Keeling Curve

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Project Summary / Description:

The purpose of the Rohr Reforestation Initiative (RRI) is to engage the Ng√§be and Bugl peoples of Panama in forest restoration, sequestering carbon and improving livelihoods through income generation and the production of ecosystem services. 

The RRI is under the Agua Salud Project at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. In Agua Salud we study ecosystem services provided by tropical forests in a seasonal climate and how they change with land use and climate change. We link basic and applied research to action, with a major focus on reforestation. Field work in Agua Salud began in 2008. In 2021 we initiated a year-long discussion with traditional indigenous leaders of the Ng√§be-Bugl Comarca, a semi-autonomous indigenous area in Panama, to test species and methods for restoring forests. Following the formal agreement, 19 sites were selected across an approximately 450 km2 landscape for planting. In August of 2022, 50 ha were planted.

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How Project Affects Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions:

Removes/stores GHGs (e.g., projects that capture, sequester, or otherwise enhance the "sinks" that accumulate and store GHGs)

Best Estimate of GHG Avoidance/Reduction of This Project (Tonnes CO2 Equivalent/Year):

Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

Our project works with the traditional leadership and people of the Ng√§be-Bugl Comarca, the largest indigenous area in Panama and arguably the one most in most need of development assistance. Despite a ruling by the Supreme Court of Panama upholding their legitimate authority under Panamanian law and their overwhelming support of the people, the government of Panama has attempted to sidestep leadership by imposing different leaders. After an extensive collaborative consultation process with the people of the Comarca, we received authorization from the traditional leadership to proceed with our project. We also have authorization from the national government of Panama. Based on principles of mutual respect and transparency, our project is empowering the traditional leadership and helping to bridge the chasm between the traditional leadership and the national government.

We work with the Ng√§be and Bugl peoples as well as campesinos not of indigenous decent, all of whom are represented by traditional leaders. Women have been encouraged by the traditional leadership to participate and four of the 19 family heads who planted with us the first year are indigenous women. Women in project leadership roles (Project Manager, Postdoctoral Fellow, and Extension Agent/Technician) help create an inclusive environment. In 2023, we will engage secondary school students in Buenos Aires and el Pinon through workshops and planned tree planting days.

Our project pays for participant labor and guarantees a payment of $130 per hectare per year for 20 years thus helping empower participants by helping improve household finances.

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