draft plan, looking for green writer!
Dear ACT,
Thanks, your mail is most welcome, it is the right time to start a pilot project in Afghanistan. Here in Sri lanka we are doing tree planting projct with young poeple of the YZA, but further we are still in a pioneering stage.
Already my mind is working overtime to work out a viable plans for implementation, monitoring and financing, much more about that later. First please go through my draft for the tree credits plan below; sorry it is not ready yet, I stuggle to finish it, in fact I not a writer to do it……..
I hope to stay close to the original plan: this is not a work for cash scheme: the people own the trees they have planted and get paid for the number of trees they have growing (I propose $2 per tree planted an $1per tree per year for 10 years), they have to form groups to be able to apply (your schools and hospitals are very good to start with) for tree credits and the scheme should not be presented as aid (no, we ask their help, as a part of a global effort to fight global warming) and be open to all.
This tree clubs are also a kind of (profit making) micro-banks with a bank account and a member administration; is BRAC or others active with micro-finance in the area? We should link up.
Please consider the implications of we join forces. I am also busy as a designer and factory owner, but I will make time to lobby and to formulate a viable plan, what might be able to spread by it self and is very low on waste and corruption.
Tree Club / Trees for Afghanistan
Pay the poor to plant their own trees
For a substance that is the basic building block of life as we know it — without it, our planet might be little more than a dull rock — carbon has gotten a bad rap lately. Bryan Walsh
Carbon, bound to two atoms of oxygen, it creates carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas that has kept our planet warm for billions of years — and is now, thanks to human activity, making us too warm.
Rural poverty is not only one of the biggest intractable problems , it is often encompagned by other kind of poverty: lack of education, lack of human rights, lack of equality and lack of political freedom.
It are the women who often take the brunt of the effect of the changing climate and lack of water and trees.
Subsistant farmers often do already not grow enough to feed their own families and no cash can be generated for schooling or farm implements. For the youth there are few income sources, so they often move away.
10 to 100 $ depending on the amount of trees planted and growing will be enough to send the kids to school and invest some small business, an if paid out regularly it will give hope and security. In countries in conflict old customs and ancient property rights are often not respected (except if war is the custom!).
Tree credits explained in 10 questions
Why combine tree planting with fighting poverty?
1) Why combine tree planting with poverty alleviation?
The tree credit scheme should get lots (target is 10Bn) of trees and forests growing, who will absorb lots* of CO2 as well as get a lot of cash (up to $100Bn in 10 years) to poor villagers, in a way that is easily verifiable and low on waste and corruption and many other social benefits might be expected, if implemented in the right way:
Trees produce O2, wood, shade, fruits or nuts, fodder and some provide rubber, cork, nitrogen and many more useful products and it provides a habitat for many species of animals and plants.
Wood is a valuable building material and has many other uses and could generate valuable employment in the carpentry field.
Trees, orchards and sustainable managed forests give food, shelter and livelihood to the people around.
Also trees and forest have a positive effect on water tables and the micro-climate, possibly on the general climate as well.
Tree planting and forestry will create employment: keeping tree nurseries, planting trees, watering and irrigating the young trees, fencing and guarding the trees, making compost. trees bring future wealth to the village.
2) What is different, what is new?
For now, claiming carbon credits on village level is way too complicated therefore we propose a worldwide fund to pay for community based CO2 capturing (trees planting and saving) and energy saving measures (efficient cooking stoves, solar energy instead of kerosene lamps). If the implementation and monitoring will be organised like micro-credit unions, the poor could be reached with a minimum of waste and corruption, replacing the existing hand out with participating in the worldwide fight against climate change.
Many trees are planted or saved by farmers and volunteers, with no compensation given for the global benefits trees bring. So it is fair to pay up, but also paying for tree planting is an effective way to support the rural poor in a way which makes them proud and with little risk of corruption. Financial incentives will also be the method to get billions of trees planted all over the globe. The scheme will open up a new, simple venue for the rural poor to generate an income and to give them security for the future.
Enough capital inflow will revitalize the villages and empower farming families. See the recent Namibia experience with basic loan for the poor.
3) Who can participate and make a living out of tree planting; in practice in those countries for which funding can be found and the government is willing to cooperate. In (oil) rich countries governments can pay themselves.
This schem is designed to go worldwide
poor countries first and foremost
sparecely populated regions will profit most, also in the richer countries where also thre might be lack of oppertunities for the rural youth.
started in SL
Afghanistan first target, most needed,
All people
Children, schools
Women
No identity card needed
Refugees
4) Why limit the number of trees planted per family or other unit?
