**While [COP 16](https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2024/11/biodiversity-cop-16-important-agreement-reached-towards-goal-of-making-peace-with-nature-2/), held in Colombia in 2024, reiterated the need for monitoring, capacity building and the inclusive participation of indigenous peoples, local communities and women in ecosystem restoration projects, Reforest'Action designs its projects with and for the people who will benefit in the long term, via a structured process of community inclusion and empowerment throughout the life of the projects.**

![Schema-communautes-EN.png](https://backoffice.reforestaction.com/uploads/Schema_communautes_EN_5b55778ed3.png)

## Analyze the socio-economic context before launching the project

### Developing a theory of change

Prior to the development of a certified project, Reforest'Action conducts an in-depth analysis of the local context in order to identify salient social and economic issues and how the project might address them over the long term. To do this, we apply the UN's Theory of Change method, which aims to explain how a project is expected to lead to a specific development change through a cause-and-effect analysis based on observed indicators. 

Based on the local issues identified, Reforest'Action then selects criteria for assessing the project's impact on biodiversity, climate, the soil-water system and local communities, in order to set priorities in project design from the outset.

### Selection and prioritization of socio-economic evaluation criteria

Among these impact assessment criteria, the socio-economic criteria, which directly concern local communities, are grouped into 8 categories and indicate the estimated impact of the project on: 
- **Agriculture** (food safety, food security, food production, support for agriculture)
- **Water conservation** (water safety, water availability)
- **Income generation** (direct and indirect income, economic sustainability)
- **Education and training** (education and awareness-raising for young people and adults, training, contribution to the development of research and innovation)
- **Improved living conditions** (involvement and empowerment of people, equitable access to social and economic benefits, ensuring decent working conditions, improving the living environment)
- **Provision of non-food products** (wood, medicinal products, other non-food products)
- **Inherent value of the forest** (cultural and/or spiritual value, recreational service and/or landscape asset)
- **Air quality** (freshness of air, reduction of air pollutants and airborne allergens).

Reforest'Action's criteria selection method is specific to each project, and is based in particular on The Road to Restoration reference framework co-published by the WRI and the FAO. Relevant criteria are selected and prioritized according to :
- **the project's objectives**, in order to steer the project's performance and the achievement of the impacts estimated at the time of its design;
- **the project's potential risks**, to anticipate and mitigate social and economic risks in particular; 
- **the needs of the company financing the project**, notably in terms of reporting and according to its targeted objectives, linked to its activities and value chains.
- **the requirements of certification frameworks**, in order to collect the data needed for reporting to international carbon standards.


### The example of the Avé Ga project in Togo

The objectives of the Avé Ga project in Togo were defined thanks to an in-depth study of the local context and preliminary consultations with communities, even before the project began. The development of a theory of change enabled Reforest'Action to identify multiple local issues that have a direct impact on local populations. 

The project area is faced with environmental problems, particularly due to the reduction in forest cover. This is due to the practice of slash-and-burn farming, as well as unregulated logging for domestic use or resale. These practices lead to soil erosion and degradation of arable land, resulting in lower agricultural productivity and increasingly difficult supplies of firewood and timber for local populations. Added to this is a context of economic and social insecurity, insofar as local sources of employment are limited to traditional agriculture. The villages affected by the project also lack infrastructure, passable roads and limited access to water - all factors that have a direct impact on local livelihoods.

In its preliminary design, the Avé Ga project involves setting up agroforestry systems based on the introduction of fertilizer and fruit trees, in order to reverse the process of soil degradation and establish sustainable, resilient farming systems. In this way, the project is boosting food security for 10,000 families in around 85 villages involved in project activities, and stimulating the local economy by diversifying agricultural production and creating local value chains, generating additional income for local people and developing agricultural cooperatives. In addition, guided by local development committees, each village will be able to select community development projects from a range of activities proposed to them (creation of cooperatives, initiatives to support livestock breeders, etc.). These local projects will contribute to improving their livelihoods.

Villages and communities are thus at the heart of the Avé Ga project. The preliminary design will be validated with local stakeholders during the project preparation phase, prior to the start of operations scheduled for 2026.

![Togo-1.jpeg](https://backoffice.reforestaction.com/uploads/Togo_1_f4808303ed.jpeg)

## Establishing and nurturing a quality dialogue with local communities

### Projects designed for and by local communities

As part of the process of certifying projects to an international carbon standard, in particular the Gold Standard, consultation with local stakeholders is mandatory. It consists of identifying and including the communities concerned by the project as early as the preliminary analysis phase, as well as during the project preparation phase. 

Stakeholder mapping identifies and categorizes individuals and groups within local communities and indigenous peoples in the project area, so that they can be considered and involved fairly. The aim is to ensure that everyone has a voice and benefits from the project in a way that is adapted to their issues and needs, whether they are influential members of the community or members of vulnerable minorities, for example.

The preliminary stakeholder consultation consists of interviewing a small sample of people from local communities and indigenous peoples. Its aim is to validate and complete the socio-economic issues and needs identified earlier.

Stakeholder consultation aims to open a dialogue with local communities and indigenous peoples to clarify their needs and the issues they face. To this end, group meetings or individual interviews are organized in the field with the various local stakeholders identified (representatives of communities and local authorities, landowners within the project area, local associations and cooperatives linked to the project's objectives). These stakeholders are consulted by Reforest'Action and the Project Implementer to better understand the context, community expectations and needs, and to help improve the project design and results.

The aim of these processes is to ensure that local populations are involved in the project on an equitable basis, so that it can contribute to improving their environment and living conditions over the long term. They must therefore be able to take ownership of the project in a spirit of empowerment, to help make it sustainable and thus continue to benefit from its long-term impacts.

### Due diligence and grievance mechanism

A due diligence process is carried out systematically upstream of project development, with the aim of identifying and assessing risks, including man-made risks (such as land-use change), natural risks (such as climate hazards), external risks (such as political instability) and internal risks (such as conflicts between stakeholders involved in the project). This tool ensures stakeholder alignment with environmental and social objectives, and reinforces project sustainability.

The voice of the community is also heard throughout the life of the project. In addition to due diligence, a grievance mechanism has been set up to give communities the opportunity to submit anonymous feedback on project implementation, and to report any problems encountered (discriminatory behavior, harassment, poor working conditions, etc.).

### An equitable profit-sharing model

Throughout the life of the project, Reforest'Action's equitable value distribution model ensures that the financial, social and environmental benefits generated accrue to local communities. This approach aims to ensure equity, inclusion and alignment of project impacts with the needs of local stakeholders. The most rigorous carbon standards incorporate these principles into project design criteria.

### The example of the MuLaKiLa project in Rwanda

The MuLaKiLa project is one of the largest community restoration projects in Rwanda, supported by a panel of local and international organizations. Founded on the values of solidarity, equity and autonomy, the collective action promoted by this initiative is based on the generation of measurable socio-economic impacts, for the benefit of farming communities in the country's western province. 

The project design is based on participatory approaches. To achieve this, it is necessary to take into account the economic and social context of Rwanda and its 13 million inhabitants. The second most densely populated country in Africa, more than half of Rwandans live below the international poverty line of $2.15 a day. Given this situation, the environmental value of the sustainable agricultural practices implemented thanks to the project is not enough on its own to engage the population. This is why the MuLaKiLa project makes social issues a major pillar.

In order to co-construct the project, sharing sessions were organized in March 2023 between teams from Reforest'Action, the local Project Implementer and members of the communities associated with the project. Through focus groups, the idea was to get to know the communities, their way of life, their way of using the landscape, but also to understand the challenges they are currently facing. Transcripts of all the discussions enabled us to draw up a list of the communities' needs and expectations, which were taken into account in the project's design.

For example, the integration of agroforestry, native and fruit species into the crops grown by the region's farmers is a direct response to their need for greater food security. Indeed, restoring land degraded by erosion will restore its fertility, leading to increased productivity.

