Working with communities to ensure them sustainable economic activities and justice

The forestry sector is suffering from corruption and is limiting benefits for local and Indigenous communities. Our solution allows local communities to tackle forest illegalities and land rights violations and at the same time to secure their land rights and economic rights over forest resources by monitoring and protecting their territory, reinforcing sustainable development and autonomy.  Data collected through the tool also supports judicial or non-judicial cases when local and indigenous communities suffer human rights abuses. 

  • A good understanding of the current economic activities of the communities is needed 
  • Financial means to engage legal procedures is a must 
  • Collaborate with local partners specialised in legal actions or in sustainable business activities 
  • Parallel advocacy work to secure individual and collective land rights   
  • Sensitization on sustainable economic activities is key for the project success, and it must include all groups of the local or Indigenous community and have specific sensitization for women and girls. 
  • Staff trained or specialised in the different fields (justice/law & sustainable economy) is needed Women and girls are key change agents who have to be fully integrated in projects  
Building strong advocacy networks of local, national and international civil society organisations (CSOs)

Having data collected and analysed through a digital tool is an innovation, although to foster changes and ensure local communities and Indigenous people's protection and sustainable lifestyle the data is used for law enforcement and advocacy purposes. To this end, strong local, national and international advocacy networks are needed to take action against reported abuses and to achieve policy changes. By enabling information to be shared between users and opening up data to the general public, the tool facilitates collaborative working. 

  • Collaborating with CSOs who works on similar topics and share values, visions and goals is essential 
  • Promoting collective data verification and analysis to foster joint responses to alerts and advocacy actions 
  • Maintaining good relationships with a range of institutional actors who know and consider the tool as a valid monitoring tool and support it.  
  • Even if building and strengthening CSOs networks is fundamental, it is important to respect when organisations don’t want to work together and find ways to support each CSO’s work instead of pitting organisations against each other. This requires adaptability in projects and advocacy towards donors.  
  • To ensure that the networks are sustainable, medium- and long-term funding is needed to guarantee that the coordination functions run smoothly (secretariat, coordination of working groups, etc.).  

Adaptable & Efficient Reporting and Monitoring tool

Our solution is based on a digital tool whose goal is to collect and facilitate the analyse of the data sent by community observers and our partners. This tool's efficiency relies on the fact that it is digital, easy to use and low costs for local and Indigenous communities. It enables us to work with hard-to-reach areas around the world, to have quantitative data to support national and international advocacy and to get supporting evidence for legal cases. The adaptability of our solution also lies in the fact that it can be used to monitor a variety of issues (illegal logging - artisanal or industrial, mining, carbon market projects' impact, GBV, etc.), in a variety of contexts.  

  • Sufficient financial resources for the tool to keep running and for the observers to keep apply it 
  • Having a strong technical and development staff team  
  • Building partners’ capacity in using the tool and train community monitors to use it  
  • Ensuring its adaptability to changes in partners' expectations 
  • Having coordination staff team within our organisation and within partners organisations to ensure the efficiency in using the tool 
  • In-person training is the most important thing to ensure the digital tool good use and efficiency. Partners have to be able to understand fully how the tool works and keep being trained for the overall period of the tool implementation 
  • Liase constantly with the partners to ensure the tool and hardwares are working as expected is key 
  • Be aware of all the external factors (political, social, meteorological...)  which can slow down or stop data from being collected on the tool 
  • Ensure that complementary training of environmental law and human rights are proposed to local partners and communities, so that they can take efficient law enforcement actions and access to justice and reparations. 

Working hand in hand with grassroots organisations/Indigenous and local communities

The evidence is building that granting Indigenous peoples and other local communities' control over their territories improves forest protection. This is because they are directly invested in the survival of forests and want to ensure that future generations can continue to live and thrive in them. Yet a lot of development and environmental and climate-related programs are not created in collaboration with the people who will be impacted by them. Therefore, our solution arose from the challenges that grassroots organisations and Indigenous and local communities brought to our attention. Those communities are the ones living all the forests illegalities and land tenure violations therefore by directly tackling their challenge it ensures the solution to be genuine and efficient. Working with them directly helps us to better understand the contexts they are facing and adapt the tool in consequence. 

