In this issue: About the Global Forest Coalition (GFC): We are an international coalition of 106 NGOs and Indigenous Editorial: Real solutions are needed Peoples’ Organisations from 66 countries, defending social to protect people and the planet in 3 justice and the rights of forest peoples in forest policies. an era of global crisis GFC organises joint advocacy campaigns on the need to By Dil Raj Khanal respect the rights, roles and needs of Indigenous Peoples, women and local communities in forest conservation and Old schemes and scams are lurking under the shadow of the “nature- the need to address the underlying causes of forest loss. 5 based solutions” umbrella By Coraina de la Plaza Welcome to the 61st issue of Forest Cover, the Global Forest Coalition's magazine. To receive Forest Cover by The women of the Peasant and email please join our mailing list: Community Reserves Collective of 7 http://globalforestcoalition.org/subscribe/ Santander, By Claudia Gimena Roa and Nelsy Gualdron Editorial Team: Coraina de la Plaza, Isis Alvarez, Jeanette Sequeira, Oliver Munnion, Simone Lovera and California spins “nature-based Souparna Lahiri solutions” to normalize negative 9 Editors: Oliver Munnion and Megan Morrissey emissions technologies Translator: Megan Morrissey By Gary Hughes Graphic Design: Oliver Munnion Solutions based on You can donate to GFC here 10 (Mother Nature) Website: globalforestcoalition.org By Geodisio Castillo Image library: globalforestcoalition.org/photography Facebook: @globalforestcoalition Twitter: @gfc123 Large dams in Sri Lanka are a false Instagram: global.forest solution to climate change and 12 water scarcity Front cover image: Illustration by Toby Munnion. By Hemantha Withanage Contents page photo credits: FECOFUN, Coordenação- Geral de Observação da Terra/Flickr, Fundaexpresión, The settlement of Crescencio Kimberly Baker, Geodisio Castillo, Cwijayakoon/Wikimedia González, a real solution to the 14 Commons, Inés Franceschelli, Dogwood Alliance, Stars current crisis Foundation/Flickr, Christian Bock/System Change, not By Inés Franceschelli Climate Change and The Development Institute. Back page photo: Indigenous territories in , Drax Plc, pioneering another false Geodisio Castillo. 16 solution to the climate emergency By Almuth Ernsting This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union, the Swedish Society for Nature Nepal’s Chepang conserving Conservation (SSNC), Misereor and Patagonia. The contents biodiversity through sustainable 18 of this publication are the sole responsibility of the Global livelihoods By Bhola Bhattarai and Forest Coalition and Women2030 Project Partners and can Roshan Chikanbanjar in no way be taken to reflect the views of donors. Forest offsets for air travel: The new frontier in 20 nature-based solutions By Souparna Lahiri

Women-led solutions to forest 21 degradation in Ghana By The Development Institute

2 May 2020 | Forest Cover 61: Editorial: Real solutions are needed to protect people and the planet in an era of global crisis

By Dil Raj Khanal, FECOFUN and Global Forest Coalition board member, Nepal

The origins of the current global crises we face, such as climate change, biodiversity loss and the COVID-19 pandemic, are deeply rooted in the false solutions championed by governments and the corporate sector that exploit nature and harm its peoples.

Mother nature herself is not a mechanisms on climate change and attempt to push controversial source of global crisis, and we have biological diversity, such as the nature-based solutions (NBS), a no right to continue to exploit her United Nations Framework term which is increasingly being co- in the name of finding “solutions” Convention on Climate Change opted by governments and to the crises caused by corporate (UNFCCC) and the Convention on corporations to include false greed. Real solutions to global Biological Diversity (CBD). For solutions that delay and distract environmental crisis must come example, the CBD's theme for this from urgent and real action. In from the ground up, where year's International Day for response, this issue of Forest Cover governments and corporations Biological Diversity is highlights resistance from frontline commit to supporting . This is a clear communities to these false transformational change centred on ecosystem- Monoculture tree plantations are increasingy referred to based, community-led and as nature-based solutions. Patrick Shepherd/CIFOR gender-responsive approaches.

Instead, numerous false solutions such as carbon offsetting, emissions trading and negative emissions technologies, many of which fall under the nature-based solutions banner, are being imposed at different levels. They are exploiting nature, harming ecosystems and violating the human rights of Indigenous Peoples, local communities and women.

