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Musokotwane-Nyawa Miombo Woodland Carbon Project
Project Overview
The Musokotwane-Nyawa Miombo Woodland Carbon Project represents a transformative opportunity to restore vital ecosystem connections in southern Zambia while supporting sustainable community development. Located within the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA), the world’s largest transboundary conservation initiative, this 40-year project focuses on rehabilitating 185,000 hectares of degraded woodland landscapes.
The initiative serves as a critical wildlife corridor connecting the Greater Kafue Ecosystem with Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, home to Victoria Falls. By working directly with 23 communities across two traditional chiefdoms, the project fosters restoration of four diverse ecosystem types while implementing forest-friendly livelihoods that reduce pressure on woodland resources.
Through this integrated approach, the project will not only sequester substantial carbon but also enhance biodiversity conservation, support community wellbeing, and contribute to Zambia’s climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Download the Musokotwane-Nyawa Miombo Woodland Carbon Project Brochure
Learn more about this restoration project and its impact on local communities and ecosystems. Our detailed project brochure provides key information about implementation strategies, current progress, and partnership opportunities.Ecosystem
The Musokotwane-Nyawa landscape comprises a rich mosaic of interconnected ecosystems essential for carbon sequestration and biodiversity. Southern Miombo woodlands dominate the region, characterized by Brachystegia, Isoberlina, and Julbernardia species that form the ecological backbone. This is complemented by distinctive Zambezian Mopane woodland, Zambezian Baikiaea woodland (known locally as “mutemwa”), and seasonally flooded grasslands that support unique biodiversity.
Unfortunately, the region has experienced significant deforestation, losing approximately 140,000 hectares (2.7%) of forest cover between 2001-2023 through slash-and-burn agriculture, unsustainable timber harvesting, and charcoal production. This degradation has disrupted critical wildlife corridors for vulnerable species like the Black-cheeked Lovebird and fragmented elephant migration routes between protected areas. Climate impacts are evident throughout the region, with a 5% decrease in rainfall recorded between 1971-2000 and increasing frequency of both drought and flood years.
| Stat Label | Stat Value |
|---|---|
| Project Area | 185,000 hectares across two chiefdoms |
| Carbon Potential | 2,991,000-5,984,000 verified carbon units (VCUs) |
| Community Reach | 23 distinct communities in traditional governance structures |
| Implementation Timeline | 40+ years beginning Q1 2026 |
Community
The project area encompasses 23 distinct communities across the Musokotwane and Nyawa Chiefdoms, where traditional governance structures through chiefs and village headmen have guided land stewardship for generations. These primarily rural communities maintain customary land tenure systems and rely on small-scale agriculture (mainly maize and cassava), traditional beekeeping, timber harvesting, and charcoal production for their livelihoods.
The project collaborates directly with these traditional structures to foster sustainable forest management while respecting local knowledge and practices. By partnering with communities to establish Forest Management Groups and train Honorary Forest Guards, the initiative builds local capacity for long-term stewardship of forest resources. The carbon finance mechanism will support the development of alternative forest-friendly economic opportunities, including sustainable beekeeping, climate-smart agriculture, and value-added forest products, creating pathways to reduce pressure on woodland resources while enhancing community wellbeing.
Technical Approach
The Musokotwane-Nyawa project implements a comprehensive approach to landscape restoration, tailored to the specific ecological and social conditions of southern Zambia. The initiative employs multiple complementary restoration techniques including assisted natural regeneration of degraded native forest, strategic nurseries for enrichment planting with key indigenous species, buffer zone enhancement around protected areas, and targeted watershed rehabilitation in critical catchment areas.
Implementation follows rigorous carbon methodologies for both Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation (ARR) activities and potentially Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) components. The project will adhere to internationally recognized carbon standards, ensuring that all emission reductions and removals are real, measurable, and additional.
Monitoring frameworks integrate both community-based approaches and scientific measurement, tracking forest cover changes, carbon sequestration, biodiversity indicators, and livelihood improvements. An adaptive management approach allows for continuous refinement of restoration techniques based on monitoring results, ensuring the project remains effective through its 40-year lifetime despite changing environmental conditions and evolving community needs.
Progress and Impact
The Musokotwane-Nyawa project is currently in the development phase, with formal implementation scheduled to begin in Q1 2026 following detailed project design and stakeholder engagement. Significant progress has already been achieved in establishing relationships with traditional leadership structures, with a formal letter of invitation secured from Chief Musokotwane and discussions underway with Chief Nyawa.
The project team is actively engaging with potential conservation partners including The Nature Conservancy, African Parks, and Panthera to align restoration efforts with broader conservation goals in the KAZA TFCA region. Technical assessments are underway to establish baseline carbon stocks and refine estimates of carbon sequestration potential.
For 2025, the project aims to conduct two Vision + Design workshops, complete the Project Design Document, plant 800,000 indigenous trees, bring 300+ hectares under restoration, employ 40 full-time restoration team members, and maintain 100+ km of fire breaks. These early efforts will establish the foundation for successful long-term implementation and carbon credit generation.
