Experience in the Forestry Carbon Activities

Sponsor: AES Barry Foundation, South Wales - UK

Location: Brazil - South-West Tocantins – Bananal Island region – Municipalities of Caseara, Lagoa da Confusão, Cristalândia, Pium and Dueré.
                                                                                            
Period: 1998-2003

Description of the Project: In this project Ecológica’s responsibilities included project design and implementation, operational management and environmental monitoring supervision.

The Bananal Island Carbon Sequestration Project (BICSP 1) is Brazil’s first large-scale carbon sequestration pilot project.

The carbon sequestration objectives are achieved through forest conservation and regeneration, and agro forestry schemes in communities in the Bananal Island region. The conservation measures were carried out in partnership with IBAMA and Naturatins (federal and state environment agencies). Sapling nurseries have been set up in partnership with local councils and community organizations to support the agro forestry schemes, producing fruit, timber and medicinal species for distribution to local inhabitants and for reforestation.

The social component of the project is geared to improving the living standards of communities in the project area. This is achieved through a range of environmental education activities in both formal and informal contexts, and the promotion of agro forestry, sustainable local enterprises and community infrastructure development. The Social Carbon approach, developed by the Ecológica Institute, emphasizes the role of community participation in carbon sequestration projects. Due to its success in BICSP, the approach has been replicated in other projects.

The project’s research component was carried out principally from the Canguçu Research Centre which was opened by the Brazilian Environment Minister, Sir José Sarney Filho, and the Governor of Tocantins State, Sir José Siqueira Campos, in August 1999. Several doctoral theses and Masters Dissertations have been completed at the Centre, and others are currently in progress. The Canguçu Research Centre is the emerging centre for climate change and renewable energy issues in the Amazon Region, and is participating in the Large Biosphere Atmosphere Project of Amazonia (LBA).

Work at Canguçu is conducted in partnership with the Federal University of Tocantins (UFT) and with national and international research institutions including the Institute for Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of São Paulo (IAG/USP), the Tocantins State University (UNITINS), the Palmas campus of the Lutheran University of Brazil, and the New Hampshire University.

Main Achievements: Elaboration of geoprocessing studies (5 mi/ha) and development of baseline methodology for forest preservation projects; Regional forestry species inventory and studies on biomass and carbon stock in areas of Brazilian Savannah (Cerrado), Tropical Forest and Wetlands (Pantanal); Developing and implementing the ‘social carbon™’ concept, which was piloted in this project; Rapid rural appraisal diagnostic in 13 settlements of the region using the sustainable livelihood methodology and the social carbon methodology; Support for conservation of 200,000 ha of tropical forests in the Araguaia National Park and the Cantão State Park – west Tocantins; Setting up 2 nurseries producing saplings for distribution to local communities; Distribution of an average of 25,000 saplings per year throughout the project area; Setting up demonstration units for community-based agro forestry; Construction and operation of the Canguçu Research Centre; Developing and implementing methodology to define biomass, carbon stocks and carbon flux in regional ecosystems in the Bananal Island area; Participatory drafting and publication of the handbook “Learning with Nature” to support environmental education in local primary and secondary schools; Training of 245 teachers in environmental education issues and classroom techniques to address these issues effectively in 1999 – 2001; Recycling systems established in 2 municipalities, support for project municipalities on environmental policy; Setting up and promoting Delícias do Cerrado sweet factory, an enterprise run by a group of women in the União II settlement; Presentation of the project and the results of associated research activities to the Conference of Parties (COP) meetings on the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol in The Hague (COP 6, Part 1) Marrakesh (COP 7), New Delhi COP 8 and presentation of the book Social Carbon, Adding Value to Sustainable Development at COP 9, Milan; Public policy support, though several presentations in Brazil and abroad; Publication of two books presenting research results and methodologies.

Sponsor: AES Fifoots, South Wales, UK

Location: Brazil, South-West Tocantins – Bananal Island – Araguaia Indian Reservation - Municipality of Lagoa da Confusão

Period: 2000-2001

Description of the Project: In this project Ecológica’s responsibilities included project design and implementation, operational management and environmental monitoring supervision.

The project implemented and continued the ‘Social Carbon™’ concept and the principles of forest management, scientific research and community development launched under the first phase of the Bananal Island Carbon Sequestration Project (BICSP 1) in the Araguaia Indian Reservation. This reservation, which has an area of 15,600 km² (1,560,000 ha), lies to the south and west of the Araguaia National Park on Bananal Island is home to the indigenous Karajá and Javaé tribes.

