Feasibility Analysis of REDD+A Case Study in Ghwangkhola Sapaude Babiyabhir Community Forest of Syangja, Nepal

Abstract

Climate Change is growing as a hot issue throughout the world. It is necessary to apply mitigation and adaptation strategy for combating climate change.Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) is potentially low-cost option for mitigating climate change.The main objective of this study was to determine the carbon stock and cost-benefit analysis(CBA)of community forest (CF)by entering into carbon trading through REDD. For this, the study was carried out in Ghwangkhola Sapaude Babiyabhir CF(GSBCF), Syangja.The CF was established in 2000 with an area of 92 hectares with 195 Community Forest User Group (CFUG)members.The total carbon stocks of forest in 2011 was measured by following the guidelines prepared by MFSC and jointly by ICIMOD,ANSAB and FECOFUN. Information about the socioeconomic condition of the CFUG and cost and benefit associated with Community Forest Management (CFM)was collected fromCF Operation Plan, focus group discussion (FGD), key informant survey (KIS) and household (HH) survey. Population of female was more than that of male among the CFUG. More than 52% of total CFUGs had medium economic standard in the village. On an average,11.61 ropani of land was owned by each household in the village.Average total livestock per household in this CFUG was 5.62. The forest was with Cast on opsis-Scimalying at an altitude range of 970 to 1320 masl. More than 90% of the trees in the forest had diameter less than 20 cm which had high potential of increasing biomass in the future.The biomass in the forest was 164 ton/ha,with yearly incre men to f 0.95 ton/ha. The total carbon stock of the forest was 122.29 ton/ha, including soil organic carbon and below ground carbo no f 45.18 ton/ha and 12.85 ton/ha,respectively.The total Opportunity Cost of the forest was US $ 329.Rich, medium and poor HH were willing to pay 25.97 %, 51.95 %, 22.08 %of Total Willingness to Pay(WTP) respectively for the ecological services provided by the forest.The annual total benefit and cost in 2010 was US $ 7300 and 2456, respectively.Benefit Cost Ratio measured directly with out discounting and with discounting for 10 years from 2006 to 2015 was 2.97 and 3.91, respectively.The study concludes that the CF had already benefitted from current state of management. If REDD scheme is introduced in the community forest of Nepal, it will provide additional benefit of carbon credit to the CFUG. Keywords: GSBCF,Carbon sequestration, REDD, WTP, Opportunity cost, CBA.