Description

The Forestal Río Aquidabán project is restoring 301 hectares of degraded grasslands in Concepción, northeastern Paraguay, through a silvopastoral agroforestry system that integrates reforestation with sustainable cattle ranching. Launched in 1999, it is one of the country’s first projects of its kind, designed to reverse deforestation trends while creating resilient livelihoods.

By combining tree planting with cattle grazing, the project improves soil fertility, enhances biodiversity, and generates diversified income streams for local farmers. By 2025, it has sequestered more than 200,000 tonnes of CO₂, with verified annual removals of approximately 8,000 tCO₂.

Technology & Methodology

• Methodology: UNFCCC AR-ACM0003 (“Afforestation and Reforestation of Lands Other than Wetlands”).
• Certification: Verified and registered under the International Carbon Registry (ICR) (Project ID #349), aligned with ISO 14064-2:2019.
• Validation & Verification: Conducted by TÜV Rheinland Energy & Environment GmbH.
• Monitoring: Field surveys, satellite data, and open APIs feeding directly into ICR’s blockchain-based ledger, ensuring transparency and traceability for each credit.
• Reversal Risk Safeguards: Third-party risk assessment, buffer contributions, and mitigation requirements.

Environmental Impact & Co-Benefits

• Biodiversity: Restores degraded grasslands and reduces pressure on native forests in one of the world’s most threatened ecosystems, the Alto Paraná Atlantic Forest.
• Wildlife Monitoring: In partnership with Biometrio.earth, biodiversity is tracked using camera traps, acoustic devices, and AI-powered analysis. Species recorded since 2024 include cougars, anteaters, armadillos, red-legged seriemas, maikong foxes, and ñandus.
• Ecosystem Services: Reforestation with Melia azedarach (Paraiso), Eucalyptus camaldulensis, and natural regeneration with Acrocomia aculeata (Macaw Palm) improves watershed stability, soil fertility, and habitat creation.

Social & Economic Impact

• Family Stewardship: Co-managed by a Paraguayan ranching family across three generations, with revenues shared through a benefit-sharing agreement with project developer Global Woods.
• Livelihoods: Diversified income from sustainable cattle ranching and carbon credits provides resilience against climate and market shocks.
• Employment: The project generates direct jobs in forest implementation, management, and biodiversity monitoring.

Carbon Credits

The project is verified and registered with the International Carbon Registry (ICR), a global platform ensuring high-integrity carbon credit issuance in line with ISO 14064-2:2019 and ISO 14064-3:2019 standards. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Iceland, ICR is committed to combating climate change. Its rigorous validation and verification processes ensure the environmental and social integrity of the emission removals claimed.