The project was run in partnership with FUNAI – the National Indian Foundation – the federal agency which has jurisdiction over the Araguaia Indian Reservation. To maximise the compatibility between the project’s carbon sequestration objectives and the needs and aspirations of the Reservation’s inhabitants, the project’s main focus was on improving the living conditions of the Karajá and Javaé tribes, assisting their efforts to derive sustainable livelihoods from their environment.

As a result of extensive consultations with the indigenous communities, a wide range of activities have been identified to improve the Indians’ nutrition, strengthen their culture and improve their income generating potential. These included fish farming, bee keeping, handicraft production, chicken rearing, agro forestry schemes and reforestation and ecotourism. Also, some indigenous territories, which had not yet been legally recognized, were demarcated.

Main Achievements: Survey of social-economic and environmental conditions among the indigenous communities on Bananal Island – published in 2001 in Portuguese and English; Beginning positive and open relations between staff at the Ecológica Institute and the Island’s indigenous communities; Identification of 3 target communities for the initial phase of project activities; Preparatory identification and delimitation and demarcation of the Cacique Fontoura indigenous territory to the west of Bananal Island in Mato Grosso state. Report being finalized for submission to Ministry of Justice and approval successfully registered in the federal bulletin; Technical feasibility study of fish-farming enterprises for indigenous communities using tank network; Construction of 2 bungalows at the Canguçu Research Centre to house visitors and researchers; Setting up and operating a meteorological station at the Canguçu Research Centre. The information is stored in a database which is being used to support research into carbon cycles and sequestration. Equipment costs financed by UK Embassy in Brasília; Community members trained in bee-keeping techniques at the Javaé villages of São João and Boto Velho; Community-supported construction of a village school in Boto Velho. Classes at the school began in March 2001; Environmental education focused on rubbish disposal with separation of recyclable materials; Construction of the Hyyna Heto (House of the Past) Cultural Centre in Boto Velho to serve visitors to the village and facilitate income generation through sale of handicrafts etc.; Setting up a sapling nursery in the town of Lagoa da Confusão producing native forest species and fruit trees to support the project’s agro forestry activities (in conjunction with the Women’s Education for Family Health Project).

Sponsor: Medway Power, Kent, UK

Location: Brazil, Central Tocantins – Lajeado range – Carmo Hill area, 30 km south-east of Palmas - Municipalities of Taquarussu, and Aparecida do Rio Negro

Period: 2000-2002

Description of the Project: The objective this Project is deliver long-term carbon sequestration benefits to offset emissions of greenhouse gases; Demonstrate alternatives for improving living standards of local communities in the CarmoHill region; Organic agriculture and ecotourism to cover project maintenance costs.
The project was approved by Medway Power Ltd. in May 1999, with the purpose to absorb carbon dioxin from atmosphere through the maintenance of endangered natural vegetation and improve carbon absorption through reforestation. The project beneficiaries are, in an indirectly way, little agriculturist, teachers from Taquaruçu district and inhabitants of Carmo Hill.

A Private Nature Reserve was set up to conserve 240 ha of Cerrado (Brazilian savannah) with extensive gallery forest formations, in addition to the project’s organic farm property –Ecológica’s Farm (250 ha).

The cost of project operations over the long term is met by organic fruit and agricultural production supplemented by income from ecotourism and conferences at the Carmo Hill Visitors Centre. The Centre is also used as the basis for environmental education activities targeting schools and communities in the surrounding area, especially in the Taquarussu municipality. As well as raising environmental awareness, these educational campaigns will promote agro forestry and the use of locally available species for handicraft production and improved nutritional content.

A small nursery has been established at the Ecológica’s Farm to support the farm’s operations, reforestation and agro forestry schemes in the surrounding area. Initially, however, most of the saplings distributed to local communities will come from the Institute’s other nurseries.

The Ecologica’s Institute research program is expanding to include work in the Carmo Hill region to document the biodiversity of the area and evaluate the project’s carbon sequestration performance.

