High-integrity forest carbon markets could provide a transformative source of funding — they should be designed and implemented not only for forest protection and restoration, but to further the rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities.

The following stories are just a few examples of the ways Kawari is making an impact.

The Ogiek Peoples’ Development Program implemented a project to build capacity of the community on carbon markets for better engagement and dialogue with the local government. The project also supported the advocacy work of the Ogiek community to help them engage the government over the issue of ancestral land claims and the land right ruling.

Community training provided an opportunity for the Ogiek community and other Indigenous hunter gatherer communities in Kenya to learn about the carbon markets and climate finance as well as the mechanisms and benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting low-carbon development. The training enhanced knowledge and provided skills on how to engage actors including government and investors in the carbon markets and climate funds, and provided a platform for networking and collaboration among stakeholders from different sectors and regions.

ANECAP groups 19 Indigenous Peoples, 200 member communities and approximately 42,000 people who are committed to the protection and conservation of almost 5 million hectares of communal reserves, communal territories and associated landscapes. With the support of Kawari, ANECAP conducted several workshops with Indigenous Peoples’ organizations to develop a proposal for an Indigenous REDD+ Jurisdictional Program in territories with High Forest Cover Low Deforestation (HFLD) to be delivered to the Architecture for REDD+ Transactions (ART) . 

In addition, ANECAP has been participating in ART processes such as the development of the Certification of co-benefits of TREES and the  updating of TREES 2.0

The Indigenous Peoples-led and Local Communities-led organizations produced highly technical proposals that were also discussed with the Ministry of Environment (MINAM) and presented to the local government. MINAM's partnership with Indigenous Peoples would be the first Indigenous Jurisdictional REDD+ initiative worldwide and would be innovative and attractive for all the co-benefits it would provide.