Carbon Rights In REDD+ And Their Implications in East Africa

Summary

This regional bulletin provides an overview of what carbon rights are and why they are important to REDD+ in East Africa. It also examines the interpretation of carbon rights in Uganda and the implications for local communities, and reports on the outcomes of a workshop held in East Africa discussing carbon rights. In East Africa, even though REDD+ strategies are still being developed (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania), some REDD+ pilot projects are already being implemented, making the closer examination of carbon rights at the regional level particularly timely. Carbon rights are also of particular interest in the region as they are likely to be linked to forest and tree tenure. In all three countries most forests are under management of the state, which implies that securing local communities' tenure rights and their access to benefit sharing mechanisms will be critical in REDD+.