It's thanks to close work with local communities that the MuLaKiLa project is now accepted, understood and supported locally - an essential dimension to the very sustainability of the project, and to its creation of the expected benefits.

![Rwanda-1.png](https://backoffice.reforestaction.com/uploads/Rwanda_1_c6dcdfcb39.png)

## Monitor the project's impact on the local economy and communities

### Building a monitoring plan

The construction of a baseline scenario, which determines what would happen in the absence of the project, and the construction of a project scenario, which details the actions to be taken to meet the impact objectives, apply to all impact indicators, which will be scrupulously monitored through a monitoring plan for a minimum of 30 years. 

The monitoring plan is a fundamental document that describes data collection procedures, the main impact indicators and the steps involved in monitoring and evaluating the project's performance. It must be based on transparent, scientifically validated methods, cover key indicators of multifunctionality and be capable of adapting to changing conditions to best meet the needs of local communities.

### Remote and field impact measurement

Throughout the life of the project, the aim is to ensure that the expected impacts occur as predicted, and that the baselines guiding these estimates remain valid. A combination of field protocols, remote sensing and geomatic tools is needed to monitor the stability and health of ecosystems and the impact of the project on the environment (biodiversity, climate, soil and water), while remote data collection and on-site interviews help to assess the impact of the project on local communities.

The socio-economic data collected remotely by Reforest'Action aims to track the number of project beneficiaries, the percentage of women in this population, the number of training courses provided to communities, the number of jobs created and the level of additional income generated. These “performance” indicators are common to many projects, and meet the reporting needs of contributors wishing to highlight the project's overall socio-economic impact.

These remotely acquired data are enriched by field missions carried out by Reforest'Action, during which the populations concerned by the project are consulted via individual or group interviews (focus groups) to monitor the evolution of the project's socio-economic impacts. The information gathered during these interviews is both quantitative (income levels of the communities concerned by the project in relation to the country's median income, volume of annual harvests, etc.) and qualitative (beneficiaries' satisfaction with the project and its design, match between the project's contributions and the needs of the populations, etc.). They complement the impact assessment by providing details on the integration of the project and how it responds to the socio-economic issues identified.

Recommendations to improve the project's socio-economic benefits can be made by Reforest'Action throughout the life of the project when a gap or weakness is identified. Adaptive management measures can also be implemented to optimize socio-economic benefits.

### The example of the Kuzuko project in South Africa

The Kuzuko project, which aims to restore over 5,000 hectares of degraded former grazing land to allow the native biodiversity of these ecosystems to return, is an example of how a project certified by an international carbon standard can improve the living conditions of human communities. 

The project is located in a South African province with a poverty rate of 48% and an average unemployment rate of 45%, where the majority of the population depends on seasonal or temporary work. In some rural communities close to the project site, the unemployment rate is as high as 85%.

The deployment of the Kuzuko project employed over 300 people, dedicated to the various implementation activities. Because these workers come from isolated communities up to 70 kilometers from the project area, high-quality infrastructure has been set up near the Kuzuko reserve to provide them with free accommodation and catering, thus avoiding long journeys between their homes and the project area. These workers are paid double the South African minimum wage. They also receive training as part of the project, enabling them to be re-employed on future projects by the local partner or other players. Impact is measured in terms of the number of people benefiting from job creation and the associated wages, as well as the training provided to workers.

The social benefits of the Kuzuko project also extend to the younger generation, as the project is funding two elementary school close to the reserve, which were in danger of closing before the project was set up due to a lack of funds. Today, the funds will be used to restore the dilapidated buildings and improve infrastructure, including the construction of wells and rainwater tanks, and to provide schoolchildren with quality learning materials such as books and computers. The funds donated to these schools thanks to the project will thus help change the life trajectory of schoolchildren by helping to teach them, from an early age, the value of natural ecosystems and biodiversity.

![Kuzuko-1.png](https://backoffice.reforestaction.com/uploads/Kuzuko_1_bf9697cee2.png)

**Local communities and indigenous peoples are at the heart of the projects developed by Reforest'Action, which aim to improve their quality of life and the sustainability of their production and ecosystems. Their involvement, right from the project design phase, is therefore essential to ensure that the restoration activities implemented are in harmony with the local socio-economic landscape, and provide appropriate and sustainable benefits to the populations concerned, far beyond carbon sequestration alone.**

**Reforest'Action also offers a socio-economic impact monitoring approach for all types of forest and agroforestry ecosystems, and for all types of project, whether or not certified by an international carbon standard. Eventually, these results will be reported within our MRV platform dedicated to project financiers, to provide them with key performance indicators and impact data, facilitating investment monitoring and reporting required by certification frameworks such as the CSRD.**

**Are you a company looking to invest in Nature-based Solutions and benefit from a tool that enables you to demonstrate the socio-economic impacts generated by these projects? [Contact one of our experts to discuss your needs.](https://www.reforestaction.com/contact)**

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How to include local communities to develop an adapted and sustainable project?

**From a mango tree planted in Senegal by Stéphane Hallaire in 2010 was born Reforest'Action, a visionary company intent on making crowdplanting a genuine lever for civic action. Fifteen years later, thanks to our ability to innovate and renew ourselves, our experience in the field and the trust of more than 3,600 companies, we are pursuing our mission to regenerate forest and agroforestry ecosystems on a large scale against a backdrop of heightened global environmental challenges. On the occasion of our anniversary, rediscover the history of this collective adventure!**

![RA 2018.png](https://backoffice.reforestaction.com/uploads/RA_2018_1c487a6a6d.png)

## Reforest'Action, a pioneer in crowdplanting 

### The revelation of the Senegalese mango tree
In July 2010, Stéphane Hallaire travel to Senegal and discover a reforestation project. He plants his first tree, a mango. It is a revelation. On his return to France, he quit his job and founded Reforest'Action. Every day, at lunchtime, Stéphane takes a walk in the forest and thinks about his strategy. That's how the idea of crowdplanting was born: what if everyone could plant the tree they were financing online? In October 2010, the first Reforest'Action website is launched.

### Reforest'Action gains the trust of companies 
The first companies soon put their trust in Stéphane and Reforest'Action, and finance the planting of thousands of trees in Senegal. To develop new projects, Stéphane travels to Peru in 2011 and India in 2012. The following year, new partnerships took root in Guatemala and Haiti. From its small office in Rueil-Malmaison, Reforest'Action continues to expand the scope of its action in favor of forests.

### Reinventing ourselves to keep going
Despite these initial successes, the geographical distance between reforestation projects and French companies led to a significant drop in business. But Reforest'Action manages to reinvent itself by launching, in 2014, the development of forestry projects in France, as close as possible to companies. It's the innovation they've been waiting for to get them enthusiastically involved once again.

### Celebrating the first great successes
In 2015, Reforest'Action celebrates its 5th anniversary and becomes a winner of The French Environment and Energy Management Agency’s « Investments for the future » program. At the end of 2016, Reforest'Action passes the milestone of one million trees planted worldwide, thanks to the support of over 1,000 companies and 50,000 citizens. In 2017, new members strengthen the team. Forestry projects continue to spring up all over Europe, but also in Morocco and Indonesia. The same year, Reforest'Action launches a new website to more widely include companies and citizens in favor of forests.

![RA-2022.jpg](https://backoffice.reforestaction.com/uploads/RA_2022_c97ada15f9.jpg)

## A strong growth driven by our commitment and expertise

### Citizens join forces with Reforest'Action
2019 marks a turning point in Reforest'Action's development. New projects open up both internationally and in Europe. Reforest'Action founds the Month of the Forest, whose first edition, held in March 2019, reaches 7 million French people and contributes to a growing citizen momentum. From very small businesses to large corporations and medium-sized companies, many of them are becoming contributors to our action. At the end of 2019, Reforest'Action has 19 employees, twice as many as a year earlier.