Part of the problem is the influence that corporations wield over global

Forest Cover 61: | May 2020 3 community-led initiatives to mitigate the impacts of climate change and protect ecosystems and biodiversity that our member groups are engaged in at the community level. In the Peasant and Community Reserves of Santander, Colombia, women are leading efforts to build climate resilience and conserve forests. In Community forest patrol in Western Nepal Panama, the Gunadule are using during the COVID-19 pandemic. FECOFUN their Indigenous traditional knowledge to combat climate solutions and amplifies the and instead provide support to real change. In Paraguay, the message that climate and biodiversity solutions settlement of Crescencio González . that are of benefit to people and is using women-led self-organizing the planet. to overcome the environmental The Intergovernmental Science- and social crises created by Policy Platform on Biodiversity and A number of articles in this issue of agribusiness. And in Ghana, Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the Forest Cover highlight the dangers women's rights groups are Intergovernmental Panel on and impacts of corporate-driven restoring forests and building Climate Change (IPCC) are false solutions. In Sri Lanka (as in sustainable livelihoods through continuously emphasizing the other countries in the region, such organizing for gender equality. importance of ecosystem-based as India, Nepal and Bhutan), large approaches (EBA) as real solutions dams are being built as a solution In Nepal, Indigenous Peoples and to the climate and biodiversity to water scarcity that are local communities including the crises. The Parties to the CBD have simultaneously destroying forests Chepang, Bote, Majhi, Dhimal and also already agreed that real and erasing an ancient water Raute have built mutually climate solutions related to land system that provided clean water supporting interrelationships and oceans should be ecosystem- to communities while protecting between their communities and based and have developed detailed biodiversity. In California, state biodiversity over generations and meaningful guidance for EBAs, legislators are promoting NBS, through community forestry and recognizing that they should negative emissions and community conservation. More respect the rights, roles, customary geoengineering technologies that than 2.2 million hectares of Nepal’s practices and traditional knowledge will have potentially severe land forests are under community of Indigenous Peoples, local use, water and biodiversity control, which has widely communities and women. impacts. In the UK, the world's integrated an ecosystem-based largest biomass power station is approach into forest policy there Embracing new NBS terminology is using negative emissions and is a real solution to conserving a way to circumvent this guidance, greenwashing to lobby for more biodiversity and mitigating climate as it is much broader in scope and subsidies long into the future. change. leaves the door wide open to many Other articles describe how the harmful “solutions” such as private sector is turning to forest These approaches have evolved commercial tree plantations as a offsets and commercial tree over centuries and are based on forest restoration strategy. plantations in order to profit from the customary practices, traditional the climate crisis. knowledge and innovations of It is imperative that the post-2020 Indigenous Peoples, local Global Biodiversity Framework, the In contrast, we are proud to communities and women. We UN Climate Convention and other present several practical and should look to them for guidance in global policy processes avoid powerful examples of gender- order to overcome this era of dangerous language around NBS, responsive, ecosystem-based and global crisis.

4 May 2020 | Forest Cover 61: Old schemes and scams are lurking under the shadow of the “nature-based solutions” umbrella

By Coraina de la Plaza, GFC, Spain

Despite the urgency set out in the Paris Agreement and its Despite proving to be mostly 1.5°C target, governments and corporations have continued ineffective at addressing the with business as usual, and many of the mitigation climate crisis and deforestation commitments made to face the climate emergency are still and failing to respect and protect heavily focused on false solutions. the rights, needs and aspirations of communities on the frontlines, These include carbon offsets, concept has already been twisted alignment with NBS is an attempt emissions trading and monoculture by vested interests to falsely brand to legitimize the continued tree plantations as part of highly questionable practices as existence and funding of these afforestation and reforestation “green” and rebrand old scams and schemes. initiatives. Increasingly supported schemes with a catchier name. with climate finance, these REDD+ [2] is one of these, and after commercial activities dressed up as An outrageous example of how big 15 years and over USD $4 billion in emissions reductions are little corporations are using NBS (or direct finance, it continues to be more than greenwashing. However, natural climate solutions; the two one of the most hotly contested their branding is changing. terms are often used intergovernmental schemes. As can interchangeably) to greenwash their be inferred from a 10-year review The term nature-based solutions destructive activities is the “Markets by CIFOR, [3] REDD+ has done very (NBS) was introduced in the early for Natural Climate Solutions poorly both in terms of achieving 2000s as an umbrella concept for initiative” [1] launched last its goals and so-called “co- ecosystem-based approaches to December at the UN climate benefits”. Despite these failings, mitigating climate change and negotiations in Madrid by the UNDP has hurried to describe biodiversity loss, and it has gained International Emissions Trading REDD+ as a “ready to go nature- much momentum in the last two or Association. This scheme will offset based solution”, [4] and the UN’s three years. Unfortunately, this the emissions of some of its “Santiago Call for Action on partners in the Forests” [5] launched in 2019 calls Eucalyptus is the prefered option for new tree fossil fuel on stakeholders to increase climate plantations. Greenfleet Australia/Flickr industry, mitigation ambition through including Shell, forestry-related NBS, including Chevron and BP. REDD+. Further still, in the Nature- Based Solutions Compendium Other older, published at the UN Action Summit more familiar in 2019, REDD+ programmes schemes have feature as exemplary NBS. not missed the chance to Another issue of concern that is shelter under often included under the NBS the NBS umbrella is tree planting. In recent umbrella. years, tree planting fever has taken

Forest Cover 61: | May 2020 5 money. A recent example of this is the Arbaro Fund, which will create 75,000 hectares of commercial tree plantations across seven countries in the Global South. Despite strong opposition from civil society, [8] which pointed to the evidence that commercial plantations result in minimal climate benefits and significant conflicts with communities, earlier this year, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) granted it USD $25 million in co-financing.