Besides subsidising forestry at village level to fight CO2, this scheme is meant to bring a steady income to the poor. So it is not meant for big forestry companies, who might be cheaper (not sure!), but if they organize the planting from top down lots of money is needed for surveys, overheads and later for maintenance, leaving the villagers as poor and sometimes driven of their land. So to discourage big companies (for them there should be another scheme) and big landowners, the number of trees should be limited to 600-1000 trees per year and the potential annual income to about $2000, – per family, school, hospital, church, mosque or company.
5) How to monitor the amount of trees planted and growing?
Tree planting is relatively easy to monitor, since trees are fixed in place and can also be counted by satellite (at least forest cover and the health of the trees can be inspected, but even individual trees can often be spotted from the sky). Only growth of trees is calculate, so To prevent fraud we have to learn from the micro credit schemes, which use groups and peer pressure to make individuals comply with repayment schemes. So Tree Clubs have to be formed in the villages, if possible as branches of already existing societies. These in turn will be monitored by local NGOs with a good reputation and so on up to an international audit. In case of serious fraud at any level the clubs (or even countries) have to be suspended.
6) How to organize village tree clubs and get to our target of 10 billions of trees planted?
Tree clubs are simular to banks, and at a national level they should be registered as such; the organisation, social control and conflict resolution should be simular as micro finance schemes. If possible tree clubs should be linked to micro finance schemes.
In general we will rely on market forces to plant the huge numbers: not only planting and tending for trees should be financially attractive, also starting tree clubs at local, regional and national levels should be rewarded. Payments will be related to the number of trees planted or to special campaign in irrigation and tree protection and for initiating other energy (saving) schemes.
But all starts with national campaigns preferable by radio and tv and demonstration projects, handing over starting kits with seeds and information (club rules, how to organize forestry) and word of mouth are other essential ways of disseminating the scheme.
7) Is it difficult or expensive to grow trees?
In principle we rely on the local knowledge of the rural folk, they have to decide where, when and how to plant the tree species most suited to the local environment. If village tree nurseries use locally collected seeds (job for forest people?) and the trees are planted with locally produced fertilizer by one themselves, trees can we very cheap ineed, and within reach of everybody also the poorest women and even children.
In semi-arid areas watering young saplings is needed, while protection against goats an other animals is foremost. The first 10 years the sapling is still venerable, that is why the tree grower is paid during 10 years for caring for the trees.
The local efforts will be supported from all levels with input of knowledge, research and seeds; again regional tree clubs play a large role to collect and disseminate tree growing related news.
Use local seeds! Cheap and reliable.
Who owns the trees planted with tree credits?
For forestry you need land, even if you plant trees along roads and canals ther will be an owner, although in those cases it will often belong to the communety or the government.
If the trees are planted on own land the ownership is clear, the grower owns the tree and all it products. If the trees are planted on others private land or on communal or state land the grower should make an arrangement with the landowner, for instance use of the land against a part of the potential timber value. The tree club will conduct collective negotiations if needed, also on regional level and in case of government land on a national level. But the tree club has also a claim; by accepting payments the grower promises to replant any dead tree an pay part of any timber proceeds to the club to plant more trees.
9) Who will pay for the scheme?
The billions needed to finance this scheme over 20 years ($10+ each tree) should come from various sources:
- carbon credits (Kyoto protocol or proposed Copenhagen protocol)
- government funds to help poorer nations to combat global warming,
- from rural development budgets
- corporate sponsoring and merchandising
- donations generated by campaigns, carbon compensation
All money and reservations could go into one big fund, the Tree Credit Authorities, possible a UN body. Payments will made directly into the bank accounts of the tree growers itself or at least the local tree club account. That is why the tree club are preferred to be linked to credit unions. If there are really no rural banks, money have to be hand delivered in cash or kind. Payments can be made yearly or monthly.
10) Will it work and will it happen?
I am not a prophet… the scheme looks good, just what is needed right now and it looks feasible, in the mould of the latest development models (like micro credits and other profit driven scheme) and the money needed stays within the targets for Copenhagen. I am just starting with its promotion but with the Internet this tree credit concept could spread quickly and might be supported by many helpful individuals or organisations quickly and it is likely to reach the press and the politicians, if we target them. But I foresee some powerful opposition because a lot of money have to be shifted away from consultants, fieldworkers, government departments, multinationals, meetings, conferences, travel and all other headings use to cover up waste and corruption; all these people and lobbyist will not give up without a long fight. They will demand more research and meetings and conferences and trials to prove scientifically that all is working well, till we are 10 years further and many more pockets are lined.
Only massive public support and mobilisation of the press might sway politics away from business as usual, from aid an charity an patronizing attitudes and invest directly in the rural poor.