### Pandemics and resilience
2020 marks the tenth anniversary of Reforest'Action - 10 years dedicated to the challenges and benefits of reforestation, 10 years of discovery and professionalization, and 10 million trees planted. Despite a planting season impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, it's been an exceptional year: strong, rapid growth, new offices, a dozen new recruits to strengthen the team with multiple, diverse talents, and the creation of a global network of Project Officers that enables us to deploy our expertise as close as possible to the areas where we operate, and as close as possible to our local project leaders.

### International recognition of our work
As co-initiator of the Global Forest Summit in 2021 and speaker at the General Assembly of the United Nations Forum on Forests, our founder Stéphane Hallaire is helping to strengthen the global multi-stakeholder dialogue for forest protection and restoration. He also plays a prominent role in the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance founded by King Charles III as part of the Sustainable Markets Initiative. 
At a time when the UN is launching the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration in 2021, and stressing the need to triple investment in Nature-based Solutions by 2030 in order to respond effectively to environmental crises, Reforest'Action has set itself the ambition of planting or preserving 1 billion trees by this deadline.

![RA-2024.png](https://backoffice.reforestaction.com/uploads/RA_2024_c36552c0a2.png)

## New strategic pillars

### Voluntary carbon market & regenerative agriculture
From 2022, Reforest'Action will be taking a new turn in its history. Considering that the voluntary carbon market is a major source of the financing needed to achieve climate objectives, we are accelerating the development of high-quality certified projects, designed to have a strong impact on the climate, biodiversity and communities, by prioritizing sequestration projects, in line with the highest international requirements. The latter, which take longer and are more complex to develop, demonstrate more concretely the benefits of sequestration. Our first certified projects are underway in Brazil, South Africa and Rwanda. 
As an expert in agroforestry, we also develop regenerative agriculture projects, which can be developed within a company's value chain or beyond, enabling them to take action to regenerate living organisms while meeting their specific or sectoral challenges.

### Impact monitoring and R&D
Thanks to the development of a hub dedicated to impact and R&D, we are building a comprehensive information and data analysis system around forest and agroforestry ecosystems and their benefits for climate, biodiversity, the soil-water system and communities. This global approach to impact management, unique on the market, is backed by 15 years' experience, scientifically validated methodologies and technological tools. It is supported by the launch of a digital MRV platform, which enables our teams to collect and analyze reliable, verifiable data on project implementation, monitoring and impact measurement, and to deliver key indicators to the companies that finance these projects.

### Large-scale investors
The company's growth continues. In 2024, we welcome investors blisce/ and Eiffel Essentiel to accelerate the development of our impact monitoring technology and the deployment of large-scale certified natural ecosystem restoration projects. In 2025, Reforest'Action have more than 90 employees, including around ten Project Officers based close to projects in the field.
In total, since 2010, more than 1,650 projects have been carried out across 45 countries, covering an area of over 35,000 hectares, thanks to funding from over 3,600 companies.

**With 15 years' experience, Reforest'Action is now a recognized and trusted player in Nature-based Solutions, thanks to its expertise in ecosystem restoration and its collaborative approach with local partners. The rest of the story is being written with you: contact us!**

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Reforest'Action: 15 years of commitment and innovation, serving the natural world

**In terms of Nature-based Solutions, high-quality forestry and agroforestry projects offer strong co-benefits for biodiversity, climate, soil health, water resources and people. The Global Biodiversity Standard is today the most robust biodiversity standard that certifies projects by assessing their specific impact on biodiversity. In addition to its role as an impact assessment expert and representative of the Europe hub, Reforest'Action now hosts its certified assessors.**

## Certifying projects based on biodiversity recovery

### The ambition of The Global Biodiversity Standard

Introduced in 2022, The Global Biodiversity Standard (TGBS) is the only international standard to recognize and encourage the protection, enhancement and restoration of biodiversity. Against a backdrop of increasing numbers of projects to create and restore forest and agroforestry ecosystems, this standard aims to certify best practices that generate positive impacts on biodiversity, including the diversification of tree species and integrating native species into project design. 

In the long term, The Global Biodiversity Standard aims to change the benchmark so that biodiversity is placed at the heart of all initiatives that help combat climate change and develop the livelihoods of local communities.  

Founded by Botanic Garden Conservation International, The Global Biodiversity Standard is supported by an international scientific and technical network that includes IUCN, CIFOR-ICRAF, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Society for Ecological Restoration, Reforest'Action and others. The standard has tested its certification method in real-life conditions at over a hundred different sites, in collaboration with botanic gardens and other biodiversity institutions in India, Kenya, Peru, Brazil, Madagascar, Uganda, Malaysia, Jordan and Hong Kong.

### Our remote sensing tools for The Global Biodiversity Standard

As part of the Global Biodiversity Standard's technical and scientific network, Reforest'Action has been contributing its expertise in forest ecosystem restoration and impact measurement since 2022, and is developing [remote sensing monitoring tools](https://www.reforestaction.com/en/magazine/the-global-biodiversity-standard-reforestaction) in particular. Reforest'Action offers The Global Biodiversity Standard a catalog of tools dedicated to remote sensing measurements. These measurements are carried out both upstream of the implementation of projects certified by the standard, and downstream, as part of their monitoring. 

### Reforest’Action becomes official hub for TGBS

In addition to its role as an expert in impact management, Reforest'Action is now officially the European hub of The Global Biodiversity Standard, with the aim of bringing this certification to the Europe. 

At the end of January 2025, a panel of 7 internal Reforest'Action experts were trained by two Global Biodiversity Standard trainers, David Bartholomew (from the Secretariat) and Kiran Baldwin (from the India hub). External guests from our partner ecosystem - Sylva Nova, Preferred By Nature and Biotope - were also trained on this occasion.  

The aim of the training was to enable our team and our partners to carry out the audits required to award Global Biodiversity Standard certification to projects located in Europe. 

Reforest'Action thus joins the worldwide network of 200 assessors certified by The Global Biodiversity Standard, and will be able to call on its trained partners to certify its own projects, or to take part in the auditing process of third-party projects.  

![IMG_8989.JPG](https://backoffice.reforestaction.com/uploads/IMG_8989_e688681ee4.JPG)

### What is the added value of TGBS-certified projects for the companies that finance them? 

“The aim of the Global Biodiversity Standard is to validate the biodiversity impact of forestry and agroforestry projects, whether certified by international carbon standards or not,” says Clara Manuel, Project Manager at Reforest'Action and internal operational referent for The Global Biodiversity Standard. “A TGBS-certified project can reinforce the credibility of companies, demonstrate their real commitment to biodiversity and offer a competitive advantage in terms of environmental responsibility. By improving the ecological state of ecosystems and their biodiversity, TGBS-certified projects are complementary to climate impact ambitions, materialized by certified carbon credits from dedicated international standards.” 

Healthy ecosystems not only help mitigate climate change, they also enable human societies to adapt to its consequences. Like carbon certification, TGBS certification is not an end in itself, but a means to the end of restoring ecosystems. In this respect, it is fully in line with Reforest'Action's mission to ensure, through its impact management process, that projects generate benefits not only for the climate, but also for biodiversity, the soil-water system and local communities.

## TGBS assessment criteria and certification process

### Evaluation criteria

Projects submitted for The Global Biodiversity Standard certification are assessed against criteria derived from the “10 golden rules for reforestation”. This scientific document, promulgated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Botanic Garden Conservation International, provides guidelines to ensure that reforestation and agroforestry projects promote biodiversity restoration, carbon sequestration and the creation of socio-economic benefits for local communities.

Projects certified by The Global Biodiversity Standard, whatever their type (reforestation, agroforestry, wetland restoration, etc.), must comply with these 8 criteria:

- Select appropriate sites to enhance native biodiversity.
- Enhance protection of existing habitats and biodiversity.
- Protect, restore and manage biodiversity in consultation and partnership with local communities and other stakeholders.
- Aim to maximize biodiversity recovery through ecosystem restoration.
- Avoid and reduce invasive or potentially invasive species.
- Prioritize the use of native, threatened and rare species.
- Promote biodiversity and adaptive capacity.
- Implement robust monitoring, evaluation and adaptive management of biodiversity.

