High-quality REDD+ projects have transformative impacts on people living on the frontlines of deforestation and climate change, such as Grace Mwachugha at the Kasigau Corridor REDD+ Project in Kenya.
In the semi-arid forests of South-East Kenya, access to water is an ongoing challenge. The effects of climate change have further intensified the dry seasons, making this resource especially precious. On average, women and girls in developing countries walk 6 kilometers (approximately 3.5 miles) a day, carrying 20 liters (approximately 42 pounds/20 kgs) of water.
At the Wildlife Works’ Kasigau Corridor REDD+ project in Kenya, communities earn thousands of dollars each year by protecting their forests. Grace Mwachugha, the protagonist in the short film “Water is Life,” serves as an elected representative within her local community governance structure, and helps to identify the most impactful ways to use the community’s earned carbon revenue. As of 2022, communities have utilized carbon revenue to finance over 50 water infrastructure projects.
Key themes covered in this film:
Creating conditions for local communities, particularly women, to take leadership roles in identifying and addressing critical needs like access to clean water through participatory governance and sustainable financing models.
The compounding impacts of climate change on already water-stressed regions, exacerbating challenges like drought and the need for innovative, community-driven solutions.
The transformative power of well-designed REDD+ projects to uplift marginalized communities by creating revenue for sustainable development initiatives while incentivizing forest conservation.
These water projects include rain catchments, storage containers and pipelines. As a result, more than 100,000 individuals now have improved access to clean water. As renowned activist Julia Butterfly puts it, “REDD+ projects mean less carbon in the atmosphere, trees stand, wildlife thrive, and some of the world’s most disenfranchised communities are on a pathway to a better life.”
Watch Grace's story here:
