Ecological Economics of Cashew Trees (Anacardium Occidentale) in Eastern Corridor of Selous-Niassa Trans Frontier Conservation Area, Tanzania and Mozambique

Abstract

Climate is changing and that the changes are largely due to increased levels of carbon emissions into the atmosphere caused by changes of land uses as a result of anthropogenic activities. Considering the impacts of climate change insisted the need for new conservation areas to fill connectivity gap between protected areas (PAs) or transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs) through habitat corridors so as to enable species migration with their climatic niche. However depending on conservation criterion sometimes these corridors resides with dwellers who depend on corridor resources for their livelihood. Selous – Niassa TFCA is one among the TFCAs connected with corridor which corridor dwellers depend it for their livelihood. The corridor is rich with cashew trees (Anacardium occidentale) which is the principle cash crop in the area. Cashew trees like many other Trees outside Forests (TOF) have important economic, social and environmental values, at local, national and international scales. Environmental benefits of carbon sequestration of cashew trees is of important to corridor dwellers as it add value in poverty alleviation through carbon market schemes like REDD+. This study aim to estimate amount of biomass and carbon stock of cashew trees in eastern Selous – Niassa TFCA and its contribution to income generation through carbon market. Archive data was analysed to get the intended output. Results indicates coconut trees to have biomass stocks of 2, 417, 853.06 tonnes equivalent to 1, 136, 201.22 tonnes of carbon stocks and producing accrued profit amounted US$ 4, 544, 804.88 if adapted REDD+ programmes. The study concludes that cashew trees have both ecological and socio-economic benefits. It is suggested that, production, productivity and sustainable utilisation of cashew trees should be emphasized to safeguard reliance of corridor natural resources for livelihoods.