### The certification process

The certification process begins with a remote sensing survey, followed by a field audit led by a certified assessor from hubs like Reforest'Action, accompanied by three partner or local experts (each with a specialty in fauna, flora and socio-economic impact). 

The methodology for rating projects, led by the assessor, is then based on: 

- Measurement of changes in ecosystem integrity, including biodiversity, as listed in the Ecological Recovery Wheel, a tool designed by the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) to study the process that accompanies the recovery of a degraded or destroyed ecosystem. 
- Assessment of the project's adaptive management measures (based on UN Decade Standards of Practice)
- Assessment of the site’s level of protection (aligned with IUCN protection categories)
- Assessment of the project's socio-economic impacts (based on the Social Benefits Wheel designed by the Society for Ecological Restoration). Indeed, the benefits of a project for biodiversity can only be maintained over the long term if local communities are closely involved, for example through the creation of sustainable economic activities linked to the project.

![Ecological Recovery Wheel.png](https://backoffice.reforestaction.com/uploads/Ecological_Recovery_Wheel_5346b64e03.png)
Ecological recovery wheel (source: Society for Ecological Restoration)

The project then receives an audit score on a 10-point scale, with a certification level at 5 points, Advanced certification at 7 points and a premium level at 9 points. 
The audit can take place as early as the design phase of a project, based on the evaluation of projected impact indicators (in which case it is the management plan that is certified), or after implementation. Certification, when awarded, is valid for 5 years, after which it must be reassessed.

**The voluntary carbon market is certainly a key lever for restoring ecosystems on a large scale. But the development of a dedicated biodiversity certification through The Global Biodiversity Standard, for which Reforest'Action now hosts certified assessors, also aims to direct more funds towards high-quality Nature-based Solutions, enabling companies not only to meet their climate objectives under the Paris Agreement, but also to generate positive impacts for biodiversity and local communities. Our mission is to support these companies as they move towards sustainable business models.
Are you a company looking to finance projects with a high impact on biodiversity? Reforest'Action offers you the opportunity to invest in project certification. [Contact one of our experts to discuss your needs.](https://www.reforestaction.com/en/contact)**


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Reforest’Action becomes a hub for The Global Biodiversity Standard

## NAVIGATING 2024: Market challenges and key takeaways 

In 2024 investments in the VCM slowed as investors awaited clearer signals. Concerns over the effectiveness of Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) projects, especially avoidance projects like REDD+, fueled skepticism, impacting the entire Nature-based Solutions (NbS) market. According to SBTi (Feb 2024), concerns about carbon credit quality remained a major deterrent for companies. Yet, NbS remain critical, accounting for one-third of necessary climate mitigation (data source: UNEP).

Meanwhile, new initiatives emerged to strengthen VCM governance. The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) implemented its 10 Core Carbon Principles (CCPs), while SBTi clarified its Beyond Value Chain Mitigation (BVCM) guidelines and UN-approved crediting mechanisms (Article 6.2 and 6.4) made progress. These frameworks shape a high-integrity VCM, for both supply and demand.

**Given this landscape, investors should prioritize securing high-integrity carbon credits by evaluating projects individually and selecting those that adhere to the most rigourous integrity standards.**

**To identify high-integrity projects, download our [guide](https://info.reforestaction.com/factsheet-1-FR) and find out which criteria to include in your investment strategy.**

## HIGHLIGHT #1 Core benefits: Projects that tick all the boxes

When investing in a nature-based CDR project, evaluate its multifunctionality. High-integrity projects not only create carbon sinks but also maximize positive impacts on communities and ecosystems, known as “core benefits”. NbS cover a range of project types, such as Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR), Agroforestry, Improved Forest Management (IFM), Improved Agricultural Land Management (IALM), and Wetlands Restoration and Conservation (Blue Carbon). These projects should deliver long-lasting and multifunctional benefits across biodiversity, community livelihoods, and soil-water system improvements. 

![Core benefit community livelihoods High Integrity Project.jpg](https://backoffice.reforestaction.com/uploads/Core_benefit_community_livelihoods_High_Integrity_Project_f0841b1022.jpg)
_Beneficiary farmers of the MuLaKiLa project in Rwanda, which was developed by Reforest'Action, attending training as part of the project_ 

The question everyone is asking #1

**Do international carbon standards assess core benefits?** Leading carbon standards like the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and Gold Standard require projects to demonstrate measurable contributions to at least three Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, for more in-depth verification, investors may consider additional certifications like the CCB Standards from Verra.

## HIGHLIGHT #2 Additionality and conservativeness: A winning combination 

Additionality is a critical factor, as carbon removals must not occur without carbon finance. The criteria for proving additionality vary across standards but generally require demonstrating that VCM funding is essential for the project’s viability. Conservativeness is equally important and relies on two factors:

**1. Baseline scenarios:** Establishing what would happen in the absence of the project, including climate, biodiversity and community impact baselines, ensuring alignment with your objective of investing in projects that deliver multifunctional core benefits.
		 
**2. Carbon quantification:** Ensuring that the number of credits issued accurately reflects actual removals while preventing overstatement. Adopting a reasonably conservative approach is essential for upholding the integrity of the VCM.

The question everyone is asking #2 

**Do forest-based CDR projects meet additionality and conservativeness criteria?** Forests are among the most effective carbon sinks. With decades of scientific research backing their carbon sequestration potential, their removals can be modeled and verified with high accuracy. Deforested or degraded lands provide clear baselines, strengthening additionality assessments.

## HIGHLIGHT #3 A commitment to transparency, fairness and traceability

Strong governance is essential for high-integrity carbon removal projects. Key aspects include:

- **Full transparency:** Ensuring clear disclosure of decision-making processes
- **Robust benefit-sharing:** Ensuring fair distribution of financial and social benefits
- **Enhanced traceability:** Ensuring long-term monitoring of carbon credit transactions
- **Third-party validation and verification:** Ensuring the achievement of claimed emission removals and other targets

These four factors are critical to maintaining the overall quality of issued carbon credits, ensuring the consistency and credibility of the VCM. 

The question everyone is asking #3 

**How can fair value distribution be ensured?** Benefit-sharing guarantees that financial, social, and environmental project benefits effectively reach local communities, indigenous peoples, and landowners. This approach aims to ensure fairness, inclusion, and alignment of incentives with the needs of local communities. Trusted carbon programs incorporate these principles into project design documentation.

## HIGHLIGHT #4 Monitoring and reporting: Proof is in the impact

Monitoring evaluates whether a project successfully meets its carbon removal and core benefit targets. It ensures that expected impacts are taking place as planned and that the baseline assumptions guiding these estimations remain valid over the project’s lifetime. A combination of field protocols, remote sensing, and geomatics tools is needed to monitor the stability and health of ecosystems, as well as their impacts on nature and local communities. 

![Core benefit biodiversity High Integrity Project.jpg](https://backoffice.reforestaction.com/uploads/Core_benefit_biodiversity_High_Integrity_Project_36152c2e6b.jpg)
_The MuLaKiLa project in Rwanda is designed to improve connectivity between two native forests, creating ecological corridors useful for birds. The connectivity matrix is therefore an indicator that will be monitored over time._ 

The question everyone is asking #4 

**What does a third-party validated monitoring plan tell us?** A monitoring plan is a fundamental document that outlines the procedures for data collection, key impact indicators, and steps to track project performance. It must be based on transparent, scientifically validated methods, cover multifunctional key indicators, and be adaptable to changing conditions. 

## HIGHLIGHT #5 Managing risks: Mitigating and sharing the load

While permanence is a key criterion in nature-based large-scale project development, the most important takeaway is that eliminating risk entirely is impossible. Instead, understanding the in-the-field risks is essential, as these factors shape project durability, the certainty of field impacts and investment valuation. Success lies in accepting these variables and focusing on managing and anticipating them effectively, with a strong emphasis on transparency. 

