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Savanna fire management can generate enough carbon revenue to help restore Africa’s rangelands and fill protected area funding gaps

Published Article

Africa

Publication date: December 17, 2021

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This study shows how early dry‑season savanna fire management can reduce emissions, boost soil and woody carbon, and generate substantial carbon revenue to restore Africa’s rangelands. The approach could close major funding gaps for protected areas, support biodiversity, and strengthen conservation in least‑developed African countries.

Subject Tags

  • Savanna
  • Carbon markets
  • Natural climate solutions
  • Carbon storage

Summary

Many savanna-dependent species in Africa including large herbivores and apex predators are at increasing risk of extinction. Achieving effective management of protected areas (PAs) in Africa where lions live will cost an estimated US$ >1–2 billion/year in new funding. We explore the potential for fire-management-based carbon financing programs to fill this funding gap and benefit degrading savanna ecosystems. We demonstrate how introducing early dry season fire management programs could produce potential carbon revenues (PCRs) from either a single carbon financing method (avoided emissions) or from multiple sequestration methods ranging from US$ 59.6–655.9 million/year (at US$ 5/ton) or US$ 155.0 million/year to US$ 1.7 billion/year (at US$ 13/ton). We highlight variable but significant PCRs for savanna PAs from US$ 1.5–44.4 million/year per PA. We suggest investing in fire management programs to jump-start the United Nations Decade of Ecological Restoration to help restore degraded African savannas and conserve imperiled keystone herbivores and apex predators.

Citation

Tear, T. H., Wolff, N. H., Lipsett-Moore, G. J., Ritchie, M. E., Ribeiro, N. S., Petracca, L. S., ... & Steinbruch, F. (2021). Savanna fire management can generate enough carbon revenue to help restore Africa’s rangelands and fill protected area funding gaps. One Earth, 4(12), 1776-1791.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2021.11.013

TNC Authors