The costs and benefits of carbon market projects on local communities: perceptions from the Luangwa community forest project in Mpanshya Chiefdom Rufunsa district, Zambia.
Date
2025
Authors
Mushimbei, Mubiana
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
Carbon trading has emerged as a leading solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, combat climate change, and deliver significant environmental, economic and social benefits for communities in developing countries. However, there are concerns about how it is being implemented and whether it is delivering meaningful benefits to host communities in developing countries. This study examined the costs and benefits of carbon trading projects in Rufunsa district on the local communities using the Luangwa community forest project (LCFP) as a case. The study sought to (i) determine the roles of different local actors in the Luangwa Community Forests Carbon Project on local communities and (ii) examine local communities’ experiences of the costs of the Luangwa community forests carbon project in Rufunsa district (iii) examine local communities’ experiences of the benefits of the Luangwa community forests project in Rufunsa district. The study used a mixed-methods research approach and case study research design, embracing an integrative thinking mindset that allows for adaptive research practices that facilitate deeper understanding from multiple perspectives. A total of 219 randomly-selected respondents’ size and 8 purposively-sampled key informants participated in the study. Using questionnaires, interviews, observations, focus group discussions, and desktop reviews, information was collected and analysed using thematic analysis, and descriptive and inferential statistics for qualitative and quantitative data, respectively. The study revealed that actors’ roles in the Luangwa community forests carbon project are clearly defined except for government actors. In regard to successes, the project has delivered various benefits which includes; employment, infrastructure like boreholes and schools, and contributed to forest conservation and capacity-building to the host community. The costs of the project however, negate these benefits. These costs include but are not limited to erosion of social cohesion, social inequality, loss of forest resource control, limited use of non-forest timber products for fear of honorably forest officers, and exploitation by project developers through the unfair benefit-sharing mechanism. To address this inequality inherent in market mechanisms, the government should establish and enforce laws/regulations that will ensure a transparent and fair benefit-sharing mechanism.
Keywords: non-timber products, exploitation, benefit sharing mechanism
Description
Thesis of Master of Science in Environmental and Natural Resource Management.