The question everyone is asking #5 

**Can in-depth due diligence actually help reduce risk?** Yes. Due diligence is a critical tool for identifying and assessing risks, including human-induced risks (e.g. land use change), nature-induced risks (e.g. climatic hazards), external risks (e.g. political instability) and internal risks (e.g. key person risk). By ensuring transparency and alignment with environmental and social goals, due diligence strengthens investor confidence and secures project sustainability.

### What to remember: two key takeaways to keep you on track

**1) Invest in projects that meet the highest quality standards for climate, nature, and communities.** Only best-in-class projects can truly support your corporate climate strategy, while strengthening market standards and ensuring real climate impact with minimal risk. 

**2) Contribute to positive market dynamics to restore confidence in the VCM.** All stakeholders should align to uphold transparency, traceability, fair value distribution, and inclusive decision-making to drive meaningful climate action. Unlocking investment in high-integrity projects also requires risk-sharing financing frameworks backed by market players.

**Are you interested in investing in a high-quality nature-based carbon removal project? Download our [guide to find out more about the key criteria](https://info.reforestaction.com/factsheet-1-EN) you should consider before investing, or [contact our team of climate experts.](https://www.reforestaction.com/en/contact)**

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Nature-based carbon removals: How to identify high-integrity projects? Reforest’Action’s insights 

**Soils and water resources are two vital elements of the environment. They function as a system and are intrinsically linked. Indeed, most of the water that reaches the surface of terrestrial ecosystems, notably through precipitation, infiltrates into the soil or runs off the surface. What are the flows and interactions within the soil-water system? How do soils, depending on their structure, texture, state of health, type of cover and use, influence the quality and quantity of water available to plants and living organisms? These questions are crucial to understanding the impact of forestry and agroforestry restoration projects, both in terms of increasing the infiltration of rainwater into water tables and reducing runoff and its risks.**

## The link between soil and water 

### The role of soil in the water cycle 
As a living part of the geosphere, soil is both the support and the product of living organisms, since it results from the transformation of the surface layer of bedrock, degraded and enriched with organic matter. Soil is thus one of the planet's main carbon sinks. 

It also plays a vital regulatory role in the water cycle. Although soil water only represents 0.064% of the total freshwater available on the planet, it is essential for plant nutrition and the photosynthesis process, as well as for the life of the wide variety of micro-organisms found in the soil, including animals (earthworms, arthropods, nematodes, protozoa), fungi and bacteria.

### Interactions between soil and water 
Generally speaking, the amount of water available in the soil for plant, animal and fungal biodiversity comes from precipitation. More than half of annual precipitation passes through the soil and plants (crops, forests, plants, etc.), before being evapotranspired for the most part. This is green water. The rest of the rain reaches rivers, lakes and infiltrates the water table. This is blue water.

The amount of water temporarily stored in the soil circulates in microporosities, i.e. small cavities in the soil, and constitutes the soil's water reserve. This capacity depends on climate, soil structure and texture, depth and organic matter content (carbon content).

The main particles (derived from the weathering of rocks) that make up soil texture are sand, silt and clay. Each has a different water retention capacity (low for sand, high for silt and clay). 

By calculating the granulometric distribution (texture), i.e. the proportion of each of these fundamental fractions within a given soil, it is possible to define a soil's hydrological group and thus gain a better understanding of its water retention capacity.

## The influence of soils on water availability

### The role of the available water storage capacity in the soil
By storing part of the excess rainwater and making a useful water reserve available to vegetation and micro-organisms, the soil has the capacity to delay and mitigate the water deficit that can occur when rainfall volumes are restricted.

When the useful reserve is too low, it is considered to be limiting for living organisms, and is unable to feed the various tree and plant species in the absence of precipitation. The photosynthesis process can then slow down or even come to a halt, causing vegetation to die back. 

Conversely, during extreme climatic events, excess water in the soil can be detrimental to plants. Waterlogging causes root asphyxia and reduces tree rooting depth.

### Water flows in ecosystems
Knowing the useful reserve of a soil, it is possible to determine deep drainage flows, i.e. groundwater recharge, or conversely the depletion of soil water resources. 

To do this, we need to compare the volume of precipitation with the potential evapotranspiration. This bioclimatic index translates into millimeters of water the evaporative capacity of the atmosphere, controlled by solar radiation, atmospheric drying and wind speed. 

If the volume of precipitation is less than or equivalent to the potential evapotranspiration, then blue water flows are non-existent (there is no runoff and the water tables are not recharged), even if green water flows continue (plant transpiration takes place until the available water storage capacity in the surrounding soils is depleted). On the other hand, if the volume of precipitation exceeds the potential evapotranspiration, then the available water storage capacity begins to recharge. Runoff, i.e. the flow of water over the soil surface (as opposed to water entering through infiltration), is directly correlated with precipitation. It occurs when the intensity of rainfall exceeds the infiltration rate, or when the soil profile is saturated with water (saturation of the soil's available water storage capacity, which may trigger transfer to the water table). 

## The impact of runoff on soil and water quality

### Erosion
Limiting runoff and its environmental risks, such as erosion, is one of the challenges of forestry and agroforestry ecosystem restoration projects. 

Runoff is one of the driving forces behind erosion: flowing water carries with it particles of varying size, depending on the quantity of water in motion and the slope coefficient, creating an abrasive effect on the land subject to runoff. Erosion can thus be the source of soil and nutrient losses that are detrimental to agronomy. 

### Flooding
Runoff can also lead to river flooding, landslides, mudslides and downstream flooding.

### Agricultural pollution
Last but not least, runoff can exacerbate pollution linked to agriculture: fertilizers and other treatment products are washed into watercourses, then into coastal environments and the seas and oceans, instead of staying where they are spread, leading to a deterioration in water quality and biodiversity as a whole.

## Towards sustainable resource and ecosystem management
It is essential to project the impact of forestry and agroforestry ecosystem restoration projects in order to take into account the health of the soil-water system in the design and management of projects, and to assess the benefits generated on water resources through their implementation. 

To do this, Reforest'Action establishes a baseline scenario and a project scenario, the study of which enables us to understand how changes in land use and soil cover will impact on water resources. In other words, by reintegrating trees into a landscape, where they were absent or barely present, using different techniques, what impact can be observed on the water cycle, increasing the infiltration of rainwater into the water table and reducing runoff and its risks? To find out more, read our article “[Modeling the impact of (agro)forestry projects on the soil-water system](https://www.reforestaction.com/en/magazine/soil-water-impact)”.


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On an ecosystem scale, what is the link between soil and water?

**Soil and water function as a system and are intrinsically linked. It is essential to take the health of this system into account when designing projects, and to assess the benefits generated by their implementation. By reintegrating trees into a landscape, where they were absent or sparsely present, what impact can be observed on the water cycle, increasing the infiltration of rainwater into the soil profile and reducing runoff and its risks? To obtain spatialized data for these impact indicators, Reforest'Action uses a projection tool based on remote sensing.**

## A tool for projecting impact on soil and water

### Modeling water flows on a watershed scale
In order to model the quantity of water infiltrated and the quantity of water runoff on the scale of an ecosystem and to project the evolution of these metrics after the implementation of a project, Reforest'Action's Impact and R&D division uses the VWBA (Volumetric Water Benefit Accounting) model developed by the World Resources Institute, and relies on the Invest tool which takes into account a wide range of factors, some of which thanks to remote sensing:
- Precipitation volume
- Potential evapotranspiration 
- Soil hydrology group
- Topography
- Type of land use and cover
- Runoff coefficient (curve number)

### Our three impact projection indicators
The tool used by Reforest'Action illustrates the circulation of water within a watershed (the surface area that receives water flowing towards a single watercourse or groundwater table). This tool can also be used to map water flows.
It is then possible to model the landscape after project implementation, obtaining spatialized data for three impact projection indicators: evapotranspiration, avoided runoff and local groundwater recharge in milliliters.

