Sodo Community Managed Reforestation (Forest Regeneration) Project

Summary

This project is implemented by World Vision Ethiopia (WVE) in collaboration with World Vision Australia (WVA), who has made provisions for full financing for the first 6 years of the project (2006-2012). The Sodo Community Managed Reforestation (Forest Regeneration) Project builds on the Humbo Community managed reforestation project, also implemented by World Vision Ethiopia. The aim of the project is to restore and protect the montane high-forest on the slopes of Mt Damota in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Regional State (SNNPRS). Specifically to improve environmental conditions and reduce the risk of soil erosion and degradation, improving agricultural yields and livelihoods of local communities. To support the long-term sustainable ecosystem regeneration of the Mt Damota project area the project intends to sell carbon credits as part of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) generated from activities such as agroforestry, reforestation and afforestation. The project is expected to run for 35 years and was validated by the Climate, Community and Biodiversity (CCB) Standards Second Edition in August 2013. The project has achieved pre-validation under the CarbonFix Standard, which estimates that a total of 189,027 metric tons of CO2 equivalent will be sequestered during the project life time.

The project zone comprises of seven kebeles ("neighbourhoods") that constitute 4593.34 hectares, with the closed project area located within five of them with an area of 503 ha. The 5 communities living in the project area have acquired land-user rights certificates to the site. In addition, the Ethiopian Government has endorsed that ownership of carbon rights, and therefore revenues derived from carbon offsets, are owned by the community. Funds will flow from brokers, through to WVA, WVE and on to Community Cooperative projects. Distribution of funds to cooperatives will be based on the percentage of land holding and share of management responsibilities.