Madagascar: the Mantadia Biological Corridor REDD/ AR project Madagascar: the Mantadia Biological Corridor REDD/ AR project BioCF Training February, 8 th 2008 With material from James MacKinnon. Conservation International, Madagascar

Madagascar and climate change Climate change has been observed and is perceived to be a problem Concern over the spread of diseases, drought, coral reef degradation Biodiversity loss (high level of endemism) Greatest source of GHG emissions is deforestation > 75% of the population of 18 million is rural and dependent on the land and its natural resources

Drivers of Deforestation Slash-and-burn agriculture (Tavy) Charcoal production for use in towns and cities Conversion of forest to plant maize for export as cattle feed Legal and illegal Forestry Legal and illegal Mining

Reducing Deforestation The government ’ s National Environmental Action Plan has successfully reduced deforestation rates: : 0.83% loss/year : 0.53% loss/year Remaining natural forest: 10 million ha (~15% of original cover) Protected areas have been the key to this success; currently 0.12% loss/year (i.e. 5 times lower than the national average) Deforestation Data: CI/IRG/USAID, 2007

Commitment to increase protected areas Presidential commitment at the World Parks Congress Durban, 2003: Triple surface area under protection (to 6 million hectares) by 2012 New Protected Area categories that better integrate communities Anticipated carbon revenues are key to financing these new protected areas

Mantadia Biological Corridor REDD / AR Project The Mantadia corridor: Ankeniheny-Zahamena Protected Area (425,000 hectares) - REDD Mantadia reforestation area (3,020 hectares of habitat restoration) Project led by MEEF, with support from CI and World Bank (EP3) BioCF: purchases credits (CERs + REDD VERs) MEEF (Ministry of the Environment) – carbon aggregator Signs agreements with landholders

Mantadia corridor: a multi-benefit approach Objectives: Reduce carbon emissions, conserve native biodiversity, enhance human welfare and restore degraded land Conservation (REDD) and Ecological restoration (reforestation): REDD: 425,000 hectares Reforestation: 3,020 hectares Agroforestry, fuelwood gardens Government led and coordinated project with a large alliance of partners (CI, WB, USAID, ANAE, etc.)

Restoration of unique threatened habitat 7 local associations running tree nurseries and planting 500,000 seedlings of > 100 native species 45 hectares (of 3,020 ha) have been planted on government owned land Land tenure rights will be clarified for communities in the region Pale green: restoration area Dark green: Existing forest Red line: Protected Area boundaries Yellow line: Project Area boundaries

Addressing leakage: Sustainable Livelihoods Improved use of fallow land (Savoka gardens) Intensification of agricultural practices to reduce slash and burn Agroforestry techniques and fruit gardens (1,261 hectares) Woodlots (660 hectares) Support to land tenure regularization Links to ecotourism activities in the same area These activities provide both immediate and long term benefits

REDD through protected area creation Establishment of a new 425,000 ha protected area (site de conservation) Multiple use protected area: Core protected zone (80,000 ha) Community use zone Co-managed by the Forestry Department in conjunction with local authorities and local communities The area was granted temporary protection from forestry and mining in Dec Project to start adoption of WB REDD Methodology

Emissions Reductions & financing Habitat restoration/ reforestation is expected to produce 800,000 tCO 2 e of Emissions Reductions Contract (ERPA) between the government and the World Bank ’ s Bio Carbon Fund for 200,000 CERs from restoration REDD: projected to produce over 10 million tCO 2 e over 30 years Contract (ERPA) is currently under discussion for VERs from the REDD component. BioCF to purchase 600,000 tCO 2 e REDD VERs proceeds to fund a National Environmental Trust Fund, financing: Community-based conservation initiatives; Site management; Long-term financial sustainability for PA management

REDD VERs estimates Deforestation in the 80,000 of core area: 1990: 71,000 ha. forest cover / 2000: 61,000 ha. forest cover Loss of 13,4 %. 1.4% annual deforestation. However: 0.07 in Protected Areas & 1.96% in Classified Forests and Private Land (Data from Mark Steiniger et al. (2004)) REDD ERs estimates BAU: deforestation of 1.67% Project scenario: deforestation rate of 0.07 to be gradually achieved in 30 years. Deforestation reduction starts at year 7, when agroforestry and fuelwood gardens mature hatC/ha Project yearYear Baseline (without- project) area deforested With-project area deforested Baseline: ½ savoka mean With-project: mature forest REDD VER estimates: Up to and including 2012: 3,541,317 tCO2e Up to a period of 14 years (2020): 5,517,556 tCO2e Over the 30-year specified project life (2036): 8,715,319 tCO2e

Challenges for habitat restoration Research and development of appropriate restoration techniques Training of local associations in nursery and planting techniques Land tenure (title needs to be clear). Different kinds of land tenure Funding (investment costs) Coordination of logistics, administration and amongst multiple stakeholders

Challenges for REDD projects Start-up costs Classic protected areas issues: Finding appropriate alternatives Ensuring community benefits and involvement in the management of natural resources Monitoring of deforestation: Availability of land cover data Expense of monitoring Capacity to monitor Project x National Approach How to account for a REDD project in a national REDD strategy

Thank you! Andr é Aquino BioCarbon Fund & FCPF