Short description of the best practice

“Reforestation for the purpose of combating desertification, mitigating climate change and protecting biodiversity in Santiago del Estero, Argentina - Youth Environmental Groups” is a proposed A/R CDM project activity which, through an integrated approach to manage land, water and forest resources will prevent desertification , improve the supply, management, sustainability, and environmental conditions of the forest resources in Santiago del Estero, conserve its biodiversity and mitigate climate change.

Location

Argentine Republic

If the location has well defined boundaries, specify its extension in hectares:

2000.0

Estimated population living in the location:

40000.0

Brief description of the natural environment within the specified location.

The soil of the Province of Santiago del Estero is undergoing a calcification process, evidenced by the formation of calcium carbonate on the soil profile.  This feature determines the formation of a barren plain or desert vegetation, under semiarid climate conditions.  Within Salado and Dulce rivers fluvial systems a variety of soils can be observed, ranging from mineral soils to hydro morphine soils, with a high salt and alkali ratio|
The Province of Santiago del Estero looks like an expanded saltpetrous plain, only interrupted by rivers flowing diagonally from Northwest to Southeast (Salí-Dulce river and Salado river, different both in their flow and in their use possibilities) and by elevations located on the South, West and Northwest margins.|
Climate in Santiago del Estero is hot and equivalent to that in subtropical regions. The annual average temperature is 21.5 ºC, with an absolute maximum summer temperature of up to 47º C, and an absolute minimum winter temperature of -5 ºC.  Two seasons can be distinguished: the rainy season, from October to March, and the dry season, from April to September. During the year, precipitation range from 750 mm to 600 mm, with an annual average of 695 mm.|

Prevailing socio-economic conditions of those living in the location and/or nearby

High level of poverty rate.
The local farmers involved in project activity (inside and outside Colonia El Simbolar) are the owners of the land.
Agricultural activities.

On the basis of which criteria and/or indicator(s) (not related to The Strategy) the proposed practice and corresponding technology has been considered as 'best'?

The project is considered a "best practice" as it resulted in positive impacts in terms of social and environmemtal criteria.
Environmnetal indicator: planted area, carbon sequestered.

Main problems addressed by the best practice

Land degradation.

Outline specific land degradation problems addressed by the best practice

Abandonment of lands.

Specify the objectives of the best practice

The specific objectives include:

Brief description of main activities, by objective

Objective 3: Awareness raising and capacity building.
a)Capacity building and Workshops for farmers, youth and general community|
Objective 1: Reforestation of 2,000 hectares with native species (prosopis alba).
f) Monitoring
Objective 2: Preparation of CDM documentation.
d) Submission of the CDM documentation to the CDM Executive Board.

Short description and technical specifications of the technology

The main technology employed under this project is reforestation through direct planting with environmental-friendly techniques on degraded lands.  Good practice techniques and successful regional, national and international technologies and experiences achieved in past years in forest restoration management were adopted.
For tree planting activities, traditional techniques were used.  However, it is important to highlight that the scale of the Project was rather unusual. For example, in all the Province of Santiago del Estero the number of hectares forested per year is rather low (around 400 ha).  And the Project by itself forested 2,000 hectares in four years.|

Name and address of the institution developing the technology

Grupo Ambiental para el Desarrollo (GADE)|Unzaga Sur N° 21
|Fundación del Sur|Cochabamba 449

Was the technology developed in partnership?

Yes

List the partners:

Grupo Ambiental para el Desarrollo (GADE)

Specify the framework within which the technology was promoted

• National initiative – non-government-led
• International initiative

Was the participation of local stakeholders, including CSOs, fostered in the development of the technology?

Yes

List local stakeholders involved:

Government of Santiago del Estero

Was the population living in the location and/or nearby involved in the development of the technology?

Yes

By means of what?

• Consultation
• Participatory approaches

Describe on-site impacts (the major two impacts by category)

Socio economic improvements
Environmental improvements
Biodiversity promotion
Land degradation prevention and land restoration
Generation of labour opportunities
Capitalziation of farmers

Describe the major two off-site (i.e. not occurring in the location but in the surrounding areas) impacts

At golbal level: carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change
At provintial level:  the Project demonstrated that it is possible to implement a forestation initiative at large scale.
At provintial level:  the Project demonstrated that it is possible to implement a forestation initiative at large scale.
At golbal level: carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change

Impact on biodiversity and climate change

Explain the reasons:

2,000 ha were reforested with native species.|
The project will remove carbon from the atmosphere.

Has a cost-benefit analysis been carried out?

Has a cost-benefit analysis been carried out?

Yes

Specify:

The result of the Project is very much positive in terms of capitalization of the farmers as, in the long term (20/30 years), they will own a relevant stock of woody and non-woody forestal resources.

Was the technology disseminated/introduced to other locations?

Was the technology disseminated/introduced to other locations?

No

Can you identify the three main conditions that led to the success of the presented best practice/technology?

Political commitment at local, provintial, national and international level.|
Involvement of the comunity.
Skilful and committed staff.

Replicability

In your opinion, the best practice/technology you have proposed can be replicated, although with some level of adaptation, elsewhere?

Yes

At which level?

• Local
• National
• Regional
• International

Related to human resources

It is essential to clearly explain the expected impacts of the Project to the farmers and comunity

Related to financial aspects

It is essential to have enough funding to garantee the implementation of the complete Project circle.

Related to technical aspects

It is essential to use (or adapt) traditional existing technologies.