![aet_image_ALA.png](https://backoffice.reforestaction.com/uploads/aet_image_ALA_f310bd91ca.png)
_Mapping water flows within the watersheld of the regenerative agriculture project developed by Reforest'Action in India (Odisha)._

![annual_runoff.png](https://backoffice.reforestaction.com/uploads/annual_runoff_4c6714522a.png)
Mapping of annual runoff within the same project area

![annual_local_recharge 1.png](https://backoffice.reforestaction.com/uploads/annual_local_recharge_1_8c5d80ede1.png)
Mapping of local groundwater recharge within the same project area

### A project design tool 
“In concrete terms, this tool is an impact projection tool, as it enables us to model the amount of runoff that could be avoided by implementing projects,” explains Richard Sourbès, GIS and remote sensing expert at Reforest'Action. “The model we use enables us to adapt project design to the local soil-water resource, by targeting, upstream of the project, areas where reforestation or the integration of trees in agroforestry will be of great interest. It's also a project design tool and a planning aid.”  

## Expected impacts of projects on the soil-water system

### Reduced runoff and water purification
Planted trees require a significant input of water as they grow, temporarily reducing the amount of water available in the soil. However, from their very first years of growth, they reduce runoff by absorbing excess water from the soil surface, thus ensuring the proper functioning of the water and nutrient cycle necessary for the development of flora and fauna. 

Preventing runoff also helps to clean up the water that infiltrates the soil, a particularly beneficial impact in agricultural environments. In fact, water filtration by trees prevents the transfer of pollutants from the soil to the water system.

“In concrete terms, planted trees reduce runoff, significantly increase the potential evapotranspiration of the ecosystem and, to a lesser extent, local groundwater recharge. They also reduce the connection between the agricultural environment and the hydrographic network, and thus limit potential pollutant transfers (excess organic matter, fertilizers, pesticides, etc.). It is this triple function that reduces the risk of degradation of water bodies. The trees planted therefore help to influence the quality and quantity of water in the hydrographic network adjacent to the project,” explains Jean-Christophe Renaud, in charge of regenerative agriculture projects for Reforest'Action. 

### Increase in actual evapotranspiration
In the medium term, the restoration or creation of a forestry or agroforestry ecosystem reduces the response time of a watershed to rain stimulus, by reducing runoff: in other words, the drop of water reaches the outflow less quickly. What's more, in the first 30 years following the implementation of a project, an increase in actual evapotranspiration (the total amount of water that evaporates from the soil and plants present in an area when the soil is at its natural moisture content) can be observed, giving rise to cloud formation and an increased volume of precipitation at watershed scale. 

“Based on the results of our impact projections, forestry and agroforestry ecosystem restoration projects can ultimately increase both the quality and quantity of water (green and blue) circulating at watershed scale,” concludes Jean-Christophe Renaud.

## Practices borrowed from regenerative hydrology
Through this research and development work, Reforest'Action aims to take into account the regeneration of freshwater cycles in the design and implementation of projects, and thus deploy practices that improve the distribution, infiltration and storage of rainwater and runoff, in order to improve the resilience of ecosystems to water-related issues (drought, erosion, desertification, flooding...) - all key practices in the science of regenerative hydrology.


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Modeling the impact of agro/forestry projects on the soil-water system

**Our impact management process has been digitized and we have developed an MRV (Measurement, Reporting & Verification) platform. The aim is to offer investors a tool that provides centralized, selected information on nature-based projects, their monitoring and relative impacts over time. This tool will enable investors to demonstrate the value generated by these nature-based solutions, using key performance indicators and reliable, traceable and verifiable data.**

![MRV_maquette.jpg](https://backoffice.reforestaction.com/uploads/MRV_maquette_83b721a179.jpg)

## A data collection, analysis and reporting tool 

The MRV platform developed by Reforest'Action aims to collect, analyze and report reliable and verifiable data on the implementation, monitoring and impact measurement of our Nature-based Solutions. It enables us to combine all our impact management tools and report the results of project monitoring in the field and by remote sensing, in complete transparency.

The platform also provides impact projections, i.e. modeling and assessment of impacts prior to implementation, enabling us to gain information on projects, adjust their design, implement adaptive management measures and assess their level of performance over the long term.

Our MRV platform relies both on the collection of data from the field (type of species planted, nature of activities carried out in the field, impact on local communities, etc.) and from satellite imagery (forest cover density, actual carbon sequestration by above-ground biomass, number of trees in place, stand health, etc.).

It offers a solution that meets both the needs of project development and the transparency requirements of the companies that finance them:
- In the back office, Project Data Management enables our teams to manage projects, from identification to field monitoring, by centralizing all project-related data (design, audit reports, satellite measurements, etc.).
- In the front office, the dashboard can be used to display project-related key performance indicators (KPIs) for companies committed to monitoring the impact of the solutions they finance.

![Schema-plateforme MRV.png](https://backoffice.reforestaction.com/uploads/Schema_plateforme_MRV_afc2dffaee.png)

## A tool that meets the growing need for transparency and reporting 

Ultimately, Reforest'Action's MRV platform is intended to link all project stakeholders to improve transparency and add value, including in the field. In its first version, available at the end of 2024, it is dedicated to project financiers and provides key performance indicators and impact data, facilitating the monitoring of investments and reporting required by certification frameworks such as the CSRD.

It meets the market's need for transparent, robust and reliable data, addressing the following needs:
- ensuring companies comply with regulatory frameworks (CSRD, Net Zero, etc.)
- supporting companies' reputations and their need to demonstrate the impacts of the NbS they finance
- providing a clear return on investment (ROI) for financed solutions

**Our impact monitoring approach, supported by our digital data reporting tool, enables us not only to work for the health of restored ecosystems, but also to make Nature-based Solutions a reliable impact investment solution.**


_Are you a company looking to invest in Nature-based Solutions and benefit from a tool that enables you to demonstrate the value generated by these projects? [Contact one of our experts to discuss your needs.](https://www.reforestaction.com/en/contact)_


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Measuring the impact of NbS projects: launch of our MRV platform

**Defined by the IUCN in 2009, the concept of Nature-based Solutions (NBS) is founded on the idea that natural processes, and not just technological ones, can make a significant contribution to tackling major contemporary challenges such as climate change and biodiversity erosion. Nature provides vital services to all living things, and in particular to humankind. It is therefore essential to preserve, restore and manage it sustainably to ensure our future.**

![Nature-Based-Solutions-forest.jpg](https://backoffice.reforestaction.com/uploads/Nature_Based_Solutions_forest_f54ea0ac1f.jpg)

## What are Nature-based Solutions?

Nature-based Solutions are defined by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) as “actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems to directly address societal challenges in an effective and adaptive manner, while ensuring human well-being and producing benefits for biodiversity.”

This concept was formulated by IUCN at the Copenhagen Conference in 2009, when forests were proposed as a solution for mitigating climate change. It was at COP21 in 2015 that the place of Nature-based Solutions in climate action was recognized by States, notably via the Paris Agreement.

These are actions that aim to protect, restore and sustainably manage natural ecosystems - be they forests, rivers, wetlands or even bocage meadows - in a logic of mutual benefit, since these ecosystems generate benefits for humanity. Nature-based Solutions also bring benefits for [biodiversity](https://www.reforestaction.com/en/magazine/what-biodiversity-definition-and-issues), by integrating this objective into the very design and implementation of these actions.

