Carbon Bank and Village Development Project

Original project description

The Carbon Bank and Village Development Project (VDP) enable successful climate change adaptation, local socio-economic development, and biodiversity conservation in rural Thailand.
Since 2005, the initiative has encouraged, supported and enhanced community-based indigenous forestry through carbon offsets. Trees planted in the project community forests generate carbon credits which are sold to local, national and international businesses and individuals. Businesses and individuals increasingly purchase carbon credits to offset emissions and the project’s innovative product provides more value for today’s demanding market since it combines village development with market-based carbon trading.
The project has significant environmental impacts as it increases indigenous forest cover, restores degraded land in rural communities and improves environmental conditions such as soil water retention. Besides it sequesters CO2 through locally-owned and protected carbon sinks and improves climate change adaptability potential. As the revenues are used for further rural development of sustainable forestry, this model provides self-financing biodiversity conservation and local economic improvement.
Additionally, the initiative provides local education about climate change. It also establishes or strengthens village development committees and village youth councils, empowering women and youth in the tree planting and maintenance process. By the end of 2011, the project aims to establish 48 village projects. The scale up will foster a sustainable financial mechanisms for carbon credit payments which in turn will provide funds to implement community-wide infrastructure improvements and support village micro-credit saving and loan schemes.

Current project updates

No update available.

Growth plans description

In the next two years the Carbon Bank and Village Development project seeks to:
• expand from 2 villages to 48 villages participating in the programme and develop working agreements between the partners and community committees
• develop and implement community outreach programmes
• carry out an annual carbon audit
• develop and implement training programmes on nursery management/ horticulture and forest management/ silviculture
• establish village banks
• prepare degraded communal/ agricultural land for tree planting, plant and maintain trees
• carry out study tours and planting trips with interested people and volunteers in North East Thailand
• establish small-scale tree and herb nurseries in community schools.

Current Needs

• Financial assistance so as to become self-sustaining after 3 years.

Individuals and businesses interested in offsetting their carbon emissions by purchasing carbon credits can do so at www.plant-a-tree-today.org/

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