions, including those in the forestry sector.
Rwanda will set a floor price of at least $30/tonne for carbon credits, for both technology-based and nature-based solutions.
"The trees will be planted under 2023/24 tree planting season from October up to early December this year," said Concorde Nsengumuremyi, the Director General of Rwanda Forestry Authority, adding that indigenous trees have the potential for the country's carbon market which is in line with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement signed in 2015.
Experts have said that carbon markets have the potential to be the next biggest export for the African continent, ensuring both environmental preservation and restoration while attracting substantive levels of fresh climate finance, although civil societies are criticising the scheme.
He said that the country will plant 4.9 million fruit trees, 6.7 million ornamental trees, 273, 590 bamboo trees, 34.2 million agro-forestry, and 16.5 million trees in general for different uses. The trees are expected to also cope with dry spells and reduce soil erosion. Also, 3.4 million and 2.2 million trees will be planted in Nyagatare and Rulindo districts respectively.
Other prioritised districts include Nyabihu, Nyamagabe, Nyamasheke, Nyanza, Nyarugenge, Nyaruguru, Rubavu, Ruhango, Rulindo, Rusizi, Rutsiro, and Rwamagana where there were few forestry interventions.
The plan shows that new forests will be planted on 2,500 hectares.
At least 1,000 hectares of degraded forests will be rehabilitated while 500 km of roadsides will be planted with trees.
Government will also plant agro-forestry trees on 50,000 hectares and bamboos on 240 hectares.
Forest-saving cooking technologies on carbon market
Rwanda will also offer innovative cooking technologies aimed at reducing pressure on the planted forests.
Herman Hakuzimana, the Climate Change Programme Manager at the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), said the carbon market framework serves as a tool to attract investors to Rwanda's carbon market, and these projects are all part of Rwanda's 10-year climate action plan, which requires $11 billion for implementation through 2030.
A total investment of $1.37 billion is needed by 2030 to achieve the government's target of reducing charcoal use from 83 per cent to 42 per cent to reduce pressure on Rwanda's forests.
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Rwanda Environment Management Authority is set to distribute 5,000 improved cook stoves to beneficiaries in Kirehe and Gakenke districts.
The stoves will promote energy efficiency which makes them reduce fuel consumption by up to 50 per cent compared to traditional stoves, thus significantly saving CO2 emissions and lowering the pressure on forests.
According to Charles Sindayigaya, the project Coordinator, radical and progressive terraces and afforestation activities will also improve agricultural productivity and restore degraded ecosystems.
"The stoves we are distributing will also contribute to achieving the project's goal of restoring the natural forests, as the stoves save energy compared to the traditional way of cooking," he said.
