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Vol. 2, No. 3: April 17, 2007
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The Ecosystem Marketplace's Community Forum
Connecting people to ecosystem markets
Welcome to the Community Forum newsletter! In this edition, we focus on three innovative payment for ecosystem service (PES) projects from around the world. These projects focus on very different ecosystem services: carbon sequestration through forestry and agroforestry (Honduras); the bundle of services provided by mangrove forests (Kenya); and watershed protection through conservation agriculture (Philippines). Yet, as you will read, all three are struggling with similar issues of accessing markets and ensuring that the communities involved in the projects will eventually benefit from doing so. In our Profiles section, we profile Charles Ehrhart of CARE International's Climate Change and Poverty Alleviation program and discover why he thinks climate change mitigation programs can best be used to support poverty alleviation. There have been many attacks recently on the credibility of the voluntary carbon market and we examine this issue in our Viewpoint section. Lastly, in our Tools and Resources section, we introduce you to an exciting new interactive webpage with tools for developing payment for ecosystem services projects. We also provide links to download the recently published guidebooks from UNEP on climate change and climate change mitigation.
We hope you enjoy this issue of the Community Forum! Please do get in touch with us if you have any news or project information you would like to see featured in future editions.
– Elizabeth Shapiro, Community Forum
For comments or questions, please email: communityforum@ecosystemmarketplace.com
NEW! Sign-up for the Tropical American and East & Southern Africa Katoomba Group Listservs and Newsletters
The Katoomba Group is working through two distinct regional groups, East and Southern Africa and Tropical America, to build capacity with diverse groups of stakeholders and support the development of PES activities in these regions. If you are interested in learning more about the Katoomba Group’s activities in either region or would like to sign-up for the listserv and receive a periodic newsletter, please contact Alice Ruhweza (aruhweza@forest-trends.org) for East and Southern Africa or Carina Bracer (cbracer@forest-trends.org) / Rachel Miller (rmiller@forest-trends.org) for Tropical America.
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Honduras – Communities Secure Clean Development Mechanism Approval for Reforestation and Agroforestry Project
For many community-based organizations interested in marketing carbon offsets, receiving approval of your project's methodology under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol can seem necessary in order to reassure buyers (see the article in our Viewpoint section). But, the amount of information required in order to apply for CDM approval, and the money and technological sophistication needed in order to gather this information, can be more than daunting for even large, well-funded organizations. Perhaps for this reason there have been only five forestry-based project methodologies worldwide to receive the CDM committee's highest level of approval. One of these is the Pico Bonito Forest Restoration Project in northern Honduras. Involving twenty communities located in the buffer zone of Pico Bonito National Park, the project was developed in coordination with the United States-based non-profit organization, EcoLogic. The approved CDM methodology includes plans to introduce agroforestry systems as well as to reforest a total of 2,600 ha for conservation zones and sustainable forestry. A for-profit company, Bosques Pico Bonito SRL, was formed in order to manage the project and to create an official "owner" of the carbon offset credits produced. The company is owned jointly by community representatives, EcoLogic and other project sponsors. EcoLogic has projected that the CDM project itself will bring in a total of US$265,000. However, the total cost of the process of CDM approval was US$1 million. Though they have received funding from the World Bank BioCarbon fund, it is still not sufficient to cover all of the project costs and they are currently in the process of looking for other national and international buyers.
Contact: Rafael Sambula, Bosques Pico Bonito SRL Project Manager
– EcoLogic project website
– World Bank Carbon Fund description of project
Honduras – Comunidades Consiguen Aprobación del Mecanismo de Desarrollo Limpio para Proyectos de Reforestación y Agroforestales
Para muchas organizaciones relacionadas con comunidades que tienen interés en vender "offsets" de carbono, les parecen que es necesario recibir aprobación del metodología del proyecto por el Mecanismo de Desarrollo Limpio (MDL) del Protocolo de Kyoto para dar confianza a los compradores que el carbono si será capturado (Ojo – el articulo en el sección de "Viewpoint"). Sin embargo, por la cantidad de información requerida para llenar la solicitud de MDL, y el dinero y conocimiento tecnológico para recogerla, puede ser muy difícil para organizaciones sin fin lucrativo, aunque sean grandes y con mucho apoyo financiero. Tal vez por esta razón, solo cinco metodologías de MDL al nivel mundial han recibido el nivel más alto de aprobación. Uno de estos cinco es el Proyecto Pico Bonito de Restauración del Bosque, ubicado en el norte de Honduras. El proyecto incluye 20 comunidades ubicadas en la zona de amortiguamiento del Parque Nacional Pico Bonito y fue desarrollado con la coordinación de EcoLogic, una organización sin fin lucrativo basado en los Estados Unidos. La metodología aprobada por el MDL incluye planes para la introducción de sistemas agroforestales y la reforestación de 2,600 ha para zonas de conservación y silvicultura sostenible. Una empresa con fin lucrativo, Bosques Pico Bonito SRL, fue formada con el fin de manejar el proyecto y crear un propietario oficial de los créditos de "offset" de carbono que serán producidos. Los propietarios conjuntos de la empresa son representantes legales de las comunidades, EcoLogic y otros patrocinadores del proyecto. EcoLogic ha proyectado que el proyecto de MDL ganará un total de US$265,000. Sin embargo, el costo total del proceso de aprobación del MDL fue US$1 millón. Aunque han recibido apoyo financiero por el Fondo BioCarbono del Banco Mundial, no es suficiente cubrir todo los costos del proyecto y por eso siguen buscando otros compradores al nivel nacional e internacional.
