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Jobs 4 Carbon

Jobs 4 Carbon

ONE OF THE GREATEST CURRENT THREATS FACING THE NATURAL WORLD IS CLIMATE CHANGE. THE EFFECTS OF AN ANTHROPOGENIC DRIVEN CLIMATE CHANGE ARE FAR-REACHING AND CAN ULTIMATELY BE DEVASTATING.

In the face of such mammoth environmental issues, the Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve (GCBR) as an environmental custodian has a great responsibility to develop effects of climate change through, amongst other, carbon sequestration projects, assisting communities in adaptive measures and promoting a positive change in individuals’ behaviour throughout its sphere of influence.

The Jobs4Carbon (J4C) project speaks to the issue of climate change and these various areas of influence. This GCBR flagship initiative for developing carbon farming in the Klein Karoo has gone far beyond its initial objectives of job creation and restoration with the intent of carbon farming. The project influence has permeated through the local community bringing tangible positive change to the lives of individuals, directly and indirectly, involved in the project, whilst simultaneously restoring the degraded landscape with spekboom.

Portulacaria Afra (spekboom) is the plant of choice for the Jobs4Carbon project based on various ecological and physiological properties of the plant.

Thicket – the type of vegetation native to the restoration areas – does not recover naturally if livestock pressure is reduced. Therefore in order to restore this type of vegetation active rehabilitation measures need to be employed.

By planting spekboom – which is native to the area – the natural vegetation is encouraged to re-establish over time as the spekboom grows and creates more favourable conditions for the more sensitive plant species. With the recovery of the veld the soils begin to regenerate, as well as the various ecosystems services such as flood and erosion control. Notably, the restoration of spekboom-rich vegetation also has the important attribute of being able to capture atmospheric carbon at rates that may make carbon farming a possibility.

Now in its seventh year, the project is a fine example of the immensely positive effects that restoring the natural environment can have not only on the ecology of an area but also on uplifting local communities and inspiring and educating the broader public about the need for a change in behaviour as a vehicle for mitigating the effects of climate change.

HOW IT WORKS

In the initial stages, an area or region is first mapped by botanists to establish where spekboom can and should grow (historical spekboom veld). Once these areas are determined, they are ranked from areas that are most degraded (highest concern) to areas that are most intact (least concern). The Jobs4Carbon project prioritises areas that are most degraded.

The landowners under whose properties these areas fall are then approached and briefed on the project. If the landowners are interested in being a part of the programme and restoring spekboom on their property an agreement is signed between the landowner and the GCBR. The agreement indicates that the landowner agrees to restore the area in question (active restoration area) through the programme, in addition to committing to “resting: (removing and or preventing livestock from grazing) the land for a period of 10 years. The area committed to resting – known as the conservation area, as the landowners often commit their entire farm or an entire section to restoration. The entire conservation area is therefore comprised of an area of “active restoration’ (where spekboom is planted and an area of “passive restoration” (non–spekboom areas that are restored through resting). The active restoration areas are done in sections or ‘units’. One landowner can have more than one active restoration unit, depending on the viability for spekboom to grow on that property.

Researchers are then brought in in order to measure the carbon baselines – the amount of carbon stored in the soil and vegetation of the restoration area prior to planting the spekboom. This provides for a carbon value that can be compared with the post-planting carbon storage values of the areas and is used as a measure of carbon capture which can be translated into tradable units in voluntary carbon markets, provided that the necessary specifications and legal requirements are met.

Thereafter the Jobs4Carbon teams are then able to commence with the restoration work. This involves harvesting cuttings from intact and healthy spekboom veld as close as possible to the restoration area. The cuttings are harvested in a sustainable manner – the teams have been taught the maximum number of cuttings that may be harvested from a given size plant. After a period of allowing the cuttings to dry out (in order to prevent rot), they are taken to the restoration site where holes for planting would have already been prepared. The spekboom cuttings are then planted in these holes (that are spaced between 2m and 3m apart). Each cutting is given 1 litre of water and left to grow. With the hardiness of spekboom, no further activity is required to support the plants.

The GCBR simultaneously continues to work at creating linkages with carbon markets and key institutions and establishing the viability of selling the sequestered carbon on voluntary markets (refer to unlocking a spekboom-based economy in the Klein Karoo in the first chapter).

The project saw 5 new landowners signing up to the programme as well as 2 landowners that had been part of the first Jobs4Carbon Project. The project needed to plant spekboom on a total of 50ha for the project year and met its targets (exceeding them slightly) at 52.6ha. This area comprised 12 different planting areas (units) across 7 different properties.

CHALLENGES

The drought experienced throughout the Western Cape is most certainly exacerbated in drylands such as the Klein Karoo, and thus it remains one of the project’s greatest challenges. Whilst the spekboom cuttings receive approximately one litre of water once planted (the logistics of which are often one of the most complicated issues in the whole process of restoration), this will only be sufficient if the plant is to receive additional water through precipitation within 4 months of being planted – although spekboom is a very drought tolerant and water-wise plant, in order for the cuttings to successfully take root they do need an above-average amount of water compared to established spekboom plants – this is however still marginal in comparison to most plants. 

THE HUMAN SIDE

Jobs4Carbon had three teams comprised of 12 individuals, of which each team had one supervisor. Having worked together for approximately seven years, they are a very experienced and close-knit team.

It is evident through conversation with the team members that they love the work that they do, and they are proud of their contribution to the natural environment. Over the years they have become more confident as individuals, with the Project Manager, Andre Britz, actively nurturing this self-confidence through the assigning of various tasks and opportunities over and above their fieldwork.

On one of the properties, the team needed access to water and liaised directly with the landowner for the extraction of the water – a major personal achievement for them in learning to deal with matters within their own capacity.

The whole team underwent training.

The course was also used as a means to identify individuals with the potential to be more involved in the management and administration of the Jobs4Carbon project.

The Jobs4Carbon team members were also exposed to exciting new experiences, manning the GCBR/J4C stall at the KKNK arts festival in Oudtshoorn,  for the duration of the festival. They also assist with the GCBR/J4C stall at the Cape Floral Kingdom Expo during the Agri Mega Week in Bredasdorp.

In addition to this, the teams were able to have work-away experiences with Dryland Events Management mountain bike challenges. The team played an integral part in the event, marshalling the route and gates, managing water points and traffic flow. The success of the events was awed largely to the presence of the J4C team!

THE LAST THOUGHT

Jobs4Carbon continues to successfully accomplish the work of veld restoration and job creation. An independent report on the project stated that not only were the project objectives achieved but in some cases, they were exceeded, as well as the success rate of the plantings showed an above-average survival compared to other restoration projects.

The project far exceeds its designation of merely a “restoration project”. It creates new jobs in poor rural communities, potential new income streams from the sale of carbon increased ecosystem services to name but a few.

While these project attributes are incredibly valuable and notable, it is the growth of human capital through the project that has become one of the defining qualities of the project. This being said, it is acknowledged that it is this very characteristic – the human capital – that has resulted in the success of the on-the-ground fieldwork.

As much as Jobs4Carbon is spekboom restoration, it is also the people.