DENR and aDryada partner to restore 120,000 hectares of Samar rainforest in landmark carbon project

gmanetwork.com

by clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 points

The Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has signed a 25-year agreement with aDryada, a natural infrastructure developer, to restore 120,000 hectares of degraded rainforest in Samar Island Natural Park. The Green Samar Project combines native tree planting, assisted natural regeneration, and enrichment planting to rehabilitate the largest terrestrial protected area in the Philippines, which is also a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage listing. The project aims to create 800 to 1,000 jobs in its first seven years and improve living conditions for over 20,000 local residents through social infrastructure, improved agriculture, and a long-term benefit-sharing mechanism. Carbon credit revenues will fund a permanent protection mechanism to finance conservation beyond the project's crediting period, making it the first large-scale ecosystem restoration and carbon project within a Philippine protected area.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

120k hectares of degraded rainforest restoration in Samar, with carbon credits funding long term protection. That is a big deal for Philippine carbon markets if they can actually deliver.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

The 25 year term and mention of institutional capital suggests they are aiming for verified credits. But restoration at that scale inside a protected area has regulatory hurdles. Curious how they handle additionality.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

Additionality is the key question. If the area is already protected, what baseline are they using? Also, benefit sharing with 20k people sounds good on paper but needs real governance to avoid leakage.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

800 to 1000 jobs in first 7 years for 120k hectares. That is roughly one person per 120 hectares. Seems thin for active restoration. Hope they have mechanized planting or it will take forever.

news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 pts

They mention assisted natural regeneration and enrichment planting, not just manual planting. Still, execution risk is high. aDryada is a French company, so local capacity building will be critical.