In February 2019, GCF granted USD $95 million to Brazil as a REDD+ “Results Based Payment” (for having reduced deforestation) just before the Amazon saw unprecedented forest fires and Clearing forests for cattle ranching in the Amazon. levels of deforestation. [9] This was Coordenação-Geral de Observação da Terra/Flickr obviously not enough to cause GCF to think twice about the issue of hold, with governments and the be led and governed by local permanence in forest-related private sector increasingly communities, Indigenous Peoples projects and the reversal of climate committing to planting more and and women. Instead, many of mitigation benefits through fires or more trees and “restoring” millions these tree planting initiatives rely policy change. The problem of of hectares of ecosystems. One of heavily on monoculture and impermanence is intrinsic to the the first initiatives was the Bonn commercial tree plantations. For plantations that the Arbaro Fund Challenge, launched in 2011 as a example, an assessment of promotes. global effort to restore 150 million government pledges made under hectares of the world’s deforested the Bonn Challenge last year [7] It is imperative to continue and degraded land by 2020 and found that tree plantations were unmasking and denouncing false 350 million hectares by 2030 (the the most popular “restoration” solutions under whatever name African Forest Landscape option, with 45% of all they take and to push back against Restoration Initiative and the commitments involving planting the corporate capture of climate Billion Tree Tsunami in Pakistan are vast monocultures of trees. Such policymaking. The interests of big part of this). One of the latest plantations can lead to land business must not be allowed to commitments was made at the grabbing, rights violations, soil set the agenda when the future of 2019 World Economic Forum in erosion, freshwater depletion, our planet is at stake. Davos, where “1 Trillion Trees” [6] biodiversity loss and many other [1] https://ncs.ieta.org/ was launched, a plan designed to impacts. Moreover, plantations [2] REDD+ is a UN programme to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest support the UN’s Decade on store only a fraction of the carbon degradation, and foster conservation, sustainable Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030. that natural forests can, and management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. Even Donald Trump expressed his emissions from land clearance and [3] https://www.cifor.org/publications/pdf_files/ Books/BAngelsen1801.pdf support for the initiative–a very displacement of other land uses [4] https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/ news/sustainable/cop25-deforestation.html worrying sign! (e.g. agriculture) often completely [5] https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/ undermine any mitigation Santiago%20Call%20for%20Action%20on%20Fore sts.pdf Planting native trees to restore potential. [6] http://1t.org/ [7] https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019- forest ecosystems has a vital role 01026-8 [8] https://globalforestcoalition.org/gcf-arbaro- to play in mitigating the impacts of Commercial tree plantations as a fund/ climate change and protecting climate mitigation strategy are also [9] https://globalforestcoalition.org/amazon-fires/ biodiversity, however, efforts must increasingly financed with public

6 May 2020 | Forest Cover 61: The women of the Peasant and Community Reserves Collective of Santander, Colombia: A real achievement in protecting land and creating alternatives for

By Claudia Gimena Roa and Nelsy Gualdron, Fundaexpresión, Colombia

The women of the Peasant and Community Reserves Collective of Santander, Colombia, are undoubtedly making a vital contribution to community conservation as a real solution to the regional and global climate crisis. Through their energy and creativity, they are forging alternatives that demonstrate that, through persistence and unity, it is possible to conserve forests and achieve food sovereignty and diversity in production.

The Reserves Collective is a set of actions with a real and achieved with the armed groups, associations and rural families in transcendental impact on but also in terms of more Santander created in 2008 that is protecting forests, water and harmonious and less aggressive based on community management multiple species of flora and fauna. relations with nature. of land. These are peasant co This reflection, which takes a zmmunities with strong cultural gender perspective, is based on the This has also been demonstrated bonds and traditional knowledge initiatives of women’s groups as by the fact that women have been that coexist with the Andean forest, part of Women2030. [1] more involved in establishing the highlands, and the Santurbán reserves, which have expanded Páramo in Colombia’s North- It should be noted that several throughout the territory and help eastern Cordillera. decades of armed conflict in to overcome the paradigm of Colombia have had a grave impact monoculture through the In contrast to the false solutions on communities and particularly diversification of seeds and the proposed by some governments women, who have had to assume regulation of the use of and large companies, sometimes responsibility for families and food agrochemicals. Women’s groups disguised as “nature-based and, through their tenacity, have passionately engaged in solutions”, grassroots organizations conserve and remain in their activities to preserve creole seeds, have had an experiential way of territories. For us, this has meant nurseries and crops to support relating to the land; they engage in that peace should not only be agrobiodiversity. This helps to

Processing fruit in Cachirí. Fundaexpresión

Organic farm in Cachirí. Fundaexpresión

Forest Cover 61: | May 2020 7 A tree nursery in Asovivir to promote agro- At the "Festival of taste" advocating for food sovereignty and biodiversity. Fundaexpresión women's rights in Ammucale. Fundaexpresión

confront the problem of climate committee in Santa Cruz de la gardens, go to peasant markets, change through an ecosystem- Colina (Matanza), and the women’s access spaces for popular based approach, strengthening our group of Cachiri (Suratá). All of education or participate in resilience. them, despite their different (collective labour). Thus, young experiences, highlight as an women have experienced Through the actions of the essential aspect their role in the alternatives involving a connection Reserves Collective, the defence of agrobiodiversity. with the land, appreciation for their communities are proposing greater territories, reviving their culture gender equity, and although it has The women and their stories have and (living well). been noted that this will take time, much to tell us about community the Women2030 study produced conservation through agroforestry, Through collective work, women various priority situations that fodder gardens, apiculture, the use are self-actualized and provide boost women’s rights, including of efficient wood-burning stoves, examples of how to improve their access to land, strengthening generating crop surpluses, the economy and food sovereignty, sociocultural spaces and the transformation of fruits and demonstrating that, through these creation of economies of their own. organization of fairs and bazaars to forms of self-management, they position the economy and peasant and their families are more Three specific women’s culture. prepared to face the crisis of the organizations are worth pandemic that is causing hunger mentioning here: the Municipal An illustrative case is also the and homelessness among the Association of Peasant Women of increased inclusion of young marginalized populations of Latin Lebrija (AMMUCALE, for its initials women who previously lacked America. in Spanish), the ASOVIR women’s opportunities to have their own

[1] Women2030 is a global initiative with the participation of Global Forest Coalition that is focused on sustainable development and conscious of the need to strengthen gender equity, including grassroots and women’s organizations.

