General

The impacts of climate change threaten the livelihoods of Mexican small farmers. Therefore the project promotes adaptation, restoration and conservation of rural landscapes to increase their resilience and to ensure food security and local income. It helps small farmers in the states of Campeche, Tabasco, Chiapas, Jalisco, Michoacan, Oaxaca, Puebla, Hidalgo and Tlaxcala to adapt and to increase their production. Ecosystem-based adaptation strategies include sustainable production and integrated land use planning approaches that equally take into account food, forest, biodiversity and climate change. Innovative finance mechanisms support this process. The project also promotes land use management policies at national and sub-national level to help Mexico to achieve its goals in the areas of SDGs, NDCs and biodiversity.

General

The Engaging Local Communities in REDD+/ Enhancement of Carbon Stocks (ELCIR+) project forms part of the Ghana Investment Plan for the Forest Investment Program. The investment plan is expected to be co-financed through basket funding with the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Estimated at 2.0%, Ghana’s annual deforestation rate is alarming, with (i) agricultural expansion, especially cocoa cultivation (50%) and (ii) wood harvesting (35%) considered as the main drivers. This shift has resulted in significant loss of forest cover and a decline in carbon stocks. The limited alternative livelihoods opportunities are also a challenge for the community. Therefore, the project aims to mobilize and invest funds to reduce deforestation and forest degradation and also financially benefit local communities. This will pilot a jurisdictional approach to REDD+ at the regional level focusing on the Western and Brong Ahafo regions. The Bank financed portion supports: (i) restoration of degraded agricultural landscapes, (ii) climate smart agriculture, (iii) livelihoods improvement and, (iv) capacity building. The project will be implemented over 5 years (2014 – 2018) with a total cost of US $ 15.826 million.

Objectives

The Project development objective is to contribute to the increase of carbon stocks, and poverty reduction in the off-reserve areas of the High Forest Zones, by engaging communities in land management approaches that generate direct financial and environmental benefits.

Target Groups

Project interventions will target 14 districts in the Western Region and 24 districts in Brong Ahafo Region. Project’s direct beneficiaries are estimated to be 12, 000 people, with women representing about half of the targeted population. Furthermore, the project is expected to indirectly benefit 175,000 people (5% of the population of the two regions). Direct beneficiaries will be supported with capacity building, inputs (e.g. seeds), equipment, and financial incentives through benefit-sharing agreements, to develop forestry, agroforestry and alternate livelihoods activities.

General

The rate of deforestation in Ecuador linked to unsustainable livestock and agricultural practices and illegal timber harvesting is one of the highest in South America; between 1990 and 2010 Ecuador lost 3.3% of its forest cover (978,537 acres). Deforestation and the ensuing land degradation reduces soil productivity leading to increased poverty and food insecurity in rural areas, while also threatening already endangered wildlife. The purpose of this project is to create the Jama Conservation Corridor spanning 69,189 acres in coastal Ecuador by supporting local, interested landowners with activities that will conserve and reforest parts of their land while encouraging sustainable livelihoods. This project will connect the last remnants of semi-deciduous tropical forests in coastal Ecuador through forest restoration, regeneration of abandoned cattle pastures, and groforestry, including silvopasture. Specific activities include: reforesting prioritized areas within the corridor; collecting baseline data for the flora and fauna in reforested areas; providing training to landowners in agroforestry; and facilitating educational outreach activities with local landowners, schools, and decision-makers on sustainable land use practices.