Scoping Study for a Water Fund Carbon Project in Western Area Peninsula National Park, Sierra Leone
Since 2018, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have been working with more than a dozen local and national partners to create a Water Fund, which will facilitate investments in nature-based solutions for the protection and restoration of the Western Area Peninsula National Park (WAPNP), ensuring the sustainability of the Western Area Peninsula’s water supply for future generations.
The WAPWF project intervention area spans about 12,556 hectares of forest within the park. Implementation of various interventions which include the establishment of a public-private partnership platform and enabling policies for sustainable management of the water source, restoration of degraded catchment and ecosystems and improved production practices and food value chains, capacity development, and knowledge management to support a paradigm shift toward integrated natural resource management. Through the Africa Working Land project, it is expected the project will support natural carbon sequestration by restoring 12,556 hectares of forest within the park through a combination of active planting (1,489 ha), Assisted natural regeneration (3,938 ha), and passive regeneration (7,129 ha). These interventions will occur within the park and in the buffer zones around the part.
TLLG carried out a pre-feasibility study for a carbon project based on WAPWF project interventions. This included a desk-based review and a site visit to:
Determine eligible carbon credit certification scheme,
Evaluate viable pathways to carbon project development (standard, methodology, eligible project activities) and make recommendations on the best pathway,
Assess greenhouse gas mitigation potential from water fund activities that could be included in the carbon project,
Assess the cost-efficiency and sustainability potential of a carbon offset project, and
Propose recommendations and next steps for future development as applicable.
Photo: Congo water supply dam which serves Freetown. The forest canopy is still intact but is threatened by rapid deforestation. If the trend continues, existing and future water supplies for hundreds of thousands are in jeopardy. © Catholic Relief Services
Client: Catholic Relief Services
Funder: The Nature Conservancy
Location: Sierra Leone
Period: May to Jun 2023