Young woman on her organic farm in Asovivir. Fundaexpresión

Young biodiversity monitors, Ammucale. Fundaexpresión California spins nature-based solutions to normalize negative emissions technologies By Gary Hughes, Biofuelwatch, USA

In a surreptitious yet aggressive effort of this bill is uncertain. More industry-friendly policy such as to promote unproven and risky climate uncertainties lie ahead, as the carbon markets, “nature-based geoengineering, California state convulsion of the coming economic solutions” and geoengineering legislators recently introduced a bill [1] contraction will not leave California’s technologies like direct air capture that emphasizes the presumed economy and market-based climate and bioenergy with carbon capture potential of trees, forests and soils for policy framework unscathed. and storage (BECCS), all of which are carbon sequestration while explicitly promoted in the far-reaching promoting a climate policy framework Little discussed in a media onslaught “negative emissions” bill introduced vision that celebrates and advances heavily focused on the economic this spring. morally hazardous and impacts of the pandemic are the environmentally dangerous volatile reactions of California’s Unfortunately, legislative and agency geoengineering technologies for carbon market to the recent proponents of these techno- “carbon dioxide removal” and “negative economic upheaval. Parallel to the distractions such as BECCS fail to emissions”. collapse in fossil fuel industry recognize that “negative emissions commodity prices – which are central technologies” are projected to have The legislation’s focus on forests seems to a California economy that is potentially severe consequences for innocent enough. However, the fine considered by some measures to be land use, water and biodiversity, as print of the bill reveals how California is the fifth largest in the world – is the well as uncertain ecosystem impacts. boldly entering into a “brave new collapse in the price of carbon on the Attempts to enshrine these world” of developing techno-centric California carbon market. technologies into land use, energy climate policy that promotes and system and climate policy therefore incentivizes unproven and potentially It is not a stretch to suggest that the bear significant implications for the illegal [2] geoengineering mechanisms. cap-and-trade program that California protection of human rights and the This promises to intensify the industrial has touted to the world as the high- advancement of environmental exploitation of California’s forests and profile example of the state’s global justice. But legislators have been lock in long-term use of fossil fuels – climate leadership may flounder in a resistant to incorporating these both of which would undoubtedly potentially depressed economy. critiques into policy discussions. exacerbate the climate crisis. One outcome of an economic Another aspect that California The shocks of the global pandemic slowdown could be to put the brakes officials have resisted addressing is have fully interrupted legislative on efforts by state legislators to that the technical barriers to these processes in California, thus the future continue rushing forward with unproven technologies are immense.

Certified clear-cuts in Northern California. Kimberly Baker Questions remain as to how much this moment will provide an opportunity to reevaluate the assumptions baked into California’s global climate leadership. What is clear is that the California state legislature is toying with dangerous distractions of hypothetical technical mechanisms disguised as nature- based solutions while failing to take the political risks necessary to advance true climate solutions.

[1] https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/ billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB1323 [2] http://www.geoengineeringmonitor.org/ 2016/12/un-convention-still-says-no-to- manipulating-the-climate/ Solutions based on

(Mother Nature)

By Geodisio Castillo, Centro de Desarrollo Ambiental y Humano, Panama

With the emergence of Covid-19, we are asking ourselves generated by structural and whether human confinement has helped (mother economic policies and climate nature) to breathe and if it has contributed to addressing change. In this way, we contribute climate change. directly to improving the quality of life of the population. Here in our small territory of the and practices of (Gunadule Gunadule nation, a [1] botanic medicine) are revitalized Increasing attention is being paid with its own culture located on the and changed through our to the potential of biodiversity, coast of Eastern interactions with the natural goods including the (medicinal Panama, the Gunadule that we use based on ancestral trees and plants) used to prevent communities maintain nearly 80% wisdom. Nature is respected and and treat illnesses. Therefore, their of the tropical forest in its natural we ask permission of our brother conservation in the forest is state and the rest is dedicated to trees and plants to use them; this important to the Gunadule people. [2] family agriculture. biodiversity management provides To treat coronavirus, we use the a basis for climate resilience and leaves and stalks of the Our forests are full of our brothers empowers the and [3] (or or the trees and plants that give life to family producers to conserve the ), commonly known in our people and to . They diverse species to confront the risks Spanish as or are a vast botanic garden with numerous bioactive Indigneous territories in Panama. Geodisio Castillo products that represent our cultural and natural patrimony, a natural wealth whose economic value cannot be calculated in quantifiable terms, as the positive impacts of these ecosystems on mitigating the effects of climate change are very diverse. It is based on the Gunadule people’s natural pharmacy that the (botanic doctors) treat the ill.

This is an intrinsic biocultural relationship where the knowledge

10 May 2020 | Forest Cover 61: Women extracting sugarcane juice. Geodisio Castillio

. Another Gunadule The Indigenous Peoples of the In this context, our Institute for the medicinal plant used for prevention Gunadule nation have much to Cultural Patrimony of the Guna is ( ), known in offer with regard to how to counter People (IPCPG) of the General Spanish ; its juice the effects of climate change Congress of Guna Culture (CGCG) purifies the blood. because, despite being victims in established in late 2019 the Ina many ways, we possess important Ibegungalu Centre for Care and The current situation has led us to knowledge that must be taken into Learning [5] to reinvigorate and think about the changes or account to halt its advance and strengthen . The protection innovations needed and the direct impacts on the residents of and conservation of the area will dynamics of our system of this and other regions of the world. be important to maintaining the governance, which is based on This knowledge includes healthy diversity of species of native nature which teaches us, applying nutrition based on family medicinal trees and plants in the ancestral wisdom because the agriculture, medicine, area. Also, their production will be “colectivism” [4] that is part of our impediments to desertification, the important to upholding the area’s cultural education may be the conservation of watersheds and productivity and biomass, parameter that points the way to policies of broad biodiversity cultivating native species of trees our society’s sustainable future. conservation based on community and plants, including medicinal knowledge, among other ones, and hence taking an contributions. ecosystem-based approach to addressing climate change.

