METHODS AND GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING AFFORESTATION AND REFORESTATION PROJECTS UNDER CDM

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METHODS AND GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING
AFFORESTATION AND REFORESTATION PROJECTS UNDER
CDM

• Indu K. Murthy
• Indian Institute of Science

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Objectives

• Explore the feasibility of afforestation and
  reforestation as potential CDM activity
• Adopt the guideline prepared by the Executive
  Board (EB) for energy and other Non-LULUCF sector
  activities for forestry sector project
  activities
• Conduct a case study in Adilabad, Andhra Pradesh
• Develop a baseline
• Identify potential CDM activities

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Guidelines

• The CDM guideline outlines the following steps
• Description of project area and activities
• Baseline methodology
• Calculation of GHG/CO2 emissions (and removal by
  sinks)
• Monitoring methodology
• Environmental impacts

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Description of Project Area

• Land use/forest/vegetation categories in the
  region
• The study region- district/forest division

Forest division Geographic area (ha) Area (in ha) Area (in ha) Area (in ha) Area (in ha) Area (in ha)
Forest division Geographic area (ha) Dense forest Open forest Scrub forest Blanks Total
Mancherial 225299 29100 48614 24395 8560 110669 (49)
Jannaram 70550 29011 17806 12922 1121 60860 (86)
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Proposed CDM Activities
Activities
Reforestation Secondary forest regeneration
Reforestation Teak regeneration
Reforestation Eucalyptus plantation
Reforestation Teak plantation
Afforestation Teak
Afforestation Eucalyptus
Afforestation Mango (Agro-forestry)?
Will it satisfy the definition of forest and afforestation? Will it satisfy the definition of forest and afforestation?
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Purpose of Activity

• Environmental GHG relevant
• Revegetate degraded forests and non-forest lands
  through reforestation and afforestation
• Sequester carbon in vegetation and soil
• Environmental Non-GHG related
• Protection of watersheds
• Promotion of biodiversity
• Socio-Economic
• Enhance the biomass production and supply (FW,
  poles and timber to local communities
• Enhance production and access to NTFPs
• Create employment to local communities
• Build local institutions and strengthen their
  capacity

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Technical Description of Project Activities
Activities Technical Interventions
Mixed forest regeneration Protection
Teak regeneration Removal of weeds, protection
Eucalyptus Land preparation, planting, protection
Mango Land preparation, planting, protection
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Compatibility with Sustainable Development Goals

• AR programs are part of forest development in
  the district
• Increased participation of local communities
• JFM (CFM program) ongoing
• Will adopt guidelines of this program
• Socio-economic development of forest-dependent
  communities through increased
• Biomass supply
• NTFP supply

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Baseline Development and Methodology

• Types of Baseline
• Project-Specific
• Regional
• Multiproject
• C stocks Measured in the Baseline

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GHGs to be Monitored

• Within the project boundary the GHG to be
  monitored is
• Carbon dioxide
• Dominant GHG in AR activities
• AR activities involve removal of carbon dioxide
  from atmosphere and fixing it in vegetation and
  soil

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Land Categories and Features
Baseline status of land Tenure/ Ownership Dependence of community
Degraded secondary forest Reserve forest Forest Dept. Subject to excessive extraction
Degraded teak Reserve forest Forest Dept. Subject to excessive extraction
Cropland Private - Farmers Marginal cropping / fallow
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Methods
Carbon Pool Method Adopted
AGB Quadrat/transect Basal area Biomass equations
BGB Coefficients (Ratio of AGB/BGB)
Litter Literature
Soil Sampling Organic C estimation in the laboratory
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C Stocks in Baseline and CDM Scenarios
Land category Total C tC/ha BSL Total C tC/ha CDM Total C Increment tC/ha
Secondary forest 39 58-59 19-20 (4,6)
Teak 31 61-90 30-59 (2,8)
Cropland 22 - -
Mango - 36 13 (5)
Eucalyptus - 32-51 9-28 (3)
Options for cropland under BSL ( )No. of years under protection Options for cropland under BSL ( )No. of years under protection Options for cropland under BSL ( )No. of years under protection Options for cropland under BSL ( )No. of years under protection
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Costs Potential CER Income from Natural
Regeneration Plantations

