In Zambia, severe droughts hit farmers already struggling with exhausted soils. Zambian and Norwegian partners had an idea that biochar from pigeon peas could help. The ClimChar project received funding from the Nordic Climate Facility, an NDF challenge fund, to develop their innovative business concept.

Biochar is the residue which remains after the pyrolysis of biomass. It can help mitigate climate change through carbon sequestering in the soil. It is also a great soil amendment, acting as a fertiliser and improving soil quality by increasing water and nutrient retention. This can be an important climate change mitigation and adaptation solution in the face of longer and more severe droughts.

The ClimChar project introduced pigeon peas, which is relatively new in Zambia, as a cash crop for export. The agricultural residue from the pigeon pea trees was used to create biochar, which was in turn used to improve the farmers’ maize fields.

“We developed local and cheaper ways to make and utilise biochar, cutting out transport costs from a central biochar machine,” said Collins Nkatiko of Conservation Farming Unit. “This way farmers extended the use of biochar beyond experimental plots and even started selling biochar to interested neighbours.”

Initial results were good: the biochar improved soil moisture retention and drought tolerance while maize yield increased 12-37%. ClimChar proved that the idea had both economic and environmental potential, and the lessons learned are now being applied in spinoff projects in Sub Saharan Africa.

The northern, mangrove-covered coast of Honduras has many communities which depend upon artisanal fishing, which is households fishing with traditional methods. Fishing and mangroves go hand-in-hand, which is why improving the resilience of both were addressed in a project led by the Inter-American Development Bank and mainly funded by the NDF.

The northern Honduran coastline is vulnerable to deforestation and land use changes, as well as to the increasing number and ferocity of tropical storms caused by climate change. The recent pandemic years have been especially tough on local fishermen.

“The crews got sick, and then the hurricanes affected our equipment, as many dedicated themselves to rescuing people,” Rigoberto López, President of the Fisheries Association in Marión, said in the final evaluation report. “The losses during the pandemic were enormous.”

The project, Resilience of the Blue Economy and the Coastal Ecosystem in Northern Honduras, focused on the fishers and mangroves as an interconnected entity. It raised awareness of the ecosystem services the mangroves provide, such as being a fish habitat and protecting the coast from storms.

The project helped fishers reach high-value markets, improve production practices, access credit, and improve operations and record-keeping. Local officials worked to improve management of natural resources and track fish catches.

The project also specifically engaged people with disabilities, as well as their families, in capacity building and employment activities, with 5 fishing companies assigning jobs and establishing business relationships with them under the project. A particular focus was also on the key role women play in the communities.

“In these socio-environmentally vulnerable communities, women have the fundamental role in ensuring the proper management of the family economy,” said local businesswoman Pili Luna. “Being able to give them an income translates into a transformation in their lives and communities.” Luna helped set-up a women-led enterprise for processing fish skin into fish leather that is now being used in shoe production.