[1] A is an indigenous territorial division in Panama (Guna Yala is one of three). [2] A is an agrodiverse agroforestry parcel or polycultures managed under the family and communal system. [3] is a shrub known to scientists as that is used to treat malaria and is part of Indigenous knowledge in South America. [4] This collective spirit in which we live has been eroding due to the influence of foreign cultures. [5] This Centre or natural pharmacy is located in the mountains of the protected Narganá Wilderness Area (Área Silvestre de Narganá), Corregimiento de Narganá, sitio Bingandi, at kilometer 27 of the Carretera El Llano-Carti, Guna Yala.

Forest Cover 61: | May 2020 11 Large dams in Sri Lanka are a false solution to climate change and water scarcity

By Hemantha Withanage, Centre for Environmental Justice and GFC regional focal point for Asia, Sri Lanka

Ideally, building a reservoir is an environmentally friendly land requirement during the thing to do. It can be a good “nature-based” solution for feasibility stage. Rebuilding the climate adaptation, too. However, this is not the case when it ancient tank system would have comes to large, modern irrigation projects in Sri Lanka. been more sustainable, avoiding the project’s negative impacts and The Yan Oya Irrigation Project in provide water to nearly 8,000 providing a better climate change eastern Sri Lanka was completed in hectares of rice paddy cultivation. solution. 2019. It cost Rs. 39,000 million (USD $210 million) and holds Unfortunately, the project Similarly, the Malwathu Oya 149,000 acre-feet of water (184 destroyed more than 26 small Irrigation Project is building a 3.5 million cubic metres). A loan from ancient water storage tanks and km-long dam across a section of China provided 85% of the project’s over 6,000 hectares of forests both the 164 km-long Malwathu Oya funds, and the China CAMC for reservoir construction and new River in the North Central Province Engineering Corporation areas of cultivation. The project’s of Sri Lanka. The project will cost constructed a 2.3 km-long dam Environmental Impact Assessment Rs 12,000 Million (around USD $66 across a section of the 130 km-long was inadequate and developers million) and will destroy over 5,000 Yan Oya River. The dam will could not even identify the total hectares of forests and more than 24 small ancient tanks. The reservoir will hold 170,000 acre- feet of water (210 million cubic metres).

According to environmentalists, rebuilding the ancient tank system in Sri Lanka would be a far better climate adaptation solution than large dams. Sri Lanka is famous for its 3,000-year-old hydraulic civilization. There are over 40,000 small and large tanks covering the dry northern and eastern regions of the country. Our ancestors knew that the limestone bedrock in the dry zone is not suitable for storing rainwater underground and constructed a unique and elaborate system of tanks and reservoirs to provide villages with Dam construction in Sri Lanka. Gihan Jayaweera clean water year-round.

12 May 2020 | Forest Cover 61: In a report to the Governor of destroy this ancient system in the reservoirs can be found in the British Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in name of modern irrigation. ancient tank cascade system. This 1855, John Baily wrote: system is an age-old solution based The Yan Oya and Malwathu Oya on natural principles. Restoring the irrigation projects and their water system would provide a solution to storage reservoirs are not based on climate change and water scarcity the same principle as the ancient and enhance biodiversity at the irrigation system. Under the ancient same time. system, streams were first dammed to build small tanks to keep silt In light of this, it is very sad to see from entering the larger (but still how modern engineering financed small in comparison) reservoirs. by multilateral banks, China and The small tanks only fed the water other bilateral investors is . table. The water released from the destroying our ancient and far small tanks drained through areas more sustainable system. This In 2018, Sri Lanka’s tank cascade containing aquatic plants such as shows that so-called modern system, locally known as “Ellanga”, lotus and ( ) to nature-based solutions are not the was recognized as one of 14 newly absorb toxins and then fed the answer to the climate and designated “Globally Important major tanks for storage and biodiversity crises the world is Agricultural Heritage Sites” by the eventually irrigation and domestic facing. FAO. Yet Sri Lanka continues to use. At least three types of

Ancient wetland system of human-made cascading tanks and reservoirs and fed by river flood waters sustains rice paddy fields and natural vegetation. IWMI Flickr Photos

Forest Cover 61: | May 2020 13 The settlement of Crescencio González, a real solution to the current crisis

By Inés Franceschelli, Centro de Estudios Heñói, Paraguay

Amid the environmental and social crises generated by the The land is State property allocated global agroindustrial system, traditional communities offer to the peasant organization, and proven alternatives. One of these experiences is that of the through it to the 270 families, peasant settlement in Paraguay known as Crescencio which are distributed in 10 centres González. arranged in a circular pattern divided into 10-hectare lots. It is Established 20 years ago, this land for peasant families. Despite located in the old central forests of community includes 270 families brutal repression that led to four Paraguay, characterized by a rich or 1,300 inhabitants who carry out deaths and hundreds of injuries forest diversity which abounds with traditional productive practices and arrests, peasant pressure plant species such as that have delivered excellent pushed the State to sign an ( ), results. Theirs is a harmonious agreement through which 10,000 ( combination of life, production and hectares were purchased to form ), ( natural conservation that two settlements of 5,000 hectares ), ( generates quality of life and a each. The settlements were named ), ( future guided by organized peasant after two of the peasant martyrs, , among others). men and women. Crescencio González and Huber These species are still present Duré. Currently, these lands are in today, along with diverse animal The settlement is an achievement jeopardy because a landowner is species. of the organized struggle of the taking legal action to claim them, National Peasant Federation creating a scenario of uncertainty The lots cover 2,700 hectares, of ( ), for the community. which 906 are used for agricultural which in 1999 staged occupations crops and 571 for animal pasture. of large landholdings, demanding Some 817 people in the settlement

