|
 Permanence: The project’s
carbon benefits are expected to last in perpetuity through the
mitigation of risks to the project site and the establishment of
a permanent endowment fund to assure management of the site
beyond the 40-year initial funding period.
Additionality: Based on
land-use trends and readily observable land-use practices, the
threat of expanded Asian water buffalo ranching in the
Guaraquecaba area is clear and imminent. For example, as recent
practice, ranchers have bought forested areas from other
ranchers and cleared the land for 
pasture. Although land use in
the area is regulated under Brazilian law, the regulations are
often not enforced due to limited governmental resources. This
project intervention is clearly additional to what would have
occurred in its absence, since it provides resources that
otherwise would not have been available for reforestation,
conservation and sustainable economic development.
Leakage: Initial analysis
suggests that the potential for leakage of carbon benefits
generated by the project is quite low. Nonetheless, the project
includes a rigorous leakage control component which seeks to
help ranchers who wish to remain on their 
land to raise water
buffalo to do so in a more sustainable—i.e. intensive rather
than extensive—manner. The project will track the
effectiveness of these activities and mitigate any leakage that
does occur. Indeed, the project’s leakage control strategy may
produce "positive leakage" (even fewer tons of carbon
emitted) if it successfully reduces the need for local ranchers
to clear additional forests for pasture. |
