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Afforestation JI project in Romania - a possible approach on LULUCF JI projects -

Afforestation JI project in Romania - a possible approach on LULUCF JI projects -. Vlad Trusca Member of the JISC, UNFCCC National Focal Point Ministry of Environment and Water Management - Romania UNFCCC Technical Workshop on Joint Implementation Bonn, 9-10 March 2006.

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Afforestation JI project in Romania - a possible approach on LULUCF JI projects -

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  1. Afforestation JI project in Romania- a possible approach on LULUCF JI projects- Vlad Trusca Member of the JISC, UNFCCC National Focal Point Ministry of Environment and Water Management - Romania UNFCCC Technical Workshop on Joint Implementation Bonn, 9-10 March 2006

  2. National Conditions on Afforestation • Afforestation – the direct human-induced conversion of land that has not been forested for a period of at least 50 years to forested land through planting, seeding and the human-induced promotion of natural seed sources (Decision 16/CMP.1) • Romania has a present policy of large-scale afforestation (100,000 ha) based on: • laws related to the forestry sector and the environment (e.g. Forest Act) • international agreements (e.g. Agreement on Danube Green Corridor) • national strategies (e.g. National Strategy and Action Plan on Sustainable Development, National Forest Policy and Strategy, and National Strategy for Combating Drought,, Land Degradation and Desertification) • National Forest Administration (NFA) manages about 60% of all forested areas • Estimated 3 million ha of degraded agricultural lands (since the `60s overworked for producing cereals, grapes, fruits and vegetables, lack of investment in infrastructure → uneconomic) – used as pastures or simply abandoned • ~400 ha - average annual afforestation rate of degraded lands in the last decade

  3. Afforestation JI Project - overview • The first and only LULUCF related JI project in the world (synergy on Rio Conv.) • Objective: Afforestation of ~ 6500 ha degraded agricultural soils (6000 ha transformed from agricultural lands-to be afforested, 500 ha ecological reconstruction-Small Island of Braila) from 7 counties in SW and SE of Romania • Legal basis: Host Country Agreement between Romania and the World Bank as a Trustee for the Prototype Carbon Fund • Approved: by the MEWM and the National Commission on Climate Change (inter-ministerial consultative body) in 2003 – Letter of approval July 2003 • Participants: ERPA between National Forest Administration – Romsilva and World Bank signed in September 2003 • Documentation: PDD, BS and MP available on the World Bank PCF website • Reduction of ~ 850,000 tCO2 (in the period 2002-2017) to be transferred to WB

  4. Afforestation JI Project - location • Abandoned, degraded agricultural lands, improper for agricultural use • All areas to be afforested are state-owned administered directly by the National Forest Administration (NFA) through its territorial branches (forest districts) or under the administration of the State Domain Agency (SDA)

  5. Afforestation JI Project - methodology • Planting of local species based on specific conditions on the site and targeted objectives: Robinia pseudoaccacia, oak, and other broad leaf species • In the Small Island of Braila (Ramsar site) - native species: Populus alba, Populus nigra, Salix sp. and Quercus sp. • Baseline scenario – most likely land scenario for the selected area. Several reasonable project alternatives have been selected, representing a possible use of the land to be included in the project: • low quality pasture, grain and fruit crops • status quo (continued abandonment and degradation) • afforestation at the historical (very slow) pace • Additionality – consideration of historical evidence and comparison of the financial merits of alternative land-use options (lack of financing from NFA) • Leakage would occur if the project, directly or indirectly, caused losses in forest cover or carbon storage (unlikely to occur on significant scale, due to the fact that people using the land for economic purposes is very limited) • Compensating measures for local people for reducing the grazing land and causing them to move to new locations – Japanese grant (500,000 US$)

  6. Afforestation JI Project - financing and monitoring • Total investment cost: 10.3 million US$ • Financed by two Romanian special funds: • Reclamation Fund • Forest Regeneration and Conservation Fund • Transfer of ERs (RMUs) ~ 850,000 to WB • Price per ER – 3.6 US$ (2002-2017) • Carbon credits – financial incentive for NFA to undertake present and future afforestation activities • Monitoring – every 5 years by the Research Institute on Forestry (first 2007) • Monitoring – 3 components (C/CO2 removals, biodiversity, social aspects) • Monitoring Plan – based on LULUCF GPG of IPCC

  7. Afforestation JI Project - benefits Specific environmental benefits • contribute to sustainable development and positive local impact • create multifunctional forests on former agricultural lands or abandoned pastures • increase the forested areas of the SW and SE counties • reduce surface erosion • maintain and improve the biodiversity and ensure soil and water protection • improve and recreate proper habitat conditions for wilderness (fauna, flora) • In the Danube Small Island of Braila, the poplar plantations are part of a larger project to protect bird populations in the lower Danube River corridor Specific social benefits • provide employment for local people (planting and maintenance works) • improve the land use by creating multifunctional forests and diversifying the type of incomes (wood, hunting, forest fruits, medicinal plants, honey production) • create a source of fuel wood (carbon neutral) and construction wood in the area (longer life cycle of forest wood products) • protection of agricultural crops against negative natural factors

  8. Afforestation JI Project - status • Afforestation (the “construction” phase) projected to finish by 2005 • Due to high level of Danube in 2005 ~ 200 ha to be planted in 2006 • Succession of works implemented in each area: site/soil preparation, seedling plantation and maintenance/tending operations for new plantations until the stage of canopy closure (up to five years after planting) • Achieved CO2 removals ~ 46,000 tCO2 (75%) • Initial estimates CO2 removals ~ 60,000 tCO2 • Difference due to droughts (2003) and floods (2004, 2005) • Payment received from PCF until 2005 ~ 165,000 US$ (removals estimation performed after annual vegetation season) • Strict establishment of actual removals achieved – first monitoring 2007

  9. Thank you For more information:Vlad Trusca, Senior Advisor-Ministry of Environmentnew email: vlad.trusca@mmediu.ro Ciprian Pahontu, Director-Ministry of Agriculture email: ciprian.pahontu@maa.ro

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