The RED Biochar of Nakivale Project, technically spearheaded by Health of the Soil International, embodies a paradigm-shifting strategy that converges climate resilience, restorative/regenerative agriculture, and waste management/valorization in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement. By leveraging the multifaceted benefits of biochar, this visionary project catalyzes a synergistic triad of outcomes: amplified soil fertility, augmented agricultural productivity, and substantial carbon sequestration, ultimately enhancing food security, improving livelihoods, and promoting environmental sustainability for the refugees and host communities in Nakivale.

The project will increase carbon sequestration by working the produced biochar into different matrixes and in this way create a long-term carbon storage with a persistence of up to 1000 years as according to the Global Artisan C-Sink Standard. Without the project, no C-sink would be created since corn cobs, sugarcane bagasse, G-nut shells, maize stalks, sorghum residues, rice residues, millet residues, and legumes family residues does not constitute a long-term carbon reservoir.

In the initial 5 years of the project, we expect carbon sequestration of approximately 18,750 CO2eq in total or 3750 CO2eq /year.

The project RED Biochar of Nakivale comprises Artisan Biochar Producers for biochar production from corn cobs, sugarcane bagasse, G-nuts shells, maize stalks, sorghum residues, rice residues, millet residues, and legumes family residues.

Biochar is a hyper-versatile material with an increasing number of applications in agriculture, environmental engineering, and basic industry. Biochar applied to a matrix permitted by the Global Artisan C-Sink Standard poses a stable carbon sink (C-sink). Without the project, no C-sink would be created since corn cobs, sugarcane bagasse, G-nuts shells, maize stalks, sorghum residues, rice residues, millet residues, and legumes family residues do not constitute a long-term carbon reservoir.

The prevailing baseline practices for managing agricultural wastes/biomasses in and around Nakivale Base Camp involve environmentally detrimental methods, including open burning (ranging from 15% to 65% across various feedstocks) and uncontrolled dumping (ranging from 25% to 85%). Specifically, the baseline disposal practices for corn cobs, sugarcane bagasse, G-nuts shells, maize stalks, sorghum residues, rice residues, millet residues, and legumes family residues result in significant greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation.

Another objective of the project is to improve the soil quality in Nakivale, Uganda by marketing biochar as soil amendment. Biochar can improve soil quality significantly because of its impact on the soil pH, its water retention capacity, and its ability to store nutrients.

The monitoring and tracking of this project will be carried out by Health of the Soil International. In the RED Biochar of Nakivale Project the digital MRV technology named PlantVillage+ developed by The Pennsylvania State University, USA will be used. This will monitor, report and verify biochar production and carbon sequestration.