Omiti Community Based Biochar Project in Namibia
Omiti Biochar (Pty) Ltd
(
Private sector
)
#SDGAction54028
Description
The objective of this Bush-to-Biochar project is the restoration of land by addressing the degradation and increasing the basis for biodiversity in the Otjimbingwe communal area. By producing biochar from the aggressive growing encroacher bush, the project will increase livelihood diversification and livelihood improvement through developing a sustainable rural enterprise from bush encroachment. By turning harvested encroacher bush into biochar, the project will succeed in reaching 3 key results: • restoring degraded rangelands and conserving biodiversity, • creating biochar as a value-added product that can be used as a natural soil enhancer and building a sustainable rural enterprise, and • sequestering CO2 emissions from the atmosphere. Omiti Biochar (Pty) Ltd and the Otjimbingwe Community will establish a Joint Venture agreement whereby the community receives 20% of the net profits of the project. Omiti Biochar and the community leadership shall establish a Project Management Committee (PMC) who will consist of representatives from the community and Omiti Biochar. The goal of the Project Management Committee is to identify (through consultation with the community) and execute social and economic development and upliftment programs within the Otjimbingwe communal area for the benefit of the Otjimbingwe community with the utilization of the community’s share of the net profits. The PMC shall compile the following accurate and complete reports on a quarterly basis: • a Performance Report that shall demonstrate the extent to which the expected results of the identified socio-economic and upliftment programs in the community have been achieved, and • a Financial Report.
The co-benefits derived from this project will entail the following 3 segments through which our Sustainable Development Goals and corresponding targets will be reached: 1. Nature - restore grasslands - reverse land degradation - restore ecosystems - save groundwater 2. Socio-economic - diversify livelihood opportunities - new skills - formal employment - increase household income - increase food security 3. Building climate resilience - tunnels for food production - climate smart drip irrigation - improve water supply for humans - improve water supply for livestock The above project co-benefits will accelerate: Target 1.5 - building the resilience of the rural community to reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters (by diversifying livelihood opportunities, new skills acquired by the community, improving current water infrastructure, replacing diesel pumps with solar pumps and installing new water supply sources (e.g. boreholes) for the community and their livestock, saving groundwater by harvesting encroacher bush). Target 2.4 - ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality (by implementing climate smart tunnel farming, water-wise drip irrigation systems, and using the biochar as a natural fertilizer in the community's soils and grasslands) Target 5.5 - Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life (by implementing gender mainstreaming and having women in leadership roles in the biochar production segment and additional biomass plantation segment). Target 13.1 - Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters (by reversing land degradation and increasing grazing capacities, food security through climate smart crop farming and water-wise crop irrigation methods, livelihood diversification). Target 15.3 - By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods (by harvesting encroacher bush rangelands and ecosystems are restored, saving valuable groundwater, applying biochar to soils to restore grasslands)
As the community project involves carbon removal through biochar, certain partners are needed to be able to generate and sell Carbon Removal Certificates from which the project derives its income. Carbon Standards International AG - based in Switzerland, develops standards, strategies and system solutions for climate-neutral agriculture and industry. Omiti Biochar is registered on their platform and by complying with their standards and guidelines, they will audit and certify the project's carbon removal credits as valid and can then be traded as carbon removal certificates (CRC’s) on the voluntary carbon credit market to international buyers. Planboo Sweden - The Planboo Artisan mobile data application will record all biomass sourcing, production, mixing and application. Furthermore, the IOT Greenbox device and heat sensors will gather data for every cook cycle on every kiln. Planboo will store the data and make it available to anyone inside or outside the project – including CSI and CERES – for purposes of auditing and verification for carbon removals.
The project will contribute to the SGP Country Programme Strategy in the following manner: The production of biochar will lead to an increase of the community’s ability to diversify its activities to build resilience against climate change effects. This increased diversification activity will be: o financially equitable (economic resilience through all members of the organization sharing in the income), o supportive of the entire organization (social resilience through all members having access to biochar to improve their soils and food security), o and it will minimize harmful impacts on the natural environment (ecological resilience through reclaiming degraded rangeland and biodiversity). Livelihoods will be improved by establishing a sustainable business enterprise around the production and sale of a portion of the biochar to generate a sustainable income stream.
