| The Kyoto TGAL research project is directed from the University of Twente, Technology & Sustainable Development (TSD) Group, with funding from Netherlands Development Cooperation (DGIS) and with research and development partners in Nepal (ICIMOD), Tanzania (University of Dar es Salaam), Senegal (ENDA) and the Netherlands (UT and ITC). The Kyoto project is a research and capacity development effort concerned with bringing community based forest management (CBFM) under the CDM or similar mechanism within the international climate change treaties in the future. At present, CDM allows afforestation and reforestation projects in developing countries to be issued with carbon credits, but not activities related to management of existing forest. Forest management, particularly by local communities in developing countries, stands not only to sequester a large amount of carbon relatively cheaply, but also provides many other environmental services (biodiversity and water conservation for example) and it is very important in local people's livelihoods. Therefore it should be included in the future architecture of the climate agreements. |
