According to the latest Sustainable Development Report, only 12% of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are currently on track. Around the world, an estimated 735 million people are suffering from hunger. On average, women and girls in developing countries still must walk 6 kilometers (approximately 3.5 miles) a day, carrying 20 liters of water for their families. In sub-Saharan Africa, 31 percent of children don’t have access to reliable education, and at least 4.5 billion people — more than half of the world’s population — were not fully covered by essential health services in 2021.
Achieving sustainable development for local communities in the Global South is like having to cross a vast and choppy ocean. In an inequitable world, REDD+ carbon projects can yield the crucial funding to build a ship to cross this ocean. But it’s the community members who make up the crew and lead the ship. They must work together to plot the course, manage the sails, and ensure the ship reaches its destination safely. But how do they make these critical decisions in the most democratic way while on this journey? At Wildlife Works, the Locational Carbon Committees (LCCs) are the captain at the ship's steering wheel, ensuring the community's vision for progress is realized.
Locational Carbon Committees at the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project
The Wildlife Works Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project, a pioneering initiative in Kenya, has put these LCCs at the helm of its operations. The LCCs are democratically elected by the wider community, ensuring that the very people who will be impacted by the project's outcomes have a central voice.
So what exactly do the LCCs do? The LCCs oversee the distribution of community revenue generated by the carbon project. These funds, earned by the community for doing their part in successfully protecting the forest and the subsequent sale of the carbon credits, are a vital resource for driving sustainable development in the area. The LCCs are entrusted with making sure every penny of community income is allocated to improve the community's wellbeing, and that this resource is used for the greatest good.
First, LCCs approve projects that fit criteria set by their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the community income, which were developed at the start of the project by LCCs, local administration, and the Wildlife Works research and community relations teams. The SOPs have been continuously updated as the project has developed. Community members then vote on each LCC-approved project by attending the public participation meetings that take place in each village. These projects might include investing in new schools, healthcare facilities, or sustainable farming initiatives. The key is that the decisions are made democratically, with the community's input taking center stage. The LCCs ensure that all communities and community members have an equal opportunity for accessing the activities funded by the project, and they inform community members on the procedures for accessing those funds and the latest project developments.
At the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project there are six LCCs, each of which represents an administrative location (one or more villages), within the project. Together, they represent the ~120,000 community members who are located in the project zone. Each LCC is composed of 7-9 democratically elected members, with equitable representation in gender, youth and disability. The LCCs meet eight times a year to evaluate project proposals to be invested in within the Kasigau project zone. They are advised by non-voting representatives from local and county governments, for example an engineer from a water board to provide guidance on pipeline construction. LCCs are re-elected every two years, and members can't be re-elected after two terms in order to allow new LCC members to come in.
As part of these processes the LCCs determine their focal issues, which were first identified through Social and Biodiversity Impact Assessment workshops conducted at the start of the project in 2011 and subsequently reassessed in 2017 and 2023. The current focal issues are poverty, human-wildlife conflict, environmental degradation, agricultural issues and formal education.
Theory of Change Model
How the LCCs allocate funds is guided by the community's plan, or Theory of Change model, for economic and social development. Theory of Change is like having a strategic GPS route for a community’s journey towards a better tomorrow. It lays out the sequence of events, the necessary resources, and the key targets that will ultimately lead to the community’s aspirations. A Theory of Change model considers the key stakeholders, their roles, and the assumptions one is making about community members’ motivations. It's like factoring in the traffic patterns and behaviors of other nearby ships, upcoming storms, and potentially threatening sea life when planning the journey.
The beauty of this approach is that it's not set in stone. As the community navigates the journey, they can continually revisit and refine the Theory of Change, adapting to changing conditions and incorporating new learnings. It's a living, breathing blueprint that evolves alongside the community's needs and aspirations.
As the ship’s captain, LCC’s constantly scan the horizon for potential obstacles and opportunities, adjusting the course as needed. The LCCs draw on the community's collective wisdom and intimate knowledge of on-the-ground realities to chart the best path forward. For example, in 2022, the ongoing drought in Kenya put millions of Kenyans at risk of severe malnutrition or starvation. The drought had a knock-on effect on school attendance in the Kasigau project area, with children dropping out of school because of hunger, and others not being able to fully concentrate in class. To address this the LCCs, in alliance with other partners and stakeholders, decided to implement an emergency food distribution program, which ensured lunches for 23,000 children in 64 early learning, primary, and secondary schools within the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project throughout the height of the drought.
The Locational Carbon Committees are the heartbeat of the Wildlife Works Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project. They're the bridge between the community and the project, ensuring that the benefits of sustainable development are truly felt by those who matter most. It's a model that puts the power in the hands of the people, ensuring that they have the power to shape their own future.
To learn more about our project development processes, visit the What We Do page of our website.