• Natural regeneration costs Behrunguda
• Plantation cost AP FD
• CER units for forest carbon estimates are Rs.
  500/MtC/yr (10)
• Current prices lower

Type of reforestation strategy Establishment cost (Rs/ha) Projected C sequestered (MtC/ha/yr) Gross annual income from CERs (Rs/ha/yr)
Natural regeneration 500 6.3 to 10.9 3000-5000
Eucalyptus plantation 24000 1.4 to 9.5 700-4750
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Transaction Cost For One Time Assessment Per
Village
Veg type Cost estimate for vegetation C estimation (Rs.) Cost estimate for vegetation C estimation (Rs.) Cost estimate for vegetation C estimation (Rs.) Cost estimate for soil C estimation (Rs.) Cost estimate for soil C estimation (Rs.) Total Cost (Rs.)
Veg type Field Data entry Analysis Field Lab Total Cost (Rs.)
Degraded teak BSL 1200 600 500 100 1800 4200
Degraded secondary forest BSL 850 500 500 100 1800 3750
Cropland 50 - - 100 1800 1950
Reg secondary forest CDM 1700 600 - 100 1800 4200
Reg teak CDM 1450 700 500 100 1800 4550
Eucalyptus 550 100 250 100 1800 2800
Mango 300 100 250 100 1800 2550
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CDM Project Activities

• Land category
• Extent (in ha) to be covered
• Phasing
• Type of afforestation/ reforestation
• Natural regeneration / planting
• Silvicultural practices
• Rotation period

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Methods of Projecting C Stock Changes
Operational Life of the Project

• Biomass growth models
• COMAP
• CO2FIX
• Actual measurements from similar projects
  implemented in the region
• Operational life of the project - Crediting
  period 2002-2012
• Rotation period varies for each project activity
• Secondary forest regeneration no logging of
  timber (NTFP FW extraction permitted)
• Teak Long rotation Over 30 years
• Eucalyptus Short rotation 10 years
• Mango Long rotation NTFP yield

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Monitoring Methodology Institutional
Arrangements
Parameter Methods Data to be monitored Frequency Institutional arrangement
Survival rate Quadrats counting No. of seedlings Annual Participatory
Biomass growth Quadrats measure DBH height Basal area Annual Research Team
Soil carbon Field methods Soil sampling Lab estimation of soil C Soil organic carbon Once in 2 years Research team or Educational institution
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Environmental Socio-Economic Impacts Issues,
Parameters Methods
Indicator Parameter Method Frequency
Biodiversity No. of species/ha Quadrat Annual/Alt year
Ground water Depth of water Water height from surface Once a month Alternate years
NTFP species diversity - No. of plant spp. - Products HH survey Annual
Employment generation Person days/year HH survey Annual/Seasonal
Gender benefits Women days of employment/ Yr HH survey Annual
NTFP availability - Income - No. of HHs collecting HH survey Annual
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Observations on Use of Guidelines Developed for
Non-LULUCF Projects

• Standard field ecological methods and forest
  mensuration techniques can easily be applied
• Forest carbon pools
• AGB
• BGB ratio of AGB/BGB
• Litter (marginal) field measurements
  literature
• Soil C
• Non-GHG benefits
• Biodiversity, ground water, NTFP availability can
  be measured
• Employment generated income flows can be
  estimated
• Participatory monitoring is feasible desirable
  for some parameters
• Compatibility with sustainable development goals
  can easily be demonstrated
• Transaction cost of estimating baseline is
  significant but not very high

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Issues

• Size and type of projects
• Project boundary needs to be clearly defined to
  facilitate accurate accounting verification
• C pools to be monitored credited
• Soil pools large, high spatial variability, low
  annual increase
• Uncertainty in measurement of carbon stocks is
  not addressed
• Non-permanence
• Leakage important
• For certain types of forestry projects although
  not for AR projects
• SBSTA IPCC are developing Guidelines, Methods
  Models to address these Issues

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Acknowledgements

• Ministry of Environment and CES
• Community Forestry International

THANK YOU