Community meeting in Crescencio González. Inés Franceschelli work; 45% women and 55% men. Of them, 73% work in agriculture on the farms, while another 20% work outside of them. Agricultural production is dominated by food crops for local consumption and sale, such as varieties of manioc, corn, peanuts, beans, sesame seeds, leafy greens and other vegetables. This is complemented by the raising of cows, pigs, chickens and ducks, which provide food and by-products such as milk, eggs and cheese. The farms have a rich variety of fruit and medicinal plants that provide daily nourishment to the population. Skill-share on food sovereignty in Crescencio González. Inés Franceschelli

There is a high level of environmental consciousness among residents. They have established care for forest reserves, respect for biodiversity and the planting of fruit and forest trees to improve the health of the ecosystem they inhabit. They also created a school with technical secondary school instruction in environmental sciences that currently has 56 students. This community vision has made it possible for 42% of the territory of the settlement to remain forested. Meanwhile, productive land accounts for 30% of the settlement, while monocultures dominate up to Local produce in Crescencio González. Inés Franceschelli 100% of large farms in the area.

A 2019 study by Heñói analysed the medicinal plants, 11% from by- of collective output. The strength economic, social and products, and 10% from animal and sustainability of peasant life is environmental performance of the husbandry. a real solution to the problems settlement, including monetary and caused by the agroindustrial non-monetary assets. The total The study compared the settlement system, including climate change. profit achieved was USD $183 to the yield of a mechanized Crescencio González is a powerful million, some $7,000 annually per agricultural farm of similar size, example of the possibilities the farm, acquired in a sustainable and and the peasant model obtained peasant model provides to address diversified manner: 41% from the better results in terms of the climate crisis through agricultural system, 26% from the generating employment, profit ecosystem-based approaches. conservation and rational use of margins, environmental the forests, 12% from fruit and conservation and the distribution

Forest Cover 61: | May 2020 15 Drax Plc, pioneering another false solution to the climate emergency

By Almuth Ernsting, Biofuelwatch,

Alongside planting trees, cutting them down and burning them for energy continues to be promoted by many as a “nature-based solution”, especially in combination with a so-called “negative emissions technology” called BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage). Now it seems that hype around this false solution could allow dirty, polluting power stations to carry on as before, with huge public subsidies.

So far, the debate about BECCS has are accounted for. Thus, capturing begin trialling its carbon capture

been entirely theoretical aside and storing some of the CO2 from technology soon. These are very from the capture of small amounts burning wood pellets, Drax argues, small tests of different carbon

of CO2 from ethanol fermentation will make it “carbon negative”– even capture methods which may show in the United States, and no serious though the energy needed for whether a particular solvent is

attempts have yet been made to capturing and compressing that CO2 worth studying further, but which

capture CO2 from burning wood. would require a lot more trees to be are a long way from developing Recently, however, Drax Plc in the burned, causing even more harm to anything that could be described as UK has announced its intention to forests and wildlife. ‘BECCS’. So, what is all the hype become the world’s first “carbon really about? negative” company with the help of Since 2019, a startup company BECCS – and, of course, more called C-Capture has been trying to Around a decade ago, energy

government support. capture a tiny amount of CO2 from companies argued that they should a Drax biomass unit, all of which is be allowed to build new coal plants Drax power station in England then released into the atmosphere. or keep existing ones open on the continues to burn more wood than Another startup company wants to basis that they would be any other plant in the world. All of the wood it burns is imported as pellets, 65% of which is from the Southeastern United States, with most of the rest coming from Canada and the Baltic States. In all three regions, pellets sold to Drax are routinely made from the clearcutting of wildlife- and carbon- rich forests. Burning over 7 million tonnes of wood pellets annually makes Drax power station the UK’s

number one CO2 emitter, but officially it is “carbon neutral” (except for a small remaining fraction of coal that is also burned) because only fossil fuel emissions Wood pellet storage facility at Drax power station. UK Dept. of Energy and Climate Change/Flickr

16 May 2020 | Forest Cover 61: Wood pellet production is destroying biodiverse wetland forests in the southeastern USA. Dogwood Alliance

Wood pellet production in the southeastern USA. “capture ready”. In practice, this Dogwood Alliance meant leaving space on site for the future installation of the necessary infrastructure. The idea was that once the right subsidies or investments and regulatory framework were in place, they would be able to start capturing carbon. At least one large new coal power station in the Netherlands was permitted and built on this basis and a large Scottish power station was allowed to keep operating on the basis of this “promise”. Neither has ever Those subsidies are due to end in definitely does not qualify as a captured a single gram of carbon 2027, but hype around BECCS could solution, whether nature-based or (the one in Scotland finally closed well help the company’s efforts to otherwise. for economic reasons). lobby for more subsidies for years to come. Allowing Drax to continue For references, see: Drax’s business depends on the its forest destruction and climate https://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/ £2.1 million (€2.39 million) it and air pollution with or (far more wp-content/uploads/drax-briefing- receives in subsidies every day. likely) without carbon capture update-2020_compressed.pdf

Forest Cover 61: | May 2020 17 Nepal’s Chepang Indigenous People show how conserving biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods go hand-in-hand

