THE FOREST
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The tribal lands that are involved in the Babatana Rainforest Conservation Project are all located near the Kolombangara River and are part of the so-called Mount Maetambe Kolombangara River Corridor; an area identified as a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
The Babatana forest is habitat for 19 of the 21 frog species found in the Solomon Islands, with 11 identified in a rapid biodiversity survey in the project site. The forest is home to many bird species including: Midget flowerpeckers, Golden whistlers, Song parrots, Crested cuckoo doves, black and white monarchs, White–billed crows, Blyth’s hornbills, Eclectus parrots, fruit doves, and lorikeets. Also present are Mackinlays cuckoo dove, Willy wag-tails, and kingfishers. |
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Choiseul has the highest number of native mammals including native giant rats, the Giant horseshoe bat. Fourteen species of reptile were recorded at the site including green bellied skink, brown tailed copper striped skink, and Pacific black skink. The mildly venomous Solomon red krait was present as well as an abundance of saltwater crocodiles.
THE PEOPLE
This project is on the lands owned by indigenous tribes belonging to the Babatana language group. The Babatana Rainforest Conservation Project aims to create a network of local tribes that want to conserve their forests as an alternative to large scale logging that threatens this area.
The Sirebe tribe will be the first participant (the inception project) under this grouped project. The Siporae tribe has also completed the process to declare their tribal land as a Protected Area under the Protected Areas Act 2010 and will follow Sirebe to reach validation under the project. A further four Babatana tribes have started the process to declare their lands under protection with the intention to start their own carbon credit sub-projects under the Babatana grouped project.
The Sirebe Tribal Association has established a local organisation under the Solomon Islands Companies Act 2009 to enable the tribe to run and manage the project. Sirebe land provides the communities main source, and sometimes only source of food, income, medicine, building materials, water and firewood. They plan to direct carbon revenue towards micro-enterprise such as agroforestry as well as supporting core development needs such as water infrastructure and education.
The Sirebe tribe will be the first participant (the inception project) under this grouped project. The Siporae tribe has also completed the process to declare their tribal land as a Protected Area under the Protected Areas Act 2010 and will follow Sirebe to reach validation under the project. A further four Babatana tribes have started the process to declare their lands under protection with the intention to start their own carbon credit sub-projects under the Babatana grouped project.
The Sirebe Tribal Association has established a local organisation under the Solomon Islands Companies Act 2009 to enable the tribe to run and manage the project. Sirebe land provides the communities main source, and sometimes only source of food, income, medicine, building materials, water and firewood. They plan to direct carbon revenue towards micro-enterprise such as agroforestry as well as supporting core development needs such as water infrastructure and education.
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TECHNICAL STUFFThe Babatana project is a 'grouped project' that commences with the Sirebe inception project, but allows for other tribal groups to add their land to the project in subsequent years. Through the project Sirebe land became Solomon Islands first area to be registered under the Protected Areas Act 2010. It protects 836 ha of tropical lowland rainforest in south Choiseul, Solomon Islands.
Project development began in 2012 and a Project Idea Note for registration with the Plan Vivo Standard was submitted. It has since been undergoing project development in preparation for the completion of the Project Description. The project applies an "avoided forest degradation" carbon accounting methodology - otherwise termed "improved forest management" where land use is changed from logging to long term forest protection. A forest inventory was undertaken during 2015 as part of the carbon accounting for the project. The Sirebe inception project is projected to generate approximately 12,000 carbon credits annually with first issuance expected in 2020. Further projects will be added to the 'project group' in subsequent years, including Siporae and Padezaka. This will increase annual CO2 emissions reductions to >40,000 tonnes. The project will be audited by approved Plan Vivo auditors. Its carbon credits will be issued by Markit Environmental Registry in London (the world's leading environmental registry). The project will be certified to the Plan Vivo Standard. |
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