Improving Livelihoods and the Environment in Bangladesh

Project Title: Climate Resilient Ecosystems and Livelihoods (CREL)

Climate change and a growing population are putting increasing levels of stress on Bangladesh’s forests, wetlands and other ecosystems. The USAID-funded Climate Resilient Ecosystems and Livelihoods program is helping to disseminate management methods that help communities better collaborate with local and national governments to balance biodiversity protection with sustainable economic development.

Change Agent: Accelerating Vietnam’s Transition to a Climate-Friendly Economy

Project Title: Vietnam Forests and Deltas (VFD)

This program works to accelerate Vietnam’s transition to climate-resilient, low-emissions development by working collaboratively with policymakers, communities, and civil society. The USAID funded Vietnam Forests and Deltas program supports adoption of land use practices that slow, stop, and reverse emissions from deforestation and forest degradation through better land use and economic planning and improved funding that incentivizes sustainable practices. By helping local leaders plan for weather and climate risks, the program also increases the resilience of people, places, and livelihoods in Vietnam’s Red River and Mekong Delta regions.

Making SMARTE Use of Resources

Project Title: Guinea SMARTE

Guinea has plenty of farmable land and water, a large youth population, and three quarters of its labor force employed in agriculture. But despite these advantages, the nation is still one of the poorest in the world. One reason is the lack of opportunity that prevents women and youth from contributing significantly to the economy. Guinea’s Strengthening Market-Led Agricultural Research, Technology and Education (SMARTE) is enhancing the nation’s agricultural strengths by working with these populations, boosting education, promoting agricultural extension and introducing new technologies.

Smart Forest Management Benefits Indonesia’s People and the Earth

Project Title: LESTARI

Indonesia boasts the third-largest expanse of tropical forests in the world. Sustainably managing this unique economic and ecological resource is important to both the economic well-being of many Indonesians and a world community increasingly focused on climate change. As a partnering organization in this USAID-funded project implemented by Tetra Tech, Winrock’s role is to provide Indonesian government officials and the private sector with mapping, monitoring and other tools that clearly outline the impact of their development and conservation choices.

Helping Colombia Save its Forestland and Fight Climate Change

Project Title: Colombia Nested REDD+

To reduce and reverse the loss of valuable forestland and biodiversity, Colombia is developing a national strategy for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, also known as REDD. This program aids that effort by providing technical assistance to accurately account for emissions reductions that result from conservation and by facilitating the participation of communities and the private sector.

Sustaining Indonesia’s Environment and Economy

Project Title: The Alliance for Sustainable Palm Oil or Aliansi Sawit Lestari Indonesia (ASLI)

In the last 15 years, Indonesia’s palm oil sector has seen an enormous production increase, leading to growth in smallholder incomes and the overall national economy. However, this expansion has threatened the environment by driving high deforestation and peatland degradation rates. This project, a partnership between USAID, Winrock and Perkumpulan Sawit Lestari, aims to strengthen private sector initiatives that address the link between deforestation and the palm oil industry. It works to enhance technical research on policy and regulatory reform, define and address smallholder sustainability needs, and develop a framework for monitoring and reporting progress against deforestation.

Paying Midwestern Farmers to Improve Water Quality

Project Title: Great Lakes Pay-for-Performance

Farms are businesses, which means they respond to economic signals. That basic idea is behind this program’s approach to reduce the damage to water quality caused by agricultural run-off in the West Branch Milwaukee River watershed. Winrock works with water treatment plant owners, conservation groups and others in the area to devise pay-for-performance incentives that encourage farmers to implement practices that reduce pollution.

Developing an Approach to Measure the Climate Impact of Deforestation and Forest Degradation on Borneo

Project Title: Indonesia Carbon Monitoring System

A lot of field work is necessary to truly understand the role of forests in climate change — both the benefits of preserving them and the impact of cutting them down. As part of a NASA-funded initiative, Winrock is spearheading the planning, collection and analysis of data to understand the impacts of selective logging on carbon stocks in the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo.

When Farmers Innovate: A Better Environment Through Better Practices

Project Title: Cooling the Hotspots

Erosion and deteriorating water quality are just two of the negative consequences when fertilizer used to grow crops makes its way into lakes and streams. This collaboration between Winrock, Michigan State University, conservation groups and farmers establishes financial incentives to encourage farmers to improve their environmental performance in ways that simultaneously protect their livelihoods and Lake Erie.

A Market Approach to Managing Carbon

Project Title: American Carbon Registry

Winrock has long recognized the threat posed by climate change. The American Carbon Registry (ACR), founded in 1996 and operated by Winrock, is dedicated to the belief that markets are the most effective tools to tackle climate change. As such, ACR has developed transparent and science-based methodologies to incentivize carbon reductions in agriculture, transportation and other industries. ACR is also a partner in assuring that California’s landmark Cap-and-Trade Program can manage, verify and credit carbon offsets effectively.

A Virtuous Market

Project Title: GHG Registry Agreements

Mitigating the impact of climate change requires tapping the power of markets. Winrock propels that approach by facilitating carbon offset trading and developing scientifically rigorous methodologies to measure and verify reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

Bringing Sustainable Management to Smallholder Palm Oil Producers

Project Title: Smallholder Protocol for Peat

Smallholders produce around 40 percent of Indonesia’s palm oil, an amount that is expected to increase due to the lack of land suitable for new large-scale plantations. However, a lack of resources and technical capacity often leads to extremely low productivity and unsustainable management at small plantations. With funding from IDH, Cargill and Costco, this project will create a protocol that provides step-by-step guidance to smallholders and tengkulak (middle men) about how to identify and manage peatland areas in existing plantations and around new plantings. It will also supply instruction about management methods to restore areas not suitable for replanting. By working with farmers to apply this protocol, the result will be increased sustainability and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Lowering Emissions in Asia’s Forests

Project Title: Lowering Emissions in Asia's Forests (LEAF)

Asia’s forests are a critical economic and environmental resource for its people. Yet logging, farming and other human activities are accelerating deforestation at an alarming rate. This USAID-funded program developed a regional approach that promotes sustainable land use and establishes financial incentives for preserving critical forestland.

