This document provides important information about the main technical aspects of livestock NAMAs, as well as the challenges they face and some recommendations that will help them to improve. It is focused in nine countries of the LAC region(Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay); but more specifically in five of them, where climate actions in the cattle sector are best documented (Costa Rica, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras and Uruguay). Based on the key aspects of organization, logic and mitigation goals, the most relevant technical aspects of the NAMA proposals were reviewed to suggest guidelines and orientation for the technical design, and for the implementation of those initiatives. The study was developed between November 2018 and February 2019, by reviewing and analyzing secondary information and consulting(remotely) with key informants from each country evaluated.
Tag: carbon
Spatial distribution of degradation and deforestation of palm swamp peatlands and associated carbon emissions in the Peruvian Amazon
The vast peat deposits in the Peruvian Amazon are crucial to the global climate. Palm swamp, the most extensive regional peatland ecosystem faces different threats, including deforestation and degradation due to felling of the dominant palm Mauritia flexuosa for fruit harvesting. While these activities convert this natural C sink into a source, the distribution of degradation and deforestation in this ecosystem and related C emissions remain unstudied. We used remote sensing data from Landsat, ALOS-PALSAR, and NASA’s GEDI spaceborne LiDAR-derived products to map palm swamp degradation and deforestation within a 28 Mha area of the lowland Peruvian Amazon in 1990–2007 and 2007–2018. We combined this information with a regional peat map, C stock density data and peat emission factors to determine (1) peatland C stocks of peat-forming ecosystems (palm swamp, herbaceous swamp, pole forest), and (2) areas of palm swamp peatland degradation and deforestation and associated C emissions. In the 6.9 ± 0.1 Mha of predicted peat-forming ecosystems within the larger 28 Mha study area, 73% overlaid peat (5.1 ± 0.9 Mha) and stored 3.88 ± 0.12 Pg C. Degradation and deforestation in palm swamp peatlands totaled 535,423 ± 8,419 ha over 1990–2018, with a pronounced dominance for degradation (85%). The degradation rate increased 15% from 15,400 ha y−1 (1990–2007) to 17,650 ha y−1 (2007–2018) and the deforestation rate more than doubled from 1,900 ha y−1 to 4,200 ha y−1. Over 1990–2018, emissions from degradation amounted to 26.3 ± 3.5 Tg C and emissions from deforestation were 12.9 ± 0.5 Tg C. The 2007–2018 emission rate from both biomass and peat loss of 1.9 Tg C yr−1 is four times the average biomass loss rate due to gross deforestation in 2010–2019 reported for the hydromorphic Peruvian Amazon. The magnitude of emissions calls for the country to account for deforestation and degradation of peatlands in national reporting.
Analysing the narrative and promises of ‘avoided deforestation’ implementation in Central Africa
Projects aimed at reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) have expanded in Central Africa following carbon certification standards, which were intended to demonstrate the feasibility of payments and rewards earned depending on a measured quantity of avoided deforestation. We used storytelling as a communication concept to analyse the narratives of five main certification standards that accompanied the implementation of REDD+ projects in Central Africa. Our analysis focuses on two storylines: the measurement of avoided deforestation, and payments or rewards. The examination of official documents disseminated by certification standards and the results from a survey of REDD+ stakeholders highlighted a gap between these promises and reality. Our findings show that carbon standards have diffused an idyllic view of REDD+, simplifying methods of measuring avoided deforestation and promising payments, co-benefits and sustainable development. Unkept promises result in disappointment and declining enthusiasm on the part of those involved in REDD+ projects at an early stage.