Main Achievements: Acquisition of two properties in Carmo Hill region; Establishment of Aparecida Private Nature Reserve on property covering 230 ha; Certification of second property - Fazenda Ecológica (250 ha) – for organic production; Setting up sapling nursery using organic seed stock collected from the two properties; The activities to enforcement of the forestry and the implementation of joined cultivations, producing guava, lemon, passion fruit and banana; Organic agricultural production on 5 ha at the Fazenda Ecológica; Construction of irrigation dam completed, and irrigation systems fully functional; Ecotourism training course for rural residents; Training for rural communities and local organizations in implementation of agro forestry systems; Environmental education in schools in the project area and Palmas; Construction of Visitors Centre and ecotourism facilities; Dissemination of organic production techniques at events organized in partnership with local institutions; Forest regeneration and restocking in areas of the Fazenda Ecológica property; Management plan completed for the conservation areas; Long term sustainability achieved; Survey for bird watching potential completed; Research in Cerrado Ecosystem in partnership with University of Brasília (UNB).

Sponsor: Natura Cosméticos, BR.

Location: Brazil, Wetland Forest inside Canguçu Research Centre area, located in the right margin of Javaés River around Bananal Island - Municipality of Pium in State of Tocantins.

Period: 2001-2004

Description of the Project: The project aims to raise the standard of living of rural and urban communities in the Bananal Island region through: (i) Training the area of family health targeting women and promoting the traditional use of medicinal plants (phytotherapy) (ii) Environmental education to raise community awareness and interest in conservation. (iii) Capacity building initiatives focused particularly on women’s groups to strengthen the development of sustainable productive activities. The project’s research component, based at the Canguçu Research Centre, provides funding in support of the Ecológica’s Institute research into aspects of carbon sequestration.

Main Achievements: Elaboration and implementation of the project research: Analysis of carbon fluxes and stocks in forest formations in the transition area (ecotone) Region of Bananal Island; Implementation of 30 parcels with 50x50 m each, and a total usable area of 7,5 ha, through mapping and georeference procedures using a GPS, of all parcels; Marking and measurement of the 7.760 existing trees; Monitoring of biomass stock in relation to inundation levels; Monitoring data of the meteorological station in the Research Centre; Publishing of scientific articles and panels; Visit of the main researcher in carbon area during the 10th LBA’s International Scientific Commission Reunion (Manaus, July 2002); Application of the Social Carbon methodology in five seateds in the area; Conclusion of preliminaries diagnostics of the target area; Printing of the second reviewed edition of the book “Social Carbon: A Concrete Experience” and elaboration of an educational climate change software which applies the methodology in reverse/direct ways for calculation of emissions and reforestation.

Sponsor: Juruá Madeireira Ltda

Location: Brazil, State of Pará

Period: 2001-2014

Description of the Project: Ecologica is responsible for elaborate the project’s baseline methodology, as well as the application of the social carbon methodology and carbon credit negotiation.

The system of forest exploration with reduced impact is developed in response to social demands for forest conservation and environment protection. These systems use the better extraction techniques available, which reduce the damage to the residual forests and the environment and provide social services to the local communities.

The Carbon Project Juruá, due to its innovation characteristics, partnerships and research component aims to present a pilot model to be replicated in all the Amazon Region. The investments flows provided for the carbon sequestration component of Juruá’s Project may contribute in significant way for changes in land use and LULUCF. The project does not fit in to de CDM criterions of the Kyoto Protocol and can be negotiated as offset. The total amount of absorption of CO2 expected is 1.421.767,41 tons of CO2 equivalent.

Sponsor: White Martins, Grupo Praxair

Location: Brazil, Iguatama – State of Minas Gerais

Period: 2001-2014

Description of the Project: Ecologica is responsible for elaborate the PDD, the project’s baseline methodology and project’s carbon credit negotiation. The PDD were developed in partnership with the Attorneys Office De Rosa, Siqueira, Almeida, Mello, Barros Barreto e Advogados Associados.

This project aims to reduce greenhouse gases emissions (CO2 – carbon dioxin and CH4 – methane), based in the implementation of energetic forest in pasture and unproductive areas for production of vegetal coal through more efficient technologies and switching of fossil fuels (coque) to industrial production of carburet.

Sponsor: Brasilconnect

Location: Brazil, Cumaru do Norte – State of Pará

Period: -

Description of the Project: Ecologica is responsible for elaborate the PDD, the project’s baseline methodology and project’s carbon credit negotiation. Ecológica also developed the feasibility analysis of Pau Brasil Project using the Hexagon, software developed by Ecológica.