SDGS & Targets
Goal 1
End poverty in all its forms everywhere
1.1
By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day
1.1.1
Proportion of the population living below the international poverty line by sex, age, employment status and geographical location (urban/rural)
1.2
By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions
1.2.1
Proportion of population living below the national poverty line, by sex and age
1.2.2
Proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions
1.3
Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable
1.3.1
Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims and the poor and the vulnerable
1.4
By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance
1.4.1
Proportion of population living in households with access to basic services
1.4.2
Proportion of total adult population with secure tenure rights to land, (a) with legally recognized documentation, and (b) who perceive their rights to land as secure, by sex and by type of tenure
1.5
By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters
1.5.1
Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
1.5.2
Direct economic loss attributed to disasters in relation to global gross domestic product (GDP)
1.5.3
Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030
1.5.4
Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies
1.a
Ensure significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources, including through enhanced development cooperation, in order to provide adequate and predictable means for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, to implement programmes and policies to end poverty in all its dimensions
1.a.1
Total official development assistance grants from all donors that focus on poverty reduction as a share of the recipient country's gross national income
1.a.2
Proportion of total government spending on essential services (education, health and social protection)
1.b
Create sound policy frameworks at the national, regional and international levels, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies, to support accelerated investment in poverty eradication actions
1.b.1
Pro-poor public social spending
Goal 2
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
2.1
By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round
2.1.1
Prevalence of undernourishment
2.1.2
Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)
2.2
By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons
2.2.1
Prevalence of stunting (height for age <-2 standard deviation from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age
2.2.2
Prevalence of malnutrition (weight for height >+2 or <-2 standard deviation from the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age, by type (wasting and overweight)
2.2.3
Prevalence of anaemia in women aged 15 to 49 years, by pregnancy status (percentage)
2.3
2.3.1
Volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size
2.3.2
Average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status
2.4
By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality
2.4.1
Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture
2.5
By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed
2.5.1
Number of (a) plant and (b) animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium- or long-term conservation facilities
2.5.2
Proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk of extinction
2.a
2.a.1
The agriculture orientation index for government expenditures
2.a.2
Total official flows (official development assistance plus other official flows) to the agriculture sector
2.b
Correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, including through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export measures with equivalent effect, in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development Round
2.b.1
Agricultural export subsidies
2.c
Adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity markets and their derivatives and facilitate timely access to market information, including on food reserves, in order to help limit extreme food price volatility
2.c.1
Indicator of food price anomalies
Goal 5
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
5.1
End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere
5.1.1
Whether or not legal frameworks are in place to promote, enforce and monitor equality and non‑discrimination on the basis of sex
5.2
5.2.1
Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by form of violence and by age
5.2.2
Proportion of women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to sexual violence by persons other than an intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by age and place of occurrence
5.3
5.3.1
Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age 15 and before age 18
5.3.2
Proportion of girls and women aged 15-49 years who have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting, by age
5.4
Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate
5.4.1
Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex, age and location
5.5
Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life
5.5.1
Proportion of seats held by women in (a) national parliaments and (b) local governments
5.5.2
Proportion of women in managerial positions
5.6
Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences
5.6.1
Proportion of women aged 15-49 years who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive health care
5.6.2
Number of countries with laws and regulations that guarantee full and equal access to women and men aged 15 years and older to sexual and reproductive health care, information and education
5.a
Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws
5.a.1
(a) Proportion of total agricultural population with ownership or secure rights over agricultural land, by sex; and (b) share of women among owners or rights-bearers of agricultural land, by type of tenure
5.a.2
Proportion of countries where the legal framework (including customary law) guarantees women’s equal rights to land ownership and/or control
5.b
5.b.1
Proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex
5.c
Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels
5.c.1