![EN_NbS.jpg](https://backoffice.reforestaction.com/uploads/EN_Nb_S_775d13cbc8.jpg)

## How are ecosystems and human societies interconnected?

### A multitude of services to humanity

Ecosystems are multifunctional by nature. The variety of ecosystem functions they produce are not man-made, but the result of slow, patient work shaped by Nature over millions of years. Today, [natural ecosystems](https://www.reforestaction.com/en/magazine/reconnecting-living-sustainable-humanity) make vital contributions to people's lives, such as the production of food, energy and raw materials, as well as a multitude of ecosystem services. For example, forests store carbon, regulate the water cycle, limit local heat peaks, reduce the risk of soil runoff and landslides, and meet vital human needs such as the production of timber and energy, food and medicinal products, and places of well-being and recreation.

### Nature's services to human societies are not unlimited

The worldwide overexploitation of ecosystems leads to their degradation, and thus to their inability to provide resources in the long term. The Global Footprint Network's annual Earth Overshoot Day is a direct illustration of this idea. This date, which marks the day when humanity has consumed all the natural resources the Earth can produce in one year, is obtained by comparing mankind's ecological footprint (which measures the exploitation of the Earth's natural resources) with the planet's biocapacity (its capacity to replenish its reserves and absorb greenhouse gases). Still in surplus in 1961, with a quarter of its reserves unused, the Earth became in deficit in the early 1970s. This day was changed from October 10 in 1999 to August 1 in 2024.

In most regions of the world today, Nature has been significantly altered by multiple human factors, and the vast majority of indicators relating to ecosystems and biodiversity show a rapid decline. For example, the IPBES estimates that today :

- 75% of natural terrestrial environments are degraded;
- 66% of oceans have been altered;
- 85% of wetlands have disappeared;
- 5% of the world's animal and plant species are threatened.

Forests, which are home to 80% of the Earth's biodiversity and support 25% of the world's population, are in constant decline. On a global scale, forest area today represents around 68% of its estimated pre-industrial level. According to the FAO, 240 million hectares of forest were lost to deforestation in tropical zones between 1990 and 2015. In temperate zones, the effects of climate change are affecting forest health: 42% of tree species are now threatened with extinction in Europe, according to the IUCN. Forest animal biodiversity has fallen by [53%](https://www.dw.com/en/worlds-forest-animal-population-sinks-drastically-wwf-report/a-50015580) since 1970.

### Ecosystem degradation also weakens populations

Ecosystems, biodiversity and climate are interdependent. Ecosystems and their biodiversity influence climate, helping to regulate temperature and precipitation. They are essential players in the carbon, water and nitrogen cycles. They help absorb some of the heat and greenhouse gases emitted by human activities. These feedbacks between climate and biodiversity are at the origin of the dynamic balance of the environment in which human societies have developed, and which is today affected by both climate and ecosystem changes. Alterations to ecosystems and the climate-biodiversity pair make human beings more vulnerable, with the loss of food sources, the deterioration of water quality, the [development of new diseases](https://www.reforestaction.com/en/magazine/destruction-ecosystems-favours-rise-new-diseases-and-pandemics) and the exposure of societies to extreme climatic events (droughts, storms, etc.).

Strategies and actions to combat climate change must therefore not only drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also invest in protecting ecosystems. [Healthy ecosystems](https://www.reforestaction.com/en/magazine/ecosystem-restoration-essential-climate-and-biodiversity) not only help mitigate climate change, but also enable human societies to adapt to its consequences.

![Wooded hills with women's tree-planting communities](https://backoffice.reforestaction.com/uploads/Nature_based_solutions_communities_c9eebab421.jpg)

## Nature-based solutions for today's societal challenges

### Preserving nature is essential to ensure the future of human societies and businesses

According to the IUCN, the use of NbS would enable us to achieve current societal objectives such as :

- Reducing natural hazards
- Socio-economic development
- Food security
- Water and energy supply
- Health and well-being for all
- Adapting territories to climate change
- Mitigating the effects of climate change on populations (rising sea levels, fires, heatwaves...)

According to the IPBES, these natural solutions will account for 37% of the climate change mitigation measures needed by 2030 to achieve the goal of global warming below 2°C by 2100. But implementing NbS on the scale required to meet these societal challenges requires the involvement of all stakeholders, including private sector companies.

### Forests: a key component of Nature-based Solutions

NbS value the services provided by ecosystems that have been preserved, restored or sustainably managed, and are based on various underlying concepts listed by the IUCN. Among these Nature-based Solutions is the restoration of forest landscapes. This process aims to mobilize and involve local communities in restoring the multifunctionality of forests, in order to sustainably meet human needs. This type of project can be implemented through a variety of actions involving the preservation, restoration and sustainable management of forests. All these actions enhance forest biodiversity, and increase carbon capture, which helps mitigate the risks of climate change:
- Preservation of existing forests in good ecological condition
- Restoration of degraded forests or creation of forest ecosystems
- Adoption of sustainable forest management practices
- Creation of protected areas (national or regional parks, nature reserves, etc.) to protect associated territories and preserve ecosystem services
- Reforestation and ecological restoration of degraded forest habitats using adapted and diverse species, giving priority to indigenous species;
- Creation of hedgerows and [agroforestry systems](https://www.reforestaction.com/en/magazine/agroforestry) to regulate climate and the water cycle, conserve soil and create biological corridors for flora and fauna;
- Exclusion of unsustainable practices such as monospecific plantations, clear-cutting that weakens soils and overexploitation of stands;
- Development of [Assisted Natural Regeneration](https://www.reforestaction.com/en/magazine/assisted-natural-regeneration-complementary-solution-tree-planting-restore-degraded-forests);
- Creation of islands of senescence, made up of ageing trees which, as they decompose, promote the fertility of forest soils, the main reservoir of biodiversity in the forest;
- Promoting wood products from sustainably managed forests.

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## Developing Nature-based Solutions with Reforest'Action

Reforest'Action offers Nature-based Solutions that enable companies to:
- Contribute to [global carbon neutrality](https://www.reforestaction.com/en/carbon-neutrality-solutions)
- Develop [regenerative agriculture](https://www.reforestaction.com/en/regenerative-agriculture) within their value chains 
- Support the [restoration of forest ecosystems](https://www.reforestaction.com/en/ecosystems-restoration) 

Our mission: to regenerate terrestrial ecosystems on a large scale to meet global environmental challenges and support corporate climate and transformation strategies, drawing on our field experience, local communities, research and technology. 

Today, our 1,650 forest and agroforestry projects in 45 countries are creating multiple impacts, based on the stability of ecosystems over time, to combat climate change, protect biodiversity and support local communities. Each project financed by Reforest'Action is thus at the heart of global climate action and Nature-based Solutions. 

At the heart of our approach, monitoring the impact of our projects via our [Research & Development team](https://www.reforestaction.com/en/the-impact) also enables us to optimize their results and deliver reliable and transparent data to investors, by means of key performance indicators, regarding the value generated by our Nature-based Solutions.


**Drawing on the role of healthy ecosystems for human life and the well-being of all, Nature-based Solutions address both climate and biodiversity issues. It is crucial to encourage their development at all scales to meet the Sustainable Development Goals formulated by the UN, and to direct more funds towards restoration in order to act more rapidly and effectively in favor of the climate and biodiversity at the service of all Living Things. If you're interested in Nature-based Solutions, and forestry in particular, please [contact us](https://www.reforestaction.com/en/contact).**



Defined by the IUCN in 2009, the concept of Nature-based Solutions (NBS) is founded on the idea that natural processes, and not just technological ones, can make a significant contribution to tackling major contemporary challenges such as climate change and biodiversity erosion. Nature provides vital services to all living things, and in particular to humankind. It is therefore essential to preserve, restore and manage it sustainably to ensure our future.

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What are Nature-based Solutions?