Optimising carbon fixation through agroforestry: Estimation of aboveground biomass using multi-sensor data synergy and machine learning
As agricultural land expansion is the primary driver of deforestation, agroforestry could be an optimal land use strategy for climate change mitigation and reducing pressure on forests. Agroforestry is a promising method for carbon sequestration. With recent advancements in geospatial and data science technology, the ability to predict aboveground biomass (AGB) and assess ecosystem services in agroforestry is rapidly expanding. This study was conducted in the Belpada Block of Balangir, Odisha, a forest-dominated region of eastern India. We recorded species occurrence and measured plant parameters, including Circumference at Breast Height (CBH), height, and geolocation, in 196 plots (0.09 ha) in agroforestry intervention sites and noted the tree species. This study used Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 multi sensor data to achieve data synergy in AGB estimation. Three machine learning models were used: Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The RF model exhibited the highest level of prediction accuracy (R2 = 0.69 and RMSE = 17.07 Mg/ha), followed by the ANN model (R2 = 0.63 and RMSE = 19.35 Mg/ha), SVM model (R2 = 0.54, RMSE = 21.97 Mg/ha. The spectral vegetation indices that are (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Modified Simple Ratio (MSR), Modified Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (MSAVI), Difference Vegetation Index (DVI), and SAR backscatter values, were found important variables for AGB prediction. The findings revealed that agroforestry interventions and plantations resulted in an average carbon stock increase of 15 Mg/ha over five years in the study area. The Plant Value Index (PVI), which indicates the importance of species in the local economy and biomass carbon storage, showed that Tectona grandis was the dominant species with the highest PVI value (88.35), followed by Eucalyptus globulus (56.87), Mangifera indica (53.75), and Azadirachta indica (15.45). This approach enables the expansion of monitoring efforts to assess carbon stock in agroforestry systems, thereby promoting effective management strategies.
Potential of Chitosan Hydrogel Based Activated Carbon Nanoparticles and Non-Activated Carbon Nanoparticles for Water Purification
Water pollution has been an alarming concern for researchers due to its hazard to life, human health, and environment. Chitosan and lignocellulose materials have been harnessed for the purification of contaminated water. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential use of chitosan hydrogel filled with activated carbon nanoparticles (ACNPs) and non-activated carbon nanoparticles (n-ACNPs) for water purification. The results of this study revealed that both ACNPs and n-ACNPs were comprised by poly- and single crystals with an average nanofiber diameter of 22.27 nm whereas n-ACNPs were aggregated with diameter size of above 100 nm and was dominated with amorphous region. Limited voids were observed in chitosan/ACNPs hydrogel but n-ACNPs added in chitosan hydrogel were aggregated to form voids. With the addition of ACNPs and n-ACNPs, there was not dramatic change in IR wavenumber. The addition of high ACNPs concentration increased crystallinity index (CrI) of chitosan hydrogel but high addition of n-ACNPs concentration decreased CrI’s chitosan hydrogel. After chitosan/ACNPs and chitosan/n-ACNPs hydrogel were submerged with heavy metals, IR spectra were altered, and the internal surfaces of these hydrogels became different. Both chitosan/ACNPs and chitosan/n-ACNPs hydrogel were able to absorb Fe and Zn effectively over heavy metals of Pb and Cu. Chitosan hydrogel was more effective to kill Escherichia coli than chitosan/ACNPs and chitosan/n-ACNPs hydrogel.
Total ecosystem carbon stocks of mangroves across broad global environmental and physical gradients
Mangroves sequester large quantities of carbon (C) that become significant sources of greenhouse gases when disturbed through land-use change. Thus, they are of great value to incorporate into climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. In response, a global network of mangrove plots was established to provide policy-relevant ecological data relating to interactions of mangrove C stocks with climatic, tidal, plant community, and geomorphic factors. Mangroves from 190 sites were sampled across five continents encompassing large biological, physical, and climatic gradients using consistent methodologies for the quantification of total ecosystem C stocks (TECS). Carbon stock data were collected along with vegetation, physical, and climatic data to explore potential predictive relationships. There was a 28-fold range in TECS (79-2,208 Mg C/ha) with a mean of 856 ± 32 Mg C/ha. Belowground C comprised an average 85% of the TECS. Mean soil depth was 216 cm, ranging from 22 to >300 cm, with 68 sites (35%) exceeding a depth of 300 cm. TECS were weakly correlated with metrics of forest structure, suggesting that aboveground forest structure alone cannot accurately predict TECS. Similarly, precipitation was not a strong predictor of TECS. Reasonable estimates of TECS were derived via multiple regression analysis using precipitation, soil depth, tree mass, and latitude (R2 = 0.54) as variables. Soil carbon to a 1 m depth averaged 44% of the TECS. Limiting analyses of soil C stocks to the top 1 m of soils result in large underestimates of TECS as well as in the greenhouse gas emissions that would arise from their conversion to other land uses. The current IPCC Tier 1 default TECS value for mangroves is 511 Mg C/ha, which is only 60% of our calculated global mean. This study improves current assessments of mangrove C stocks providing a foundation necessary for C valuation related to climate change mitigation. We estimate mangroves globally store about 11.7 Pg C: an aboveground carbon stock of 1.6 Pg C and a belowground carbon stock of 10.2 Pg C). The differences in the estimates of total ecosystem carbon stocks based on climate, salinity, forest structure, geomorphology, or geopolitical boundaries are not as much of an influence as the choice of soil depth included in the estimate. Choosing to limit soils to a 1 m depth resulted in estimates of 1 m depth resulted in global carbon stock estimates that exceeded 11.2 Pg C.
