Informing REDD+ Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) Project Development in the SAVA Region, Madagascar

Abstract

Carbon offset projects are an effective mechanism to reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases and mitigate global climate change. Restoration of deforested land in the tropics through these projects has become an increasingly popular approach as it helps restore biodiversity loss, improve rural livelihoods, and increase other social, economic, and environmental benefits, in addition to reducing atmospheric carbon. In partnership with Duke Carbon Offsets Initiative and Duke Lemur Center, we used a multidisciplinary approach to perform analyses that will contribute to the development of a REDD+ Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR) project in the SAVA region, Madagascar. Specifically, we evaluated potential project activities by (1) creating deforestation threat maps, current land cover maps, and tracking historical landuse and land cover trends, (2) quantifying the change in carbon stocks under native forest restoration and agroforestry scenarios, and (3) evaluating the most realistic and effective project scenarios through a barrier analysis and common practice analysis. Our results provide preliminary analyses that can be used to develop a verifiable carbon offset project to help reduce carbon emissions, reforest degraded regions of Madagascar, and contribute to Duke University’s goal of becoming carbon neutral.