Where the Rubber Hits the Road: Climate Change and Guatemalan Rubber Plantations

Project Title: Pica de Hule SA, Guatemala, Assessing Carbon

Winrock provides ongoing technical support to the owners of rubber plantations in Guatemala to implement greenhouse gas friendly practices and to help assess their possible participation in climate change mitigation markets.

Exploring Pay-for-Performance Conservation to Improve Ontario’s Water Quality

Project Title: Ontario Pay-for-Performance

Years of agricultural run-off have deposited large amounts of phosphorous-laden fertilizer into Ontario, Canada’s Lake Simcoe. Though fertilizer can help boost crop production, its presence in rivers and lakes harms water quality. This program aids the Ontario government’s efforts to improve Lake Simcoe’s health by creating and developing incentives that encourage farmers to reduce the amount of phosphorous that makes its way into waterways.

On the Rebound: Protecting Ecosystems and Restoring Forests in Malawi

Project Title: Malawi PERFORM

Malawi’s forestland is disappearing. To counteract that trend, this project seeks to encourage improved land management practices. As part of a collaborative effort, Winrock will provide technical assistance to the Government of Malawi’s Environmental Affairs Department to create and implement its National Greenhouse Gas Inventory System. This improved system will supply information vital to understanding the climate change impacts of improved land management practices and policies.

Just Do It: Teaming Up with Nike to Tackle Deforestation in Brazil

Project Title: Mata no Peito Brazil Forest Carbon Initiative

Math Works: Checking the Equations that Measure Land Use Change-Related Emissions

Project Title: HCS Allometric Equations

Helping the EPA Evaluate Emissions From Biofuel Cultivation

Project Title: EPA Stratus: Alternative Fuels and Climate Change (TO4)

Transitioning land from forest or grassland to cultivation for biofuels has implications for greenhouse gas emissions. As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Renewable Fuel Standard 2 rulemaking process, Winrock is responsible for evaluating and analyzing the emissions implications of land conversion taking place around the world as a result of increased demand for biofuels

Improved Land Management in Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Project Title: KKC Allometric Equation

Because forests have the capacity to store carbon, land management is a critical tool to address climate change. Fact-based decision making relies on accurate measurement of forest carbon. Winrock has conducted field training and developed a measurement methodology and manual that is being to create the biomass equations necessary to measure forest carbon stocks in Laos. These equations will be used in the country’s National Forest Inventory.

Helping Liberia Get REDD-y to Protect Forests and Fight Climate Change

Project Title: WB Liberia RL

The government of Liberia has embraced Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) as a tool to improve the management of its forests and capture climate finance opportunities that reward conservation. Winrock is assisting the government in its development of a REDD Readiness Program. In particular, Winrock provides training and technical assistance to develop estimates of both historical greenhouse gas emissions resulting from deforestation and expected future emissions in the absence of improved land use management. This information will then be used to demonstrate emissions reductions that result from improved land management.

Identifying Drivers of Deforestation in Mozambique

Project Title: FUNAB WB Mozambique: Technical support for REDD+ Readiness

Like many other developing countries, Mozambique is exploring how it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions related to land use. The country is also eager to participate in global Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) efforts, which provide countries financial incentives for sustainably managing their forests. As part of that effort, Winrock is providing technical assistance to Mozambique to help identify drivers of deforestation and forest degradation and to develop strategies to address the problem.

Helping Chile Achieve its Carbon Reduction Goals

Project Title: Chile ER-Program Tech Assistance

Chile is investigating the role its forests should play in reducing the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. With funding supplied by the World Bank, this program provides technical support to Chile’s National Forestry Commission as it formulates an emissions reduction program.

A Pay-for-Performance Approach to Climate Change in Guyana

Project Title: Guyana Forestry Commission Measurement Reporting and Verification (GFC: MRV II)

Heavily forested Guyana is at the forefront of global Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) efforts. In particular, the South American nation has signed an agreement with the government of Norway that financially rewards Guyana for protecting its forests from development. This program enhances the agreement’s transparency and credibility by providing monitoring, reporting and verification services. Winrock has been working with Guyana since 2010 to design its approaches to account for past emissions from forests as well as emissions reductions achieved through REDD programs. These accounting approaches have enabled Guyana to receive performance payments from Norway.

Preserving Livelihoods and Forests in Ghana

Project Title: Ghana: REDD+ Support

REDD, or Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, is one of those rare acronyms that actually spells out exactly what it means. But calculating the greenhouse gas impacts of REDD policies and developing strategies that provide livelihoods for local populations while conserving carbon-storing forests is anything but simple. Yet accurate accounting is essential to enable payments to cover the costs of these programs. Winrock provides technical assistance to help the Ghana Forestry Commission achieve these important objectives.

Evaluating the Sustainability of Palm Oil Production in Indonesia

Project Title: Packard Foundation-Reducing GHG in Palm Oil Sector

The demand for palm oil has provided vital economic opportunities to many Indonesians. At the same time, the conversion of forests and drainage of peatland to create palm oil plantations is a leading source of Indonesia’s greenhouse gas emissions. Winrock has designed two scalable and replicable pilot projects that demonstrate the feasibility of improving the management of peatland areas currently devoted to palm oil production — an approach that would reduce emissions while increasing long-term sustainability.