Trading carbon credits from greenhouse gas emission reduction through efforts to limit deforestation and forest degradation, sustainably manage forest resources, conserve and enhance forest carbon stocks is a new direction for forestry economic development in localities with forests. For Quang Tri, revenue from selling carbon credits comes not only from forests but also from the potential of seagrass beds in the future, which promises to bring much value. This is the foundation for the province to participate in the carbon credit market after 2025.
Launching the Community Forest Management Board of Cat village, Huong Son commune, Huong Hoa district - Photo: BAO BINH
“ Fresh money and real rice” from the forest
In 2023, the community of Trang - Ta Puong village, Huong Lap commune, Huong Hoa district will benefit from the revenue from the North Central Region Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Project (ERPA) with a total amount of more than 92 million VND. Mr. Ho Van Gioi, Head of the Trang - Ta Puong Village Community Forest Management and Protection Team, said that the team has 22 members, protecting 230 hectares of natural forest. Three times a month, members of the team, along with the functional forces, organize forest patrols.
During each patrol, members pay close attention to signs of forest encroachment or forest fire risks. If there is an incident related to forest encroachment, the team will promptly report it to the competent authorities for handling.
“Selling carbon credits has brought in real money and rice. Everyone who received the money was excited. With this extra money, people will definitely be more determined to protect the forest. Living off the forest, each person must be more aware of protecting the forest, so that the forest can truly be a source of livelihood for their family and community,” said Ho Gioi.
There are currently 5 natural forests managed by the community in the villages: Chenh Venh, Huong Phung commune; Ho and Cat, Huong Son commune; Xa Bai, Huong Linh commune; Trang - Ta Puong, Huong Viet commune of Huong Hoa district, which have been granted the certificate of sustainable forest development and management (FSC). These are also forests certified for ecosystem services of carbon absorption and storage with a total area of nearly 2,145 hectares, absorbing 7,000 tons of carbon per year and storing about 350,000 tons.
Implementing the pilot program of transferring emission reduction results and forest carbon credits, in 2023, Quang Tri province received more than 51 billion VND in payment from ERPA revenue for the period from 2023 to 2025. This amount is based on the results of emission measurement in the period from 2018 to 2024.
Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Phan Van Phuoc said that in 2023, the Forest Protection and Development Fund has paid more than 16 billion VND to beneficiaries including forest owners including households, individuals, groups of households, and communities with an area of 15,992 hectares; forest owners are organizations with an area of 85,753 hectares (including 3 state-owned forestry limited liability companies, 3 protection forest management boards, and 2 special-use forest management boards); forest owners are the District People's Committee (Con Co Island), the Commune People's Committee with an area of 18,907 hectares and organizations assigned by the State to manage forests with an area of 6,040 hectares (the Provincial Border Guard Command). On average, each hectare of natural forest will be paid about 120,000 VND from carbon absorption and storage services.
Members of the Community Forest Protection Team in Chenh Venh village, Huong Phung commune, Huong Hoa district check and record information on the current status of forest trees - Photo: BAO BINH
According to the ERPA implementation plan in 2024, more than 19.5 billion VND will be paid to beneficiaries. By October 2024, the Forest Protection and Development Fund had paid more than 17.4 billion VND. The amount of money paid for forest environmental services has significantly contributed to supporting households, individuals, and village and hamlet communities in the province to improve their lives thanks to forests. At the same time, it supports the enhancement of forest management and protection capacity and is an urgent source of support for investment in works and equipment for forest protection, contributing to increasing the effectiveness of reducing deforestation and forest degradation.
Also in 2024, the People's Committee of Quang Tri province approved the project "Conservation, restoration and improvement of ecosystem services on carbon sequestration and storage in natural forests assigned to community management", sponsored by Etifor SrlBenefit Corporation of the University of Padua (Italy) with a total capital of 6.5 billion VND, implementation period from March 2024 to February 2028. The project aims to promote the conservation, restoration and improvement of ecosystem services on carbon sequestration and storage in natural forests assigned to community management in the northern mountainous area of Huong Hoa district.
To increase the value of forests and ensure the ecological environment, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has issued a plan to mobilize people and forest owners to change their awareness, change farming methods, and plant forests without burning vegetation to reduce CO2 emissions. Accordingly, from 2024 to 2028, each year the province strives to mobilize people to plant 2,000 - 3,000 hectares of new forests without burning vegetation to reduce CO2 emissions.
Potential for selling carbon credits from seagrass beds
If the forestry sector has sold carbon credits from forests, then for the aquaculture sector, this potential is also being recognized with seagrass beds as they can store 1,500 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per square kilometer. Quang Tri is also the first locality in the country to research selling carbon credits from seagrass beds.
According to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, seagrass plays a very important role, participating in the nutrient cycle in the sea and ocean, the value of seagrass globally is estimated at about 3.8 trillion USD and averages 212,000 USD/ha of seagrass/year. In addition, seagrass has the ability to store about 19.9 billion tons of organic carbon, 2-3 times higher than the storage capacity of evergreen forests on the same unit area.
Quang Tri is one of the localities with potential for exploiting and selling forest carbon credits. According to statistics, the total area of forests and forestry land planned for forest development is 285,878 hectares, accounting for 60.8% of the province's total area. The province has allocated about 20,000 hectares of natural forests to more than 100 communities and nearly 1,000 households for management and protection. However, before 2023, only about 35% of the forest area allocated to communities and households will be in areas eligible for forest environmental service payments. |
In Quang Tri, according to the overview of previous research documents, there are 2 species of seagrass including Japanese eelgrass and sea needle grass, growing into a wide beach of about 400 hectares, concentrated in the sea areas of Cua Tung and Cua Viet. In addition, the Con Co island area recorded only the species of neem grass. However, after the Formosa incident, the status of seagrass communities in the coastal area of Quang Tri in particular, and the Central region in general, was seriously affected and declined.
Seagrass development will generate income from participating in carbon credit exchange and offset programs and projects in the international market, helping the province meet its commitments on emission reduction and climate change response, promoting sustainable economic development.
Recognizing the potential of seagrass beds in storing carbon, on May 30, 2024, the People's Committee of Quang Tri province approved a research project to assess the current status and carbon storage capacity of seagrass beds, and proposed to approve a research project to assess the current status and carbon storage capacity of seagrass beds in the province.
Accordingly, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment is assigned to study and evaluate the current status and carbon storage capacity of seagrass beds in the province, propose solutions for effective and sustainable management, exploitation, and use of seagrass beds. The results of the implementation of the task will contribute to perfecting the scientific and practical basis, serving the management work, promoting the potential and advantages of the locality to implement solutions to conserve biodiversity, adapt to climate change, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, it will create a basis to help the province be ready to participate in the domestic carbon market roadmap from the perspective of exploiting ecological values to bring economic and environmental benefits to the locality.
According to Acting Chairman of Quang Tri Provincial People's Committee Ha Sy Dong, along with coral and mangrove forests, seagrass is one of three important coastal ecosystems, providing many ecological and environmental service values to humans. Based on the research results of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment on the current status of local seagrass beds, expected to be completed in 2026, the province will develop a plan to conserve and develop seagrass beds.
To ensure conditions for participation in the carbon market, in the coming time, the province will promote the implementation of emission reduction measures and increase absorption in areas where the province has potential in the fields of energy, agriculture, forestry, and land use.
In addition, the locality will also actively seek, mobilize and integrate resources from development partners, businesses and especially non-governmental organizations in implementing greenhouse gas emission reduction programs in the province.
Thanh Truc
Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/ban-tin-chi-carbon-tiem-nang-tu-rung-den-tham-co-bien-190777.htm
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