Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) Protocols Used in Carbon Trading Applied to Dryland Nations in the Global South for Climate Change Mitigation

Abstract

Climate change mitigation involves carbon sequestration that can be supported by Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCMs) and counted as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in national climate change strategies. Integrating these allows for the determination of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon sequestration at the national level. The case for Egypt and other nontropical dryland nations is made in this systematic review article through consideration of monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) protocol challenges and initiatives. Improvements are indicated based on the literature, encompassing the academic literature as well as organizational reports and governmental policy documents. Agricultural MRV protocols depending on soil organic carbon (SOC) measurements are specifically considered, delineating the challenges and barriers for SOC MRV methods. Considering the impacts of climate zones affecting soils and providing as much standardization as possible for MRV protocols will improve the accuracy and generalizability of data. Measurements in carbon sequestration monitoring based on SOC MRV protocols need to be informed by soil experts alongside climatologists and policymakers in a multidisciplinary approach.