Projects Current projects Khasi Hills Community REDD+ – India The Khasi Hills Community REDD+ Project is India's first community-based REDD+ programme and will protect and restore 27,000 ha of cloud forest, in addition to preserving sacred groves and watersheds. Benefits that Khasi Hills provides Start date 2011 Coordinator Ka Synjuk Ki Hima Arliang Wah Umiam Mawphlang Welfare Society Activities Avoided deforestationAssisted natural regeneration Participants 86 community groups PVCs issued to-date 410,678 The detail The Khasi Hills Community REDD+ Project is situated in the East Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya, India. It engages ten indigenous Khasi governments (hima) with 62 villages. The area was chosen on the grounds of established Khasi traditions of forest conservation and legal right for natural resource management. This REDD+ project aims to slow, halt and reverse the loss of community forests by providing support, new technologies and financial incentives to conserve existing forests and regenerate degraded forests. The project intervention area is a global biodiversity hotspot, providing habitat to many endangered species. Another primary objective of the project is to deliver long-term strategies to address extreme poverty facing rural families and is involved in the establishment of women-run microfinance institutions. The Khasi Hills Community Carbon project aims to reduce deforestation and restore forests at the same time. It does so by attacking the area’s root causes of deforestation. Therefore, the project focuses on reducing the number and severity of forest fires by establishing firelines which are maintained and monitored during the fire season by local communities. To reduce fuelwoodcollection, fast-growing woodlots are being established near villages to cover the demand for firewood. The project is manufacturing and installing fuel-efficient cook stoves and plans to subsidise the majority of the 5,000 households in the project area. As a result of this activity, fuelwood consumption and indoor smoke pollution will be reduced improving forest and family health. The documents See all documents SDG details See how the project provides benefits beyond carbon and contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals: Sustainable Development Goal How the project contributes Supports local livelihood diversification by providing microfinance grants to participating villages - 124 grants distributed during 2015 and 2016. Microfinance initiatives include: a pig-bristle production enterprise, the establishment of 77 tree nurseries, new piggeries and the distribution of kuroiler chickens, encouraing a shift to stall fed animals in place of roaming cattle which degrade nearby forest. Provides training for local youth, raising environmental awareness in schools and initiating a tree adoption programme for school children. 62 Youth Volunteers are heavily engaged with project activities and participate in Local Working Committees to develop local management plans and inform future strategy. Farmer's Clubs receive training and share knowledge on innovative agricultural and animal husbandry practices. Supports 52 women's Self-Help Groups that run microfinance initiatives such as tree nurseries which supply saplings for Assisted Natural Regeneration and Enrichment Planting activities. Excess seedlings can be sold as an additional source of income for communities. Increases the the capacity of local indigenous communities to formulate long term climate change adaptation plans. Plans focus on protecting and improving forest cover, watershed hydrology and making the transition to more climate resilient agricultural practices. Ongoing community education and training programmes create greater community awareness of climate change issues and natural resource management. Protection of old growth forest and the assisted regeneration of 5,000 ha of degraded forest protects critical watersheds, increases habitat connectivity for endangered wildlife and increases resilience to climate change. 64 km of firebreaks constructed to reduce the incidence and lessen the effects of seasonal forest fires. In-situ conservation of traditional medicinal plants in nurseries. Working with communities to encourage no further expansion and future closing of mining concessions. Manage Cookie Preferences