Measuring and monitoring carbon using community-based methodologies
A three year research project(external link) has been undertaken in Tanzania as part of a wider study to investigate and pilot community-based carbon measurements as part of the ‘Kyoto: Think Global, Act Local’ research project; (University of Dar es Salaam and Sokoine University of Agriculture).
A participatory methodology on carbon assessment and monitoring by local communities has been developed. The methodology utilizes mobile GIS technologies on handheld computers.
Experiments were and are continuing to be done in different sites to determine: to what extent villages could, after a short training:
- Accurately map the forest area.
- Stratify the forest by ecotype.
- Accurately locate permanent sample plots using GPS.
- Measure parameters relating to forest biomass in the field using standardized procedures;
- Reliably record all this data, analyze the collected data, draw conclusions and, retrieve the permanent sample plots for future assessment.
Carbon Tanzania is offering financial support to the University of Dar-es-salaam and Sokoine University of Agriculture community based projects.
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