By Bhola Bhattarai and Roshan Chikanbanjar, NAFAN, Nepal

The Chepang are an Indigenous community in Nepal that live depend on the forest, and their in the steep and rugged central districts of Gorkha, Dhading, daily activities include collecting Chitwan, and Makwanpur and have depended on nature to non-timber forest products and sustain their lives and livelihoods for centuries. hunting wild animals (that aren’t protected by community Over the past 50 years, they have nomadic lifestyle known for the conservation protocols). In turn, increasingly integrated into Nepal’s practice of shifting cultivation the Chepang help to regulate their other ethnic communities, but (slash-and-burn agriculture), which ecosystem, and in doing so, protect many still live as their ancestors is their main source of livelihood. biodiversity. did for generations before them, Farming alone cannot sustain their sheltering in caves and relying on families, however, so they also A good example of this is the forest-based foods for their depend on hunting, fishing and ( or Indian survival. [1] Supporting the gathering and (shoots butter tree), a tree that can grow Chepang to protect and conserve and roots) and wild yams. The on fragile, marginal land and still their forests is an ecosystem-based Chepang are an egalitarian society provide fruit, fodder, shade and approach to mitigating the impacts that do not participate in Nepal’s protection from natural disasters of climate change and biodiversity caste system, and according to the such as landslides. As well as loss that brings multiple benefits to 2011 census, their population providing food for humans, their communities and the land stands at nearly 70,000. trees protect the lives of many they depend on. other animals such as bats, birds, The Chepang way of life is deeply butterflies and honeybees that also The Chepang were originally connected to water, land, forests feed on its fruit. This creates an nomadic but now embrace a semi- and wildlife. Their livelihoods interrelationship between the Chepang, trees and bats and A traditional tool used to extract oil other wildlife. from fruits. NAFAN The Chepang have planted trees for many centuries and they consider it to be a valuable asset—it even plays an important role in dowries. Their ancestral traditional practices of conserving trees and other biodiversity knowingly or unknowingly protects the resilience of the forests in which they live.

One of the most pressing threats in the area is the problem of the Chepang’s lack of legal entitlement fruits and other forest products. NAFAN

Chepang in Nepal. Stars Foundation/Flickr

to the agricultural and forest lands and forest cover. It also manages provides connectivity by creating they have been occupying for how forests are used, such as corridors between habitats, centuries, as well as the through prohibitions against conserves biological diversity, and observation that trees are hunting at the request of local provides other ecosystem services bearing less fruit, possibly as a people. Various studies [2] have such as erosion control and water result of climate change. The demonstrated a significant increase recharge. Although the Chepang increasing influence of external in forest health under community have only been farming for a few cultures has also affected cultural forestry, showing it to be a proven decades, their agricultural practices identity because the Chepang, who model for controlling deforestation complement their traditional traditionally follow Animism, are and forest degradation as well as knowledge and work hand in hand becoming more alienated from supporting livelihoods by providing to sustain their livelihoods and nature. The Chepang’s customary necessary forest products. conserve the biodiversity of the conservation practices are also not area. currently recognized by the The National Forum for Advocacy, government, and they are skeptical Nepal (NAFAN) is supporting more Despite their hard work, many of any formal laws and rules than 100 Chepang forest user Chepang families still do not have governing their control of, access to groups in Raksirang Rural enough food for the whole year. and use of natural resources. Municipality by providing seedlings The threats to their way of life, to local communities for income such as a lack of legally-recognised The Chepang are conserving generation and trainings on forest land rights, are also harming their biodiversity by protecting their management, establishing ability to protect forests and forests. Chepang communities have plantations of mixed indigenous biodiversity. In order to support embraced community-based forest species and agroforestry. Chepang communities and management and are involved in enhance their vital role in forest forest management practices on a Agroforestry provides habitat for conservation, forest user groups voluntary basis in coordination with species that can tolerate a certain must be given more capacity local forest offices. Community level of disturbance and helps to through funding and training to forestry protects and re-establishes reduce the rates of conversion of make these organizations stronger habitat that is vital to the survival of natural habitat by providing a more and better able to solve the birds and other animals, as well as productive, sustainable alternative problems they face. increasing carbon sequestration to intensive agricultural systems. It

[1] Manandhar, N.P. 1997. Role of ethnobotany in the context of Nepal. Paper presented at workshop on Application of Ethnobotany to Community Development. January 6-13 1997, Sauraha, Chitwan, Nepal [2] Studies include the following: Bhattarai, B. (2018). Shifting power from state to community control in forestry; an ethnographic study. Participation a Nepalese journal of participatory development. Kathmandu: Nepal Participatory Action Network; Flores, S., Evans, K., Larson, A. M., Pikotle, A., & Marchena, R. (2016). Participation of rural indigenous women in community governance. Bogor, Indonesia: Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR); Pokharel, B.K., Carter, J., Parajuli, R.R., Byrne, S., & Gurung, B.D. (n.d). Community forestry in Nepal as a means of empowering people living in poverty: An assessment of its social, economic and environmental sustainability https://www.eda.admin.ch/dam/countries/countries-content/nepal/en/resource_en_206126.pdf

Forest Cover 61: | May 2020 19 Forest offsets for air travel: the new frontier in nature-based solutions By Souparna Lahiri, GFC, India