  • Build strong and lasting relationships with partners and people using the tool 
  • Having an adaptable tool which allows to be reactive to changes  
  • Adequate financial resources  
  • Collaborating with Indigenous and local, grassroots organisations  
  • Building strong relationships requires cultural sensitivity, time and efforts. It is important to listen closely  to stories and challenges people share to be sure that the tools respond to their needs and contexts.  
  • Having beforehand researched on the cultural, traditional and socio-economic context strengthens the collaboration and to make the tool more relevant and impactful. Working with Indigenous-led or locally-led organisations to truly address their challenges 
Ecosystem-Based Economic Trade-Offs

This building block highlights the importance of aligning economic incentives with ecosystem conservation. NFTree increases the opportunity cost of deforestation by providing financial rewards for preserving forests. By connecting private-sector funding to biodiversity-rich carbon sinks, NFTree ensures that conservation becomes a competitive and sustainable land-use option. The integration of digital tools and financial mechanisms creates a model where ecological preservation supports both environmental and economic resilience.

• Transparent tokenization of conservation efforts via blockchain technology.

• A robust MRV system to validate carbon and biodiversity outcomes, increasing buyer confidence.

• Financial mechanisms ensuring equitable fund distribution to smallholders and land stewards.

• Support from local communities and organizations to prioritize ecosystem preservation.

Digital Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) System

This building block utilizes advanced technology to monitor, report, and verify (MRV) conservation outcomes. The MRV system integrates satellite imagery, artificial intelligence, and on-ground data to measure carbon stocks, forest productivity, and biodiversity in the Andean Chocó. This robust system provides high-resolution data to validate the ecological impact of conservation efforts, ensuring transparency and attracting high-integrity climate financing.

• Availability of high-resolution satellite imagery and multispectral data.

• Partnerships with academic and technical experts for AI model development.

• Local ground-truthing efforts to ensure data accuracy.

• Access to cloud computing platforms like Google Earth Engine for processing and analysis.

Blockchain-based Conservation Tokens

This building block introduces the tokenization of conservation efforts using blockchain technology. NFTree tokenizes 10x10 meter plots of conserved or restored forest land, creating unique digital assets that represent carbon sequestration and biodiversity credits. These tokens are purchased by individuals and companies to offset their carbon footprints, with funds directly channeled to local conservation initiatives. The blockchain ledger ensures transparency, traceability, and accountability in transactions, making conservation efforts more attractive to investors and contributors.

• Access to a reliable and scalable blockchain platform (e.g., Polygon).

• Robust digital Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system to validate tokenized credits.

• Partnerships with academic and technical experts to develop high-integrity carbon and biodiversity models.

• Supportive market conditions for high-quality carbon credits.

Decentralized Local Governance via DAOs

This building block establishes decentralized governance structures using a DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization). It ensures transparent and equitable distribution of conservation funds to local land stewards while empowering them with decision-making authority. The DAO model integrates community members into governance, enabling scalable and bottom-up landscape management that complements top-down conservation initiatives

• Strong community engagement and trust-building through participatory governance.

• Access to user-friendly blockchain platforms, ensuring ease of participation for non-technical users.

• Availability of financial resources to support DAO establishment and ongoing operations.

Committee establishment, formalization and operationalization

Inclusive and participatory mapping of all stakeholders in the mangrove space in the five counties of Kwale, Mombasa, Kilifi, Tana River and Lamu. A series of meetings for sensitization on the National Mangrove Management Plan, and later facilitated formation of the national and five county committees. The committees were then facilitated in developing their workplans and executing some of the activities. This has since been picked up. 

Partnership and collaboration.

Inclusive processes

Willingness and trust amongst partners 

Strengthening Oversight by the AA and Board of Trustees

This building block focused on enhancing the oversight capacity of the AA and the Board of Trustees to ensure effective governance of the WMA. Training sessions were conducted on strategic planning, financial oversight, and stakeholder engagement. Peer-to-peer learning opportunities were also organized, allowing AA and Board of Trustees members to learn from other successful WMAs. Regular meetings between the management team and oversight bodies were institutionalized to review progress, discuss challenges, and make strategic decisions. Strengthening oversight has ensured that the management team remains accountable and that community interests are represented in decision-making processes.

  1. Regular support and facilitation by Iringa District Council, STEP, and other conservation partners.
  2. Availability of peer-learning opportunities with other WMAs that have successfully implemented similar governance structures.
  3. Engagement of local leaders and community representatives to ensure alignment with community needs and expectations.
  1. Clear separation of roles and responsibilities between management and oversight bodies enhances governance efficiency.
  2. Regular communication and collaborative decision-making between the management team, AA, and Board of Trustees build community trust and improve transparency.
  3. Continuous capacity-building and leadership development are essential for maintaining effective oversight and adapting to emerging challenges.