The Pau Brasil Project describes the works realized to evaluate technical, economic and financing feasibilities in the development of a reforestation project allied to incentives for carbon sequestration, in State of Pará (Camaru do Norte Municipality) which aims to generate social, economic and environmental benefits for land proprietary, local communities and organizations.

Partners: Palmas city hall, Environmental and Tourism Agency – AMATUR, ICLEI, UFT, IEB, IBAM, ICN (Portugal), IBAMA, NATURATINS, ULBRA

Location: Brazil, Palmas – State of Tocantins

Period: 20 years

Description of the Project: Elaboration of the Project Design Document – PDD, Monitoring plan and Verification phase – MVP and the negotiation (in progress) of the first urban carbon sequestration project in Brazil, the Urban Social Carbon Sequestration Project in Palmas-TO (PSCUP). O PSCUP is located in an urban area of the Palmas City Hall director Plan in an area of 21,576.5 ha, and the project has been implemented by the Municipality through the Environmental and Tourism Agency– AMATUR. The PSCUP is supported by the municipal Law that defines the Municipal Politic of Climate.

Partners: Ministry of the Cities and Territorial Arrangements and Ministry of the Environment Nature Conservation Institute-ICN, National Park of Peneda-Gerês, Ministry of the Agriculture and all neighboring Councils of the Park.

Location: Portugal – Peneda-Gerês National Park

Period: 2004

Description of the Project: The PDD included the baseline study and monitoring of the carbon sink project. The project is currently being validated and will offset the Portuguese GHG’s emissions.

All the technical assessorship, such as the PDD elaboration, the Project Baseline calculations, the land use monitoring through GIS, the research of the carbon flow, leakage, the additionally and the credits negotiation are under Ecologica Assessoria Ltd. Responsibility.

The project aims to provide the local and integrated sustainable development of the Vale Lima region, on the delegation of the Arcos de Valdevez, enclosing The Arcos de Valdez Council and its neighborhoods- Soajo, Gavieira e Cabana Maior, as well as The Ponte da Barca Council and its neighborhoods- – Lindoso, Britelo and Entre Ambos Rios, through the carbon sinks that will appear by the project implementation, as a sustainable activity and way to generates income, and improvement of the local community quality of life by spreading the social carbon concept, besides the decrease on the GHG by the carbon sequestration, considering that Portugal has a emission reduction goal as a signatory country of the Kyoto Protocol (Annex I).

Client: AES Tiête S.A

Location: Brazil, State of São Paulo

Description of the Project: Ecológica were responsible for the CDM Projects within the Management Plan for AES Tietê’s Reservoirs, the activities included PIN and PDD elaboration, field surveys and training in climate change.

Project’s objectives were: Elaboration of an integrated development project for reservoirs management in the scope of CDM; Evaluation and measurement of greenhouse gases emissions and elaboration of an Emission Inventory; Recommend alternatives and strategies for carbon sequestration projects in Teeter River basin; Elaboration of methodology for definition, measurement and justification of project’s additionally; Elaboration of the PDD; Attendance and technical support in validation process of the methodology and certification of the carbon credits; Negotiation with certifying entities, international carbon markets eligible and non-eligible in CDM rules.

Project’s results: Elaboration of maps and images of all the reservoirs, for two period of analysis: December 1989 and currently situation with the purpose to evaluate eligible areas for CDM Projects of reforestation; Elaboration of the Management Plan; Pre-feasibility study for evaluation and measurement of the greenhouse gas emissions; Meetings and debates for the establishment of a participative process in conduction of the related actions of the project; Elaboration of the geoprocessing and change of land use change methodology; Elaboration of the PDD for reforestation in 10 AES’s Tietê reservoirs; Carbon Fluxes Research; Market evaluation.

Sponsor: Tocantins State Infrastructure Secretariat

Location: South-West Tocantins – Bananal Island – Indigenous villages of Boto Velho and Macauba

Period: 2000-2002

Description of the project: The project is supported by a compensation fund created to offset the environmental impact caused by the new Palmas airport (opened in October 2001). The funds were applied in the Araguaia National Park to benefit the populations of the indigenous villages of Boto Velho (Javaé) and Macauba (Karajá) and conserve the natural environment. The activities included a preliminary diagnosis of indigenous community needs and participatory project planning; Institutional arrangements with FUNAI; Training in ecotourism services with the Javaé inhabitants of Boto Velho; Nature trails have been identified; among others.