Babatana Rainforest – Solomon Islands
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About the project
The Babatana Rainforest Conservation Project provides alternative finance to unsustainable industries such as mining, supporting the community to be more resilient to climate change while protecting their culturally significant and biodiverse rainforest.
The Babatana project established its first protected area in 2019 in partnership with the Sirebe tribe, one of the Babatana language groups living in south Choiseul province. By joining the initiative, Sirebe became the first landowner group in the Solomon Islands to participate in a forest carbon project. In addition to climate mitigation, the project has a wide range of co-benefits including the protection of watersheds and the reduction of inequality through the formation of Women’s Savers’ Clubs.
The forest is a fundamental part of the local tribes’ cultural identity. Through the project, the Sirebe tribe are preserving the forest for their tribe and future generations. Following their leadership five more tribes— Siporae, Vuri, Padezaka, Garesa and Lukulombere— are currently developing forest conservation and carbon projects.
It's important to protect the forest because protecting the unique species, streams and trees can support the living of people of the Sirebe tribe. We rely on the forest to obtain our resources for foods, house materials and custom medicine. Protecting the forest will help our tribes in terms of livelihood benefits for now and future generations.
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