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Project name: Bamboo reforestation project
Location: North Bandai, Ghana
Technology: AFOLU-ARR*, Restoration, Carbon Removal
Standard: Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), Climate, Community & Biodiversity Standard (CCBS)
Estimated tonnes of CO2 removal: ~1.6m over the project’s lifetime
Impact highlights: Biodiversity, regenerative farming, impact plan for communities
AFOLU-ARR: The project type is Agriculture Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) and the type of activity is Afforestation, Reforestation and Revegetation (ARR).
Why the Ashanti region?
This project area was originally a primary forest and has undergone extreme levels of historical deforestation, leaving a landscape of invasive grasses, scrubland with remnant trees, and small remaining forest patches. Historical GIS and remote sensing mapping show that it is likely that without this project activity, the remaining native trees and biodiversity would have been cleared and any remaining biodiversity would have been lost. The land would have transitioned into a grassland of non-native, invasive grasses with no chance of reforestation occurring without human intervention.
The North Bandai reforestation project is restoring 2,000 hectares of degraded forest lands in the Ashanti region. The project will plant and manage 1,000,000 seedlings of giant clumping bamboo and 100,000 seedlings of diverse native tree species, collaborating closely with local partners in this region of Ghana.
Why clumping bamboo?
In addition to its high capacity for carbon sequestration, planting select species of giant clumping bamboo provides a method of sustainable alternative land use practice. The bamboo plants have tight root structures to quickly bind soils and mitigate erosion. Moreover, they help restore and reconnect remnant forest patches, while conserving all remaining standing trees.
Impact
Climate action
The bamboo species selected for this project has a high capacity for carbon sequestration, thus the project offers an efficient and economical way of generating carbon removals. A newly planted bamboo plant can sequester approximately 2 tons of carbon dioxide in just 10 years. In comparison, a typical hardwood tree can sequester approximately 1 ton of carbon dioxide in 40 years.
Carbon removals from these bamboo clumps are long-term and permanent. Older material is thinned out in order to stimulate the continued growth of new clump’s annual basis.
Enhancing biodiversity
This project relies on a proven integrated method, where individual bamboo clumps are interplanted with remaining standing trees, patches of native vegetation, and small remnant areas of forest which allows for maximizing biodiversity and improving the overall health of the local ecosystem. The pilot plantings prior to the project start have shown that the presence of bamboo has protected the remaining surrounding trees.
Restoring soil and avoiding erosion
The complex root systems of bamboo make it especially effective at holding soil together and preventing landslides. For this reason, bamboo is an excellent crop in areas prone to flooding. The roots and rhizomes form a tight mesh that keeps the ground from washing away in heavy rains.
Supporting the community
This project provides secure and long-term jobs and aims to build a resilient economy and healthy society through an annual community development plan. Approximately 120 local people are employed full-time under fair conditions. They are provided with additional training and capacity building.
An additional 10-year impact program will support the sustainable development of the local farming communities. The program focuses on three pillars: regenerative farming, planting trees in villages, and sanitation & education.
To ensure the highest standards of impact and project progress, independent third-party verifiers will closely monitor and evaluate all the aforementioned impacts. In addition, our team of technology and project experts conducts regular site visits, reaffirming our commitment to maintaining exceptional project quality.