CarbonWatch Kenya

Research & Transparency Platform

CarbonWatch Kenya

A single platform for transparent carbon flows and bidirectional community communication: SMS, IVR, and USSD in one place, one centralized repository, one public dashboard.

Community-facing transparency for Kenya conservancies

Project focus

CarbonWatch is a community-facing transparency platform. It tracks Verra-registered projects in Kenya (e.g. NRT, Komaza, Boomitra, KCSA), connects conservancy members through bidirectional channels (SMS/IVR and USSD), adds empowerment measurement (SCOUT), and surfaces everything in one Public Dashboard fed by a single centralized repository.

CarbonWatch Kenya is being built from research by SMART in partnership with Agency for Inclusive Innovation Development (AIID-Africa). Kenya hosts 230+ conservancies and vast community-managed lands; the system is designed for long-term scaling—carbon transparency first, then governance, livelihoods, and conservancy monitoring at national scale.

Team photos

Highlights from the CarbonWatch Kenya team in the field in Nanyuki and Nairobi, Kenya.

Team collaboration in Nairobi with USIU members before a field visit — Team collaboration in Nairobi with USIU members as we prepare for the field visit.

Team presenting at USIU for the hackathon — Team presentation at USIU for the hackathon.

Team photo on a safari tour at Ol Pejeta Conservancy — Team photo during a safari tour at Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

Team at the equator line marker — Team at the equator line.

Team at UNEP for roundtable discussions — Team at UNEP for roundtable discussion.

SMART Director DR. Fridah Mubichi-Kut at a safari tour — Our faculty member, SMART Director Dr. Fridah Mubichi-Kut, during a safari tour.

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Data flow

SMS/IVR and USSD (and manual entries) feed into a single centralized repository; the Public Dashboard is the front-end for data description and analysis. Community members can send and request data via SMS, IVR, or USSD. SCOUT is CarbonWatch’s survey tool for empowerment and governance in conservancy communities, aligned to ILRI WELI dimensions. The dashboard shows Kenya project-level data and per-conservancy figures where disclosed.

Platform tools

Public Dashboard is the front-end for Kenya project data, map, Verra Registry credit buyer retirements, and export. Community Interface is SMS, IVR, and USSD in one place—send and request data, switch tabs for each channel. SCOUT is the empowerment and governance survey. Sources gives citations and methodology for every figure.

Data