Introduction
The global leaders, climate change experts, activists, local community leaders, and many others are gathered at the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow. Yes, the first deal announced at the COP26 was on halting deforestation. The media reported that more than 100 global leaders representing over 85% of the planet’s forests pledged to stop deforestation by 2030. Furthermore, 12 governments and private companies pledged about $20 billion to protect and restore forests. Financial institutions have also committed to stopping investing in companies responsible for deforestation.
We have been there before
Critics were quick to say that the pledge was too little and lacked details. Some even cited previous forest protection schemes that failed to stop deforestation. We should also remember the leaders and indigenous communities from Latin America against carbon credit schemes. Their argument was fully protecting forests, not treating forests as commodities traded on international markets. I hope the conference delegates will clarify some of these issues and there is progress this time around. I also hope that activists and community leaders will emphasize the need for an integrated approach that starts with a proper spatial understanding of agriculture, other land use, and deforestation. More importantly, activists and community leaders should get government and private sector commitments to give appropriate forest rights to local communities and establish transparent forest monitoring systems. Last but not least, the government and private sector should provide long-term financing and incentives that align with climate change goals.
Do not forget the Miombo woodlands!!
The focus is primarily on tropical ecosystems in the Amazon and Congo basins regarding deforestation. Yet massive deforestation occurs in other ecosystems, such as the Miombo woodlands in the East and Central-South Africa region. Scientific reports state that the Miombo loses over 1.27 million hectares annually due to agriculture expansion and energy production. The Miombo woodlands cover about 2.7 million square kilometers. Millions of people depend on the Miombo woodlands for timber, fuelwood, charcoal production, food, fruits, and medicinal plants. The Miombo woodlands also have vital cultural and spiritual significance. Although the Miombo woodlands constitute a significant carbon sink that provides essential ecosystem services, environmentalists and donors have paid little attention to this ecosystem. One of the significant challenges is the lack of long-term monitoring, limiting efforts to stop deforestation and develop sustainable forest management. We require long-term funding to support scientific studies and properly-designed sustainable development projects to halt deforestation.
Click here to check the deforestation app.
What we are doing!!
Ai.Geolabs collaborates with government departments and local companies to build capacity to map land cover, analyze land cover changes, quantify and model forest biomass changes in the Miombo woodlands in Southern Africa. We have just completed the first draft of Zimbabwe’s national land cover map. The national land cover map is now being checked and validated by the Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe. After validation, we will use the land cover map to design and implement an above-ground forest biomass survey in major forest reserves in Zimbabwe. We will use the above-ground forest biomass survey and Earth Observation data to model above-ground forest carbon density. With the availability of land cover and carbon density maps, we can implement sustainable forest management based on payment for ecosystem services and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) schemes.
We are looking forward to collaborating with international partners and donors to continue with the mission to mitigate deforestation in Southern Africa.