Indu K. Murthy Indian Institute of Science METHODS AND GUIDELINES FOR ASSESSING AFFORESTATION AND REFORESTATION PROJECTS UNDER CDM Indu K. Murthy Indian Institute of Science

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

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

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) Dense forest Open forest Scrub forest Blanks Total Mancherial 225299 29100 48614 24395 8560 110669 (49%) Jannaram 70550 29011 17806 12922 1121 60860 (86%)

Proposed CDM Activities Reforestation Secondary forest regeneration Teak regeneration Eucalyptus plantation Teak plantation Afforestation Teak Eucalyptus Mango (Agro-forestry)? Will it satisfy the definition of forest and afforestation?

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

Technical Description of Project Activities Technical Interventions Mixed forest regeneration Protection Teak regeneration Removal of weeds, protection Eucalyptus Land preparation, planting, protection… Mango

Compatibility with Sustainable Development Goals A&R 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

Baseline Development and Methodology Types of Baseline Project-Specific Regional Multiproject C stocks – Measured in the Baseline

GHGs to be Monitored Within the project boundary the GHG to be monitored is; Carbon dioxide Dominant GHG in A&R activities A&R activities involve removal of carbon dioxide from atmosphere and fixing it in vegetation and soil

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 Cropland Private - Farmers Marginal cropping / fallow

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

C Stocks in Baseline and CDM Scenarios Land category Total C tC/ha BSL CDM Total C Increment 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

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

Transaction Cost For One Time Assessment Per Village Veg type Cost estimate for vegetation C estimation (Rs.) Cost estimate for soil C estimation (Rs.) Total Cost (Rs.) Field Data entry Analysis Lab Degraded teak BSL 1200 600 500 100 1800 4200 Degraded secondary forest BSL 850 3750 Cropland 50 - 1950 Reg secondary forest CDM 1700 Reg teak CDM 1450 700 4550 Eucalyptus 550 250 2800 Mango 300 2550

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

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

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 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

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 Annual/Seasonal Gender benefits Women days of employment/ Yr NTFP availability - Income - No. of HHs collecting

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

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 A&R projects SBSTA & IPCC are developing Guidelines, Methods & Models to address these Issues

THANK YOU Acknowledgements Ministry of Environment and CES Community Forestry International THANK YOU