Contact: Rafael Sambula, Director del Bosques Pico Bonito SRL
– Link para bajar un documento PDF del proyecto por el Banco Mundial
– Link a un artículo sobre el proyecto en La Prensa Latina
Kenya – Mangrove Restoration Provides Environmental Services, but is there a Market?
It is commonly understood that coastal mangrove forests provide essential ecosystem services, including protection from coastal erosion, filtration of water pollutants, provision of habitat for sea life, and sequestration of greenhouse gases. And yet, threatened by overexploitation, conversion to other land uses and damage from pollutants, the total area of mangrove forest is estimated to be only 70 –50% of its original coverage worldwide and is decreasing by 1% per year. The Kenyan Tidal Forest research project, sponsored by the Earth Watch Institute and run through the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, is attempting to demonstrate that there is more value in conserving mangroves than in converting them to other uses. They have set out to measure the total economic value of the ecosystem goods and services produced by Kenya's 60,000 ha of mangrove forests. The study has so far found that the economic value of shoreline protection alone, US$1,587/ha, outweighed the total value of all other uses. The carbon sequestration potential, US$44/ha, was more valuable than fuelwood, but could not compete with the local value of the mangroves for building materials. The challenge they now face is to find ways of marketing these and other ecosystem services of the mangrove forests. They are also focusing on finding ways to balance local livelihoods and the need to conserve the natural resource base. One attempt has already been successful at promoting both of these goals. With support from the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, the women of Gazi (a coastal town that has protected and restored its mangrove forests) have established an ecotourism venture that profits from the value of the mangrove's scenic beauty and biodiversity. The Kenya Tidal Forest Project provides an interesting example of the way in which economic valuation of ecosystem services can be effectively combined with community-based initiatives.
Contacto: Dr James G. Cairo of the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute
– Earth Watch Institute's project website
– Download a presentation on valuing the environmental services of mangroves in Kenya (PDF)
– Download document on Women's Ecotourism Project (PDF)
Philippines - Maasin Watershed Project Challenges Exclusion of Upland Farmers
When the non-profit organization Kahublagan Sang Panimalay Foundation Inc. (KSPF) first got involved in supporting a reforestation project of the Maasin Watershed in the central Philippines, it looked like a classic win-win situation – trees would be planted, wildlife habitat restored and the downstream city of Iloilo would have the source of its water protected. During the course of the project, over 3,000 ha were planted with trees, but KSPF soon realized that the project was producing more losers than winners. Not only did the types of trees planted seem to use more water than they helped put back into the system, but upland families were being pushed off the land to make room for the new forest. They stopped their support of the reforestation project and instead began to focus on decentralizing watershed management, creating multi-stakeholder groups to increase the level of local participation in policy formation and decision-making. These groups have come up with detailed proposals for how upstream farmers can, instead of being excluded from the land, become actively involved in managing the watershed through soil conservation, agroforestry and other conservation practices. As part of the move to decentralize management, they have also proposed a compensation for environmental services program in which the city of Iloilo would pay upland farmers for their conservation activities. To read more on the watershed management councils and the proposed PES program, follow the links below.
Contacto: Jessica Calfoforo Salas, President Kahublagan Sang Panimalay Foundation Inc.
– Download case study
– Download proposal for payment for hydrological services program
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Charles Ehrhart Makes Markets Multitask
by Cameron Walker
Charles Ehrhart, the coordinator of CARE International's new Poverty and Climate Change Initiative, wants more people to make the connection between poverty alleviation and the global carbon market. The Ecosystem Marketplace finds out how he is helping CARE and other international aid organizations identify projects that fight climate change and help communities in Africa and Latin America.
– Read the full Ecosystem Marketplace article
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Environmentalists Clash Over Carbon Offsets
by Alice Kenny
The incredible growth in the voluntary market for carbon credits, over 1,000% in the last two years, has increased the possibilities for community-based organizations to tap into this market as a source of funding for climate change mitigation projects. But, at the same time, what some are portraying as uncontrolled sales of carbon credits has also produced controversy and may serve to undermine the potential of this market. A spate of articles in the media recently focused on quality concerns in the voluntary carbon market. The Ecosystem Marketplace surveys the issues involved in the debate over voluntary carbon offsets.
– Read the full Ecosystem Marketplace article
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Katoomba Group Launches Interactive "PES Learning Tools" Webpage
The Katoomba Group has launched a new webpage that provides downloadable tools and resources of interest to groups working on designing and implementing payment for ecosystem service projects. The site is interactive and anyone with resources or tools related to PES agreements is encouraged to upload them onto the site. Tools in all languages are accepted. To share resources:
– Visit the webpage
– Click on the symbol of a hammer on the left-hand side where it says "Submit PES Tools for this Page"
– Complete the requested description of the tool or resource and then upload them using the provided link.
More information on each of the steps related to PES agreements will be uploaded to the website soon.
Any questions or concerns about the site should be directed to Rachel Miller.
El Grupo Katoomba Lanza un Sitio de Internet Interactivo, "Herramientas de Aprendizaje de PSA"
El Grupo Katoomba ha lanzado un nuevo sitio de Internet que provee herramientas y recursos de interés a grupos involucrados en el diseño e implementación de proyectos de pago por servicios ambientales. El sitio es interactivo y nosotros animamos a cualquier persona quien conoce herramientas relacionada a acuerdos de PSA a subirlas al sitio. Herramientas en cualquira idioma son aceptados. Para compartir recursos:
– Vaya al sitio
– Haga clic en el martillo (por lado izquierdo) donde dice: "Submit PES Tool for this Page" (Suba herramienta de PSA para esta página)
– Compleja la información necesaria sobre sus herramientas y suba sus materiales con el 'link'
Más información sobre los pasos relacionada a acuerdos de PSA subirá al sitio muy pronto.
Si tienes cualquier pregunta, escriba a Rachel Miller.
United Nations Environment Program Publishes Guides to Understanding Climate Change Mitigation
The United Nations Environment Program has published a number of guidebooks and videos on climate change and climate change mitigation. Below, we describe a number of these that we think might be most useful for community-based organizations interested in implementing carbon-offset projects of their own.
Changing Climate, Changing Opportunities: The Kyoto Protocol and the CDM (video)
This is a short but clear documentary on human-induced climate change, why it is occurring and how it may be mitigated. This could be a useful tool for introducing community or other groups to the topic of climate change and the steps they might take to mitigate it. It is also available in Spanish and French.
Introduction to the Clean Development Mechanism
The guidebook provides a short history of the formation of the Kyoto Protocol and the subsequent climate change mitigation policies including the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). It discusses, in general terms, the types of projects that can qualify under the CDM and the process for doing so. There is also a short annex that gives examples of some successful CDM projects worldwide. This guidebook is also available in Spanish, French, Japanese, Cambodian, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian and Chinese.
Baseline Methodologies for CDM Projects
In order to apply for a CDM project, it is first necessary to establish that your project will either reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere (in the case of technology replacement projects) or take more of these gases out of the atmosphere (in the case of reforestation and afforestation projects) than would have occurred without the intervention of the project. It is therefore necessary to first establish a "baseline" for how much greenhouse gas is currently being emitted or sequestered under the current management practices. This guidebook takes you through the steps of how to measure and document baseline greenhouse gas emissions as part of the CDM application process. It is only published in English.
Clean Development Mechanism PDD Guidebook: Navigating the Pitfalls
This guidebook explains how the process of approval for CDM Project Design Documents (PDD) works and gives suggestions for how to avoid some of the common mistakes people have made when preparing them. It is also available in Spanish and French.
Guías del Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente para Entender la Mitigación del Cambio Climático
El Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente ha publicado algunos guías y videos que tratan de los temas de cambio y mitigación climática. Se encuentran abajo descripciones de las guías que pensamos son los más útiles para organizaciones comunitarias interesadas en implementar un proyecto de "offset" de carbono por si mismas.
Cambio de Clima, Cambio de Oportunidades: el Protocolo de Kyoto y el Mecanismo de Desarrollo Limpio (video)
Este video es un documental, corto pero presentado en una manera clara, sobre el cambio climático provocado por los seres humanos, porque está ocurriendo, y como puede ser mitigado. Este video puede ser una herramienta útil para introducir a comunidades u otros grupos al tema de cambio climático y como ellos pueden ser involucrados en procesos de mitigación. Está disponible también en Inglés y Francés.
Introducción al Mecanismo de Desarrollo Limpio
La guía provee una corta historia del desarrollo del Protocolo de Kyoto y las políticas de mitigación de cambio climático que le siguieron, incluyendo el Mecanismo del Desarrollo Limpio. Se discute, en términos generales, las clases de los proyectos que se clasifican bajo el criterio del MDL, y el proceso de calificación. Además, hay un anexo corto al fin de la guía que describe ejemplos de proyectos exitosos de MDL al nivel mundial. Esta guía también está publicada en las lenguas Inglés, Francés, Japonés, Camboyana, Coreano, Vietnamesa, Ruso, y Chino.
Guía para la Elaboración de Documentos de Diseño de Proyectos de MDL: Recomendaciones Prácticas para Prevenir Problemas Comunes en la Validación
Esta guía explica como funciona el proceso de aprobación para el los Documentos del Diseño del Proyecto (DDP) para proyectos del MDL y provee sugerencias para como evitar algunos de los delitos hechos durante el proceso de prepararlos. Está publicada también en Ingles y Francés.
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