The Ruvuma Wilderness Project
The Ruvuma Wilderness Project, a collaboration between Carbon Tanzania and Revalue, delivers the world’s first Model R credits (Sylvera’s highest-rated avoidance approach). Spanning over one million hectares of Tanzanian miombo woodland, it protects globally significant biodiversity while generating equitable revenues for local communities.
Why these credits stand apart
- Sylvera’s top-rated avoidance approach: Model R received the highest assessment score from Sylvera for any avoided deforestation approach to date, with a risk score on par with the best removals.
- LiDAR-Verified Biomass: Advanced laser scanning provides unparalleled accuracy and confidence in biomass estimates.
- Dynamic Baselines: Ensures credits reflect actual avoided deforestation, reducing risk of over- or under-crediting.
- Built-In Buffer: Ensures credits reflect actual avoided deforestation, reducing risk of over- or under-crediting.
- Future-Ready Compliance: CCP-eligible, targeting CCB Gold certification, and preparing for Corresponding Adjustments.
Safeguarding over 1M Hectares
- Connected Protection: Over 1M ha of Miombo Woodland linking Tanzania’s Nyerere National Park and Mozambique’s Niassa Reserve — part of Africa’s largest contiguous protected areas network.
- Critical Biodiversity: Home to the continent’s second-largest elephant population, 12 globally threatened species, and 19% of Africa’s remaining wild dogs — alongside 421 bird, 135 mammal, 76 reptile, and 36 amphibian species.
- Science-Driven Monitoring: Model R integrates eDNA, bioacoustics, camera traps, and a proprietary connectivity metric to track biodiversity presence and change over time.
Truly Community Led
- Community-led in practice: communities manage the project and decide where revenues flow.
- Revenue sharing, not just benefits: strengthening land rights, governance, and funding projects chosen by communities.
- Community-driven monitoring: local Carbon Champions lead social surveys and conservation efforts.
- Employment & Skill Development: 128 new jobs created (50% filled by women), 50 Village Game Scouts protecting wildlife and forests, 78 Carbon Champions supporting conservation, and 2,000+ people surveyed annually across 39 villages to track outcomes.
The Ruvuma Wilderness Project delivers the world’s first Model R credits — a science-driven, community-led, and future-ready solution that Sylvera ranks as the highest-rated avoidance approach to date.