©Conservation International Photo by Remesa Lang NORTH BRAZIL SHELF MANGROVE PROJECT BLUE CARBON FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT DISCLAIMER The content of this report does not reflect the official opinion of the project sponsors or their partner organization. Responsibility for the information and views expressed therein lies entirely with the author(s). SUGGESTED CITATION Beers, L., Crooks, S., May, C., and Mak, M. (2019) Setting the foundations for zero net loss of the mangroves that underpin human wellbeing in the North Brazil Shelf LME: Blue Carbon Feasibility Assessment. Report by Conservation International and Silvestrum Climate Associates. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................... 1 2 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 2 2.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................. 2 2.2 REPORT OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................................. 2 3 MANGROVE ECOLOGICAL STRUCTURE ........................................................................................ 2 3.1 MANGROVE SPECIES ASSEMBLAGES ........................................................................................................... 2 3.1.1 Stand Characterization and Propagation ............................................................................................................ 3 3.1.2 Degradation ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 3.2 MANGROVE ECOLOGICAL FUNCTION AND SERVICES .................................................................................... 5 3.2.1 Blue Carbon – Sequestration and Release .......................................................................................................... 6 3.2.2 Nursery and Habitat Function ............................................................................................................................. 6 3.2.3 Shoreline Protection and Accretion ..................................................................................................................... 6 3.3 ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS STRUCTURING MANGROVES .............................................................................. 7 3.3.1 Salinity................................................................................................................................................................. 7 3.3.2 Inundation ........................................................................................................................................................... 8 3.4 MANGROVE PROTECTED AREAS ................................................................................................................. 9 4 MANGROVE STOCK QUANTIFICATION ......................................................................................... 10 4.1 TREE STOCKS .......................................................................................................................................... 10 4.2 SOIL CARBON STOCKS ............................................................................................................................. 12 4.3 METHANE EMISSIONS ............................................................................................................................... 13 4.4 NITROUS OXIDE EMISSIONS ...................................................................................................................... 13 4.5 MANGROVE AREA ESTIMATES ................................................................................................................... 13 4.6 MANGROVE DEFORESTATION CALCULATIONS ............................................................................................ 14 4.7 RESULTS ................................................................................................................................................. 15 4.8 CONSIDERATIONS .................................................................................................................................... 21 5 CARBON FINANCING FEASIBILITY ................................................................................................ 21 5.1 CARBON PROJECT METHODOLOGIES ........................................................................................................ 21 5.1.1 Verified Carbon Standard .................................................................................................................................. 22 5.1.2 Plan Vivo ........................................................................................................................................................... 23 5.2 VOLUNTARY MARKETS ............................................................................................................................. 24 NORTH BRAZIL SHELF MANGROVE PROJECT | BLUE CARBON FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT i 5.3 MARKET CONSIDERATIONS ....................................................................................................................... 24 5.4 LANDSCAPE FEASIBILITY ........................................................................................................................... 25 5.5 METHODOLOGY APPLICABILITY ................................................................................................................. 25 5.5.1 Methodology for Tidal Wetland and Seagrass Restoration (VM0033) ............................................................. 25 5.5.2 REDD+ Methodology (VM0007) ........................................................................................................................ 26 5.6 ADDITIONALITY REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................ 28 5.7 GHG ACCOUNTING APPROACH ................................................................................................................ 28 5.8 FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY ............................................................................................................................. 29 5.9 LEGAL FEASIBILITY ................................................................................................................................... 29 5.10 ORGANIZATION FEASIBILITY ...................................................................................................................... 29 5.11 RELEVANCE TO THE NBS-LME ................................................................................................................. 30 6 NEXT STEPS ..................................................................................................................................... 35 LITERATURE CITED ................................................................................................................................. 36 APPENDIX 1: MANGROVE CARBON STOCK SAMPLING PROTOCOL ............................................... 41 NORTH BRAZIL SHELF MANGROVE PROJECT | BLUE CARBON FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT ii TABLES TABLE 1. MANGROVE STRUCTURE FROM STANDS OF DIFFERENT AGES IN FRENCH GUIANA. ........................................... 5 TABLE 2. MANGROVE BIOMASS AND STOCKS AND SOIL CARBON STOCKS FROM MANGROVE STANDS OF DIFFERENT AGES IN FRENCH GUIANA, WITH ESTIMATED PERCENTAGE OF AREA FOR EACH. ............................................................. 11 TABLE 3. MANGROVE BIOMASS AND STOCKS AND SOIL CARBON STOCKS FROM MANGROVE STANDS OF DIFFERENT AGES IN FRENCH GUIANA, WITH ESTIMATED PERCENTAGE OF AREA FOR EACH. ............................................................. 12 TABLE 4. SOIL ACCRETION AND CARBON BURIAL RATES FOR MANGROVE STANDS OF VARYING AGES IN FRENCH GUIANA. ....................................................................................................................................................................... 12 TABLE 5. CARBON STOCK DATA FOR GUYANA USING MANGROVE AREA ESTIMATES FROM GLOBAL MANGROVE WATCH (2018). ............................................................................................................................................................ 15 TABLE 6. CARBON STOCK DATA FOR GUYANA IN 2000 USING MANGROVE AREA ESTIMATES FROM THE WORLD ATLAS OF MANGROVES (SPALDING ET AL. 2010) AND MANGROVE FORESTS OF THE WORLD (GIRI ET AL. 2010). ................. 16 TABLE 7. CARBON STOCK DATA FOR GUYANA USING MANGROVE AREA ESTIMATES FROM HAMILTON AND CASEY (2016). ....................................................................................................................................................................... 16 TABLE 8. CARBON STOCK DATA FOR SURINAME USING MANGROVE AREA ESTIMATES FROM GLOBAL MANGROVE WATCH (2018). ............................................................................................................................................................ 17 TABLE 9. CARBON STOCK DATA FOR SURINAME IN 2000 USING MANGROVE AREA ESTIMATES FROM THE WORLD ATLAS OF MANGROVES (SPALDING ET AL. 2010) AND MANGROVE FORESTS OF THE WORLD (GIRI ET AL. 2010). ................. 18 TABLE 10. CARBON STOCK DATA FOR SURINAME USING MANGROVE AREA ESTIMATES FROM HAMILTON AND CASEY (2016). ...........................................................................................................................................................