Potential for voluntary Carbon market in Sri Lanka: A success story of Hiniduma - Kanneliya biolink project

Abstract

There is a growing acceptance that the environmental benefits of forests extend beyond traditional ecological benefits, including climate change mitigation. Interest in forestry mitigation activities has led to the inclusion of forestry practices at the project level in international agreements.

Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) projects form a special category under the Kyoto Protocol, as growing trees lead to the sequestration of CO2 rather than the avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions. In the context of the Cleaner Development Mechanism (CDM), LULUCF projects have an added value. Under CDM regulations native forest restoration; timber plantations; agro forests /multi-purpose trees; and recuperation of barren areas are given a high priority.

Tropical home gardens have a special role in carbon (C) sequestration because of their ability to store carbon in the standing biomass, soil, and the wood products. Applying CDM analyses the potential for C storage in home gardens and the role of home gardens in reducing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere.

‘Hiniduma Biolink Project’ is an effort of Conservation Carbon Company (CCC) along with Rainforest Rescue International (RRI) to establish a biodiversity corridor in-between the two large remnant rainforest patches in Sri Lanka and to conserve buffer zones around the forest edges. The total land area of this proposed biodiversity corridor is approximately 23,473 ha and this PDD covers 2000 ha

The objective of this project is to initiate the first part of phase 1 of the biodiversity corridor project through the ‘Analog forestry’ principle supported home garden reforestation and agro-forestation with farmer participatory approach. The land area of Phase 1 is approximately 2,000 ha and a biolink (corridor) selected 10ha representing the full extent as the pilots phase linking Polgahakanda and Kanneliya, two disturbed forest patches. Distributed trees are native, endemic rainforest species, and fruit and medicinal trees, thus allowing the farmers to derive additional income from their lands. More than ninety tree species were introduced as new plants to improve the ecosystem services.

Valuing the farmer community involvement to improve the eco system services through sequestrated carbon quantities is the second objective and this was introduced due to the financial stability of the project. Promoting eco-friendly livelihood options such as organic farming, and analog forestry, without disturbing their existing livelihood practices is also a key objective.

Calculation of individual tree growth rates are based on existing published growth data and specifically set models for this project with the forest expert’s involvement. Based on the growth models, future expected CO2 sequestration was predicted. For the baseline survey of the pilot project (10.88ha), all 15 land plots total enumeration was conducted, both woody and non woody.

The expected sequestration potential per hectare is 152.14 t CO2/ha after deducting 20% buffer for unexpected losses. The ecosystem services provided by the project will be sold as Plan Vivo Certificates, which represent long-term carbon sequestration. Crediting period of the project is 20 years. The base line survey was conducted in each land and the base-load was calculated to be 299.47 t CO2 /ha.Attractive financial benefits will drive farmers to conserve planted trees for project duration. On the other hand project developers will be benefited by selling the carbon credits and the benefit will be partially shared with the famers. Sequestrated CO2 from newly planted trees are eligible to be sold as Voluntary carbon credits for local and international markets after going through the project development, validation and verification processors.