Tanzania Highlights 2m Hectares of Village Forests for Carbon Trading

What changed

Tanzania says more than two million hectares of community-managed village forests are opening opportunities for carbon trading while generating income and supporting conservation. Speaking during parliamentary discussions in Yerevan, Vice-President’s Office Permanent Secretary Richard Muyungi highlighted mangroves, coastal seaweed farming and the government’s push for clean cooking.

Why it matters

The policy links forest protection to household economics. Communities are given a reason to keep natural resources standing, while seaweed farming is cited as supporting women’s incomes along Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast.

Mangroves sit at the center of that argument. Muyungi said one hectare can store approximately 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, a claim that has not been independently substantiated here. If carbon trading is to deliver durable benefits, the practical test will be how credits are measured, how revenue is shared and whether local incentives actually reduce forest loss.

Clean cooking is the other half of the plan. Reducing reliance on firewood and charcoal could ease pressure on forests while supporting the conservation goals attached to the carbon market.