the philosophy behind
OUR APPROACH
Koalisation tackles environmental damage linked to social issues by empowering communities. With our approach, we reduce charcoal use with efficient cookstoves, provide clean water, and train locals in sustainable practices like regenerative agriculture and beekeeping.
Through these activities, we try to address three of the biggest social and environmental challenges which currently impact 2.2 billion people: cooking, water access, and soil degradation.
Environmental Negative Impacts Related to Social Problems
Worldwide, over 2 billion people lack access to sustainable energy sources, relying daily on firewood or charcoal, typically used in three-stone open fires or other primitive technologies.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, the scarcity of clean energy leads to significant ecosystem degradation due to charcoal production. Every year, hundreds of thousands of hectares of forest are cleared to produce charcoal, the primary available energy source.
The use of charcoal in inefficient traditional technologies is the leading cause of deforestation in Sub-Saharan Africa and the second leading cause of premature death due to smoke inhalation. The charcoal value chain involves thousands of people, from charcoal burners to truck drivers, and from small wholesalers to final retailers.
Charcoal consumption is widespread in urban and peri-urban areas, while production occurs in rural regions. Farmers often produce charcoal instead of farming due to lack of resources. Water shortages caused by drought lead to severe food production shortages, increasing poverty and raising the cost of basic necessities such as nshima (local maize powder) and beans. Additionally, many farmers use chemicals to boost crop yields, depleting soil nutrients and reducing long-term
harvest potential.
Every year, after the harvest season, agricultural wastes, bushes, and biomass are burned, damaging local wildlife, causing respiratory diseases, and emitting tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. This widespread traditional practice exacerbates environmental damage instead of valuing waste.
Koalisation’s
Philosophy
We believe that sustainable development of local communities is essential to combating environmental damage caused by social dynamics.
Koalisation develops projects aimed at establishing long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships that empower communities to become active custodians of their environment. Our goal is to reduce environmental impacts, regenerate ecosystems, and create a sustainable and enduring virtuous cycle.
We reinvest part of our carbon credits revenue into training communities on activities that generate sustainable local income through a layer-by-layer implementation approach. By working alongside communities, we create long-lasting partnerships that enable them to become independent and self-reliant through capacity building and knowledge exchange. This approach is key to reducing charcoal production and improving environmental health over time.
From Prevention to Regeneration
PREVENTION
Our efforts start with prevention, reducing charcoal demand in peri-urban areas by distributing improved efficient cookstoves at no upfront cost.
Each cookstove reduces daily charcoal use by up to 70%, significantly lowering cooking expenses. To further reduce charcoal use and ensure access to clean drinking water, we install boreholes and water towers in our operational areas.
REGENERATION
The next step is regenerating degraded ecosystems in rural areas where charcoal is produced.
Through a specific program of activities and training, we empower farmers, indigenous communities, and charcoal burners by providing skills and best practices in regenerative agriculture, fruit tree planting, fruit processing, and beekeeping. These activities help preserve and regenerate ecosystems, adding value to nature and generating high-impact carbon credits from rural degraded areas.
Overcomplience with monitoring requirements
Most monitoring programs and related carbon credits are unreliable. Project proponents typically monitor cookstove usage randomly once a year without ensuring that devices are used or correctly placed.
At Koalisation, our team monitors and evaluates our activities daily, establishing a Koalisation point in every project area to enhance our presence and strengthen community relationships. Our field officers monitor each distributed device monthly using a precise mechanism developed by our specialists. We exceed standards’ eligibility criteria by producing monthly reports on adoption rates, improvements, and stakeholders feedback.
To further enhance our credibility, we collaborate with universities to conduct research and studies on the outcomes and impacts generated by our projects. All research is published as open-source material accessible to everyone.