The aviation industry, the global Mechanism (CDM) and the World from all transport sources and was carrier of COVID-19, is still trying its Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership the sector with the fastest growing luck in the carbon offset market. This Facility fall well short of satisfying emissions. Instead of aligning the move is aimed at restoring faith in even basic requirements. These industry with the Paris Agreement’s offsets as an emissions mitigation include ensuring that offset projects goal of limiting global temperature strategy, reviving the rock-bottom actually bring tangible benefits, store rises to 1.5°C, ICAO chose the carbon price and preempting carbon “permanently” (which is perilous path of offsetting its controversial and unresolved carbon almost impossible to ensure) and do growing emissions. The impact that market negotiations under Article 6 of not cause harmful practices to simply COVID-19 has had on aviation must the Paris Agreement. Forest carbon move elsewhere. be seized as an opportunity to tackle offsetting has quickly become one of its emissions in a genuine way, the most popular “nature-based Despite this, in a move to through seriously reducing flying solutions” to climate change, one that operationalise CORSIA, the TAB and instead investing in affordable is being promoted by heavily polluting (which includes representatives from and cleaner transport options. sectors unwilling to reduce their Brazil, China, India and the co-chair emissions at the source. of Paris Agreement Article 6 However, the very carriers of COVID- negotiations) selected American 19 are now being offered billions of The aviation industry’s response to the Carbon Registry, China GHG dollars in bailout packages in the climate crisis is spearheaded by the Voluntary Emission Reduction hope that they can return to UN’s International Civil Aviation Program, CDM, Climate Action business as usual after the Organization (ICAO) and its CORSIA Reserve, the Gold Standard and pandemic. In the United States, the scheme (Carbon Offsetting Reduction Verified Carbon Standard as eligible bailout package amounts to USD Scheme for International Aviation), for provisional approval in CORSIA’s $67 billion [6] and the EU is offering which begins its two-year pilot phase pilot phase. airlines 26 billion. [7] In response, in 2021. ICAO’s Technical Advisory more than 250 organisations from Body (TAB) [1] was established to These offset programmes were 25 countries have urged evaluate carbon offsetting selected on the basis that they had governments to resist unfair programmes that CORSIA could use towards bailouts for the industry, [8] against the eight Emissions Unit addressing certain shortcomings, or especially when they do not include Eligibility Criteria (EUCs) [2] that had had strict conditions that force airlines been determined for it. The TAB’s to commit to rapid and real recommendations indicate that 14 . [4] This essentially emission reductions. Rolling out leading offset programmes [3] amounts to an admission that they carbon offsets for aviation as a including the American Carbon all currently fail to meet CORSIA’s nature-based solution would Registry, the Clean Development eligibility seriously undermine this. criteria and questions the integrity of the [1] https://www.icao.int/environmental- protection/Pages/A39_CORSIA_FAQ2.aspx whole [2] https://www.icao.int/environmental- protection/CORSIA/Documents/ICAO_Document scheme. _09.pdf [3] https://www.icao.int/environmental- protection/CORSIA/Pages/TAB2019.aspx Before the [4] http://sdg.iisd.org/news/icao-identifies-six- eligible-carbon-offsetting-programmes-for- pandemic, the aviation-industry/ [5] https://www.atag.org/facts-figures.html global aviation [6] https://redd-monitor.org/2020/04/16/c oronavirus-notes-3-the-us-bailout-of-its-airline- industry was companies-is-insane/ responsible [7] https://carbonmarketwatch.org/ 2020/04/30/airline-bailouts-set-to-double-to- for 12% of e26bn-as-countries-fail-to-impose-binding- green-conditions/ carbon [8] https://globalforestcoalition.org/red-lines-for- aviation-bailouts/ emissions [5]

Christian Bock/System Change, not Climate Change Women-led solutions to forest degradation in Ghana

By The Development Institute, Ghana

Global Forest Coalition member group The Development households with additional income Institute (TDI) has been working with women’s rights groups in and healthy food. the Weto Range of the Upper Guinean Forest of West Africa in eastern Ghana through the Women2030 programme. Alongside biodiversity protection and income generation, the Central to this work is valuing the women share responsibility for the women’s association has been role that women play in forest nursery, which is run alongside an building women’s leadership conservation and enhancing it organic farm that grows food and capacity, particularly in relation to through women’s leadership and generates income for their families. natural resource governance. One empowerment, education and skill- The women are proud that no of the ways they have achieved this sharing, and protecting livelihoods synthetic fertilizers or pesticides are is through community radio, that are rooted in sustainable used, and they have created a skill- hosting talk shows on women’s agricultural practices. sharing and cross-learning platform empowerment and environmental within the community to learn best issues and becoming a well- Last year, the Kpoeta Women’s practices in organic farming and respected voice in the community. Association was supported to community conservation and to Women in the association now develop a native tree nursery that work towards gender equality. The have the confidence to express is producing a steady supply of farm was also recently expanded themselves in community meetings saplings for local women to use to with the assistance of TDI to create and to approach decision-makers restore degraded forests and inter- livelihood opportunities for more to advocate for their needs and plant in their cocoa farms. The women. Today, it supports 30 rights.

Kpoeta Women’s Association tree nursery. The Development Institute

Kpoeta Women’s Association organic farm. The Development Institute

Forest Cover 61: | May 2020 21 In addition, the Kpoeta Women’s women’s groups in forest community shared knowledge on Association has facilitated restoration, organic farming and the harmful effects of bush fires, exchanges of knowledge and skills sustainable livelihoods is key to how to prevent them and how to between other women’s rights their struggle for gender equality. combat them when they become groups in the region such as Elike out of control. Women’s Development Association TDI and Kpoeta Women’s and Tosukpo Women for Change. Association also held a community The women of Kpoeta are Mutual capacity-building between (gathering) that was successfully restoring forests and attended by over protecting them from wildfires 500 people to while also feeding their families educate residents and earning a living from their on wildfire land. Each reinforces the other. prevention. Bush They achieve this through self- fires are a major organisation and despite the threat to challenges they face, such as low livelihoods, levels of political representation community health and literacy. With the right kind of and forest support, these efforts could be conservation and scaled up to have a major positive an issue that impact on both Ghana’s forests and affects many the communities that live in and people every year. around them. Through the , the entire Preparing land for planting. The Development Institute

Sharing information on a community radio station. The Development Institute

22 May 2020 | Forest Cover 61: