Three rivers grassland restoration, China

Three rivers sustainable grassland management carbon project

Author: Climate Impact Patners

The Three Rivers Project, located in Qinghai Province, People's Republic of China, is a pilot project using carbon finance to support the restoration of degraded grasslands and to increase Livestock productivity. 

This project qualifies for Biodiversity Gold Level status under the CCB standards for exceptional biodiversity benefits in a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) with endangered species such as the steppe eagle, saker falcon, and alpine musk deer. Over half the twelve thousand local herders employed in the project were women.

The project also addresses critical barriers to accessing carbon finance in grasslands by developing a carbon accounting and monitoring methodology and demonstrating cost-effective monitoring approaches suited to extensive grazing contexts. 

In addition to delivering approximately 450,000 tonnes of carbon removals annually, the project provides several other sustainable development benefits. These include:

No Poverty: The project provided job opportunities for residents. All residents have been given an equal opportunity to participate in the project if they meet the job requirements. Women and vulnerable people from the poorest local households were given equal opportunities and consciously ensured they could be part of the project.

Good Health and Well-being: The project proponent has referenced the Labor Law of the People's Republic of China and adapted it to meet the local conditions to ensure workers' health and safety. The workers' health and safety policy, including items covering the health insurance scheme for workplace accidents and evacuation plans, is made available for workers and implemented by the county forestry and grassland bureau.

Gender Equality: About 12,000 local herders participated during the project implementation, of which 6,000+ are women. This will empower women and build community capacity in gender and sustainable grassland management. By being trained with sustainable grassland management skills and participating in community activities with other employees, women may gain more happiness than doing housework; thus, positive welfare outcomes for local households are more likely to be expected.

Climate Action: The project will generate carbon removals by increasing soil organic matter and mitigate the impact of climate change on the local ecological environment, such as slowing down the melting of snow-capped mountains.

Life on Land: This grassland restoration project decreased the amount of degraded land in China and restored over 160,000 hectares of grasslands for local biodiversity. In particular, exceptional biodiversity benefit (CCB Biodiversity Gold Level) is expected to be achieved by the project because the project zone belongs to the Three Rivers Source Region, which was identified as the site of global significance for biodiversity conservation selected based on the Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) framework of vulnerability and irreplaceability.

Development of the pilot project has been jointly supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic of China, and the Qinghai Province Science and Technology Department.

Source: https://www.climateimpact.com/global-projects/community-reforestation-ghana/