The Forest
Protecting 4,120ha of tropical rainforest on Vanua Levu, Fiji. A pristine home for the endangered Fiji Ground Frog (Platymantis vitiana), and several other endemic plant and animal species. This rainforest also provides valuable protection from cyclones, floods and droughts for the Drawa local and those living downstream in their catchment.
The Drawa landowners are in the process of having the area protected by a conservation lease, on land owned by 9 Fijian clans. This project generates 18,800 carbon offsets annually, certified to the Plan Vivo carbon standard.
Loru coconut Crab
Nangai nut
The People
This project is owned by the indigenous Fjiian landowners at Drawa, Vanua Levu, Fiji. The landowner population of 429 people spread over three villages is represented by the Drawa Block Forest Community Cooperative - the legal entity that owns the forests in question.
These landowners have given up rights to logging timber in exchange for the opportunity to sell rainforest carbon offsets as a way of generating revenue for local economic development. This project also provides governance and management support and capacity building for community enterprise at Drawa. This is to help the Drawa landowners manage the rainforest conservation project and develop spin-off community businesses - the first of which is a community business producing and selling rainforest honey.
The Location
Technical Stuff
The Drawa landowners have protected the 4,120 ha area through a conservation lease. This project project produces 18,800 carbon credits annually.
The Drawa Rainforest Conservation Project underwent project development between 2012 and 2015 with funding from the European Union. This involved a lengthy process of landowner consultation and participation, methodology design and validation, and project design, development, implementation and monitoring. This project is undergoing the final stages of validation auditing for its first issuance carbon offsets. The project and its carbon offsets are certified to the Plan Vivo Standard - the world's leading community-based, fair-trade styled rainforest carbon standard. Scroll down to access technical documents.
Audited by CPMA International (Sweden) using auditors experienced in the CDM and VCS Standards. Its carbon offsets were issued by Markit Environmental Registry in London (the world's leading environmental registry).
Download Technical Reports:
Drawa Block Forest Community Cooperative Governing Board
Follow The Money
Rainforest conservation costs money. The main cost elements are:
Timber opportunity costs and conservation management costs for rainforest owners.
Measurement, reporting and verification costs of an internationally certified project.
Sales & Marketing costs needed to monetize carbon offset units.
When carbon credits are sold from this project the revenue goes to cover these costs.
We can provide wholesale pricing and project cost details for carbon offset resellers on request.
Project Partners
This project was developed by the Nakau Programme Pty Ltd. Technical support was provided by Carbon Partnership and WCS, with funding from the European Union. The project is certified to the Plan Vivo Standard and was audited by CPMA (Sweden).