Proportion of countries with systems to track and make public allocations for gender equality and women’s empowerment
Goal 13
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
13.1
Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries
13.1.1
Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
13.1.2
Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030
13.1.3
Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies
13.2
Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
13.2.1
Number of countries with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
13.2.2
Total greenhouse gas emissions per year
13.3
Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
13.3.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment
13.a
Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible
13.a.1
Amounts provided and mobilized in United States dollars per year in relation to the continued existing collective mobilization goal of the $100 billion commitment through to 2025
13.b
Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities
13.b.1
Number of least developed countries and small island developing States with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Goal 15
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
15.1
By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements
15.1.1
15.1.2
15.2
By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally
15.2.1
15.3
By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world
15.3.1
15.4
By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development
15.4.1
15.4.2
15.5
Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species
15.5.1
15.6
Promote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promote appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed
15.6.1
15.7
Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products
15.7.1
15.8
By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species
15.8.1
15.9
By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts
15.9.1
(a) Number of countries that have established national targets in accordance with or similar to Aichi Biodiversity Target 2 of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 in their national biodiversity strategy and action plans and the progress reported towards these targets; and (b) integration of biodiversity into national accounting and reporting systems, defined as implementation of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting
15.a
Mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems
15.a.1
(a) Official development assistance on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; and (b) revenue generated and finance mobilized from biodiversity-relevant economic instruments
15.b
Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management and provide adequate incentives to developing countries to advance such management, including for conservation and reforestation
15.b.1
(a) Official development assistance on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; and (b) revenue generated and finance mobilized from biodiversity-relevant economic instruments
15.c
Enhance global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by increasing the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities
15.c.1
SDG 14 targets covered
| Name | Description |
|---|
Deliverables & Timeline
Improving and/or installing new water infrastructure systems for the community
Restoring degraded rangelands by applying biochar as a natural fertilizer
Installing climate smart crop farming infrastructure and techniques to increase food security
Increasing livelihood diversification and livelihood improvement through developing a sustainable rural enterprise from bush encroachment.
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
Feedback
Action Network
Share
Timeline
Entity
Region
- Africa
Other beneficiaries
The Otjimbingwe Rural Community as 20% stakeholder in the biochar project. Otjimbingwe is predominantly a livestock farming area and most of the people residing at the settlement also maintain livestock outposts in the outlying communal area. An estimated 2,000 communal farmers continue to rely on livestock as their prime source of income. Livestock farming depends heavily on the rainy season and on rangelands in good condition, with the average rainfall varying from 100 mm in the far west to about 300 mm in the far east of the Erongo Region. Therefore, livestock farming and any other agricultural activities are highly subjected to the impacts of climate change. Climate change is also one of the causes of bush encroachment. Increases in CO2 in the atmosphere promotes the growth and intensification of woody tree species more than it does plants and grasses which are important for foraging. And bush encroachment in turn leads to land and biodiversity degradation as well as reduced grazing capacities for livestock, which in turn negatively influences livelihoods in the community. Due to these changing conditions of climate change and recurring droughts, subsistence agriculture practiced by rural households is being negatively impacted by reduced agricultural crop yield, reduced grazing availability and overgrazing, declining quality of soils for dryland farming (sorghum, pearl millet and maize), loss of land productivity and soil degradation. The abilities of the community, and especially of the most vulnerable groups being women and children, to cope with water scarcity and droughts have been greatly weakened over the years due to the aggravated impacts of such events, which have become more frequent as well as severe. The coping strategies that the community has tried to implement to combat droughts and water availability are turning negative as many families continue to suffer from the cyclical crisis that hinders them from moving out of the vicious poverty cycle they find themselves in. As the household income levels continue to decrease and the household demands increase, families are forced to cut down on basic necessities including meals. Additionally, families have resorted to selling off their livestock, agricultural tools and seeds for next season’s planting.
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Contact Information
Keith, Mr
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