Asynchronous carbon sink saturation in African and Amazonian tropical forests
Structurally intact tropical forests sequestered about half of the global terrestrial carbon uptake over the 1990s and early 2000s, removing about 15 per cent of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. Climate-driven vegetation models typically predict that this tropical forest ‘carbon sink’ will continue for decades. Here we assess trends in the carbon sink using 244 structurally intact African tropical forests spanning 11 countries, compare them with 321 published plots from Amazonia and investigate the underlying drivers of the trends. The carbon sink in live aboveground biomass in intact African tropical forests has been stable for the three decades to 2015, at 0.66 tonnes of carbon per hectare per year (95 per cent confidence interval 0.53–0.79), in contrast to the long-term decline in Amazonian forests. Therefore the carbon sink responses of Earth’s two largest expanses of tropical forest have diverged. The difference is largely driven by carbon losses from tree mortality, with no detectable multi-decadal trend in Africa and a long-term increase in Amazonia. Both continents show increasing tree growth, consistent with the expected net effect of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide and air temperature. Despite the past stability of the African carbon sink, our most intensively monitored plots suggest a post-2010 increase in carbon losses, delayed compared to Amazonia, indicating asynchronous carbon sink saturation on the two continents. A statistical model including carbon dioxide, temperature, drought and forest dynamics accounts for the observed trends and indicates a long-term future decline in the African sink, whereas the Amazonian sink continues to weaken rapidly. Overall, the uptake of carbon into Earth’s intact tropical forests peaked in the 1990s. Given that the global terrestrial carbon sink is increasing in size, independent observations indicating greater recent carbon uptake into the Northern Hemisphere landmass reinforce our conclusion that the intact tropical forest carbon sink has already peaked. This saturation and ongoing decline of the tropical forest carbon sink has consequences for policies intended to stabilize Earth’s climate.
Dominant tree species and earthworms affect soil aggregation and carbon content along a soil degradation gradient in an agricultural landscape
Blue Carbon Dialogue: From science-based policy to implementation
Knowing that blue carbon ecosystems, including mangroves, seagrass meadows and saltmarshes are capable of sequestering and storing more carbon than terrestrial forests, they have attracted global attention, notably in climate change mitigation and adaptation. As home to around 17% of global blue carbon stock, Indonesia has a great opportunity to conduct international trading of carbon credits from its coastal ecosystems.
CIFOR-ICRAF and Carbon Markets – How to harness the world’s best green technology: Trees
Revised edition, 23 April 2024. Stabilizing the climate will require a radical shift in greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors of the economy, including transport, energy, industry and food systems. While urgently needed, this transition is also associated with higher costs to replace high-emitting productive capital and technologies with green alternatives. Investing in forests and trees represents one way for companies to decarbonize even faster.
The Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) is ready to support companies willing to engage in net zero and to use carbon markets to accelerate their transition, particularly from the land use sector: food, agriculture and forestry. This brief outlines the wealth of expertise that CIFOR-ICRAF offers to companies that want to invest the right land carbon projects at the right place for the right purposes, with the right safeguards and benefits for all. This includes experience in carbon financing, carbon project design, stakeholder consultation, policy alignment, carbon accounting methodology, landscape risk management, carbon project execution, carbon project monitoring, and non-carbon impact monitoring.
Updated with a clarification on the estimated value of global and voluntary carbon markets.