NEWS / EVENTS
Forest Carbon Early Action Pilot Project in Dang, Banke and Bardiya Districts
Background
Forest sector is the third-largest source of carbon emissions. Forest carbon offsetting, if used appropriately, could play an important and perhaps crucial part in a global strategy to reduce carbon emission by reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation and sequestering carbon through reforestation and agro forestry activities.
These land-based carbon activities also have exceptional potential to deliver the following additional benefits:
- Contribute to create sustainable livelihoods;
- Conserve biodiversity by restoring and protecting natural ecosystems;
- Assist adaptation to the effects of climate change by building the capacity and resilience of vulnerable communities and species.
In this context, WWF Nepal in partnership with Winrock International is undertaking a study to explore the feasibility of using carbon financing to incentivize forest conservation as well as the ways to maximize the social and biodiversity co-benefits through the
Forest Carbon Early Action Pilot Project in Dang, Banke and Bardiya Districts. By generating carbon finance from the restoration of riverine forests, the project aims to provide revenue streams to local communities as incentives to tolerate tigers as neighbors, and to foster forest habitats that minimize direct human-tiger encounters in the course of normal activities.
WWF Nepal has partnered with Winrock International Nepal to carry out a comprehensive assessment of the combined benefits of enhancing livelihoods, conserving biodiversity and mitigating or curbing climate change. It is anticipated that the study outcomes will benefit similar carbon-financed conservation initiatives in Nepal, and around the world.
Brief Study Description
The study area is Lamahi-Mahadevpuri Complex (Rapti Riverbank, Gadawa and Kamdi areas of Dang and Banke District) and the Khata Corridor (in Karnali River Bank) of Terai Arcland Landscape(TAL) Area. The basic objectives of this study are :
- to establish baseline information on carbon stock,
- to explore ways to maximize multiple benefits of the forest carbon project (climate, community and biodiversity benefits) and
- Design pilot forest carbon project.
Winrock International will formulate a technical methodology for carbon accounting system and assessment of social and environmental benefits of the project aiming for voluntary carbon market. The key components in the methodology are:
- Inventory Design for estimating carbon stock in various carbon pools
- Monitoring Methodology for validation and periodic evaluation process
- Tools for Scoping additionality
- Leakage Analysis
- Permanence Analysis
- Analysis of community and biodiversity benefits