**While a quarter of all known plant and animal species are now endangered, initiatives continue to develop to help preserve them. Among these, The Global Biodiversity Standard (TGBS) is the only international standard to recognize and encourage the protection, restoration and enhancement of biodiversity. As part of the TGBS technical and scientific network, Reforest'Action contributes its expertise in forest ecosystem restoration and impact measurement to develop remote sensing monitoring tools, particularly for assessing plant biodiversity.**
 
![Global-Biodiversity-Standard-0.jpg](/uploads/Global_Biodiversity_Standard_0_2bb73c5ee0.jpg)

## Global biodiversity under threat
 
With a quarter of known plant and animal species now on the brink of extinction, biodiversity loss is one of the top five global risks to society over the next ten years, according to the World Economic Forum's Global Risk Report 2023. Synonymous with biological diversity, biodiversity encompasses the taxonomic, functional and structural diversity of living species. Through the ecological services it provides, biodiversity is essential to maintaining the integrity and resilience of ecosystems. 

Among the main indicators of global biodiversity loss, the decline in the extent of forests underlines their essential role as reservoirs of terrestrial biodiversity when they were the native ecosystem in place. They are home to over 80% of the planet's known terrestrial species. In this respect, a better understanding and preservation of forest biodiversity is essential to help halt the onset of the sixth mass extinction.
 
![Global-Biodiversity-Standard-1.jpg](/uploads/Global_Biodiversity_Standard_1_4d330f21cc.jpg)

## The creation of an international standard dedicated to biodiversity
 
### The ambition of the Global Biodiversity Standard

Introduced in 2022, [The Global Biodiversity Standard](https://www.biodiversitystandard.org/) (TGBS) is the only international standard to recognize and encourage the protection, restoration and enhancement of biodiversity. Against a backdrop of increasing numbers of forest creation and restoration projects, this standard aims to develop best practices for creating positive impacts on biodiversity, notably by diversifying tree communities and integrating native species into project design. In the long term, The Global Biodiversity Standard hopes to place biodiversity at the heart of all initiatives that help combat climate change and develop the livelihoods of local communities.
 
### Towards the certification of projects based on the restoration and protection of biodiversity

Based on an international scientific and technical network that includes IUCN & Botanic Garden Conservation International, CIFOR-ICRAF, Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew), Society for Ecological Restoration and Reforest'Action, The Global Biodiversity Standard is currently testing its certification method in real-life conditions, in collaboration with botanical gardens in India, Kenya, Peru, Brazil, Madagascar, Uganda, Malaysia, Jordan and Hong Kong. 

Projects submitted for The Global Biodiversity Standard certification will be assessed against criteria derived from the “10 Golden Rules for Reforestation”. This scientific paper, promulgated by Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew) and Botanic Garden Conservation International, provides guidance on how to ensure that reforestation projects promote biodiversity restoration, carbon sequestration and the creation of socio-economic benefits for local communities. 

Projects certified by The Global Biodiversity Standard must:
- Select appropriate sites to enhance native biodiversity.
- Enhance protection of existing habitats and biodiversity.
- Protect, restore and manage biodiversity in consultation and partnership with local communities and other stakeholders.
- Aim to maximise biodiversity recovery through ecosystem restoration.
- Avoid and reduce invasive or potentially invasive species.
- Prioritise the use of native, threatened and rare species.
- Promote biodiversity and adaptive capacity.
- Implement robust monitoring, evaluation, and adaptive management of biodiversity.
 
 ![Global-Biodiversity-Standard-2.jpg](/uploads/Global_Biodiversity_Standard_2_0ed75a2841.jpg)
 
## Reforest'Action's role in The Global Biodiversity Standard
 
### The contribution to remote sensing of forest biodiversity assessment

As part of The Global Biodiversity Standard's technical and scientific network, Reforest'Action brings its expertise in forest ecosystem restoration and impact measurement to the development of remote sensing monitoring tools. Reforest'Action offers The Global Biodiversity Standard a catalog of tools dedicated to remote sensing measurements. These measurements are carried out both upstream of project implementation, and downstream, as part of project monitoring. 

While tree species diversity has traditionally been assessed through field studies using samples from selected plots, this process is time-consuming and costly for large-scale analysis. Today, remote sensing provides new ways of monitoring vegetation biodiversity, offering the possibility of generating data sets to track environmental changes over the long term. This remote monitoring makes it possible to detect changes taking place within the forest cover, and thus to refine field sampling, in order to prioritize studies within areas that appear to be experiencing more or less positive evolution than others. As a complement to remote sensing, field monitoring remains essential for its accuracy, its ability to validate remote monitoring data and to calibrate the latter by providing real data to refine analyses.
 
### A tool for mapping tree species diversity in canopies

Among the catalog of tools offered by Reforest'Action to The Global Biodiversity Standard, Reforest'Action's Impact Department is collaborating directly with the standard to develop a tool dedicated to mapping the diversity of tree species within canopies. Based on a concept developed by J.-B. Féret and G. P. Asner (2014) and powered by images from Sentinel-2, a satellite in the European Space Agency's Copernicus program, the methodology and tool, re-appropriated by Reforest'Action, enables analysis of the spatial distribution of spectral species, those vegetation zones that include one or more plant species with a similar spectral signature. 

In other words, the tool can be used to assess the diversity of species within a given plot by grouping them into categories known as “spectral species”, based on their physical and biochemical properties (physiological state, water and pigment content, etc.). “Initially, we were looking for a way to measure spatial (within a project area) and temporal (over time) changes in forest stand diversity using remote sensing, in order to better guide sampling during field surveys,” explains Richard Sourbès, Reforest'Action's impact manager. “Based on the method developed by J.-B. Féret and G. P. Asner, we have developed our own tool with innovations that enable us to further refine our remote and field monitoring. While this tool has been used so far mainly in the field of research, Reforest'Action is now applying it for the first time to the operational monitoring of forest restoration projects. This innovative approach is in line with the more general use of remote sensing in the development of our forestry projects - from the design phase through to monitoring.”
 
### A field mission led by Reforest'Action to refine the tool and methodology

During a mission carried out in February 2024 as part of an international workshop organized by The Global Biodiversity Standard, a team from Reforest'Action's Impact Unit travelled to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest to compare estimated remote sensing data with data collected in the field, particularly in terms of tree species diversity in the canopy. “The aim of this mission was to compare the estimate given by satellite imagery with observation in the field, in order to verify their correlation and refine our methodology and tool”, continues Richard Sourbès. “In concrete terms, our experiments in some twenty forest and agroforestry plots demonstrated a strong relationship between the distribution of spectral tree species and that of tree species actually observed in the field.” 

This field mission showed encouraging results in terms of the relevance of monitoring spectral species as a proxy for plant diversity in the canopy. The increasing number of projects monitored using this method will enable us to improve its accuracy in the future, by adapting it to the different stages of maturity and types of forest studied by Reforest'Action. 

Ultimately, this tool should enable us to better control the evolution of our remote sensing projects, so as to optimize our field monitoring missions. It also aims to provide a better understanding of the factors influencing plant diversity and its evolution over time, so as to be able to propose corrective measures as soon as a negative evolution is detected (for example, the presence of an invasive species). Ultimately, this tool will strengthen the adaptive management of our projects and ensure the long-term survival of forest ecosystems.  

![Global-Biodiversity-Standard-4.jpg](/uploads/Global_Biodiversity_Standard_4_e23d45b127.jpg)

_To find out more about the spectral species method developed by Reforest'Action, read our dedicated article: “[Spectral species: an innovative method for studying plant biodiversity from space](https://www.reforestaction.com/en/magazine/spectral-species-monitoring-plant-biodiversity-from-space)”._


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Monitoring biodiversity to better preserve it: Reforest'Action's expertise at the service of The Global Biodiversity Standard

**To improve the monitoring of forest restoration projects, remote sensing can provide complementary indicators and support field surveys. By making it possible to monitor canopy diversity, the spatial distribution of plant species and forest evolution over time, the spectral species method and its associated tools developed by Reforest'Action are invaluable in forest management and restoration projects. They aim to enable forest managers to evolve their practices in order to optimize species diversity, as well as the stability and resilience of the forest ecosystem as a whole.** 

![Spectral-Species-canopy.jpg](/uploads/Spectral_Species_canopy_39e93e4b05.jpg)
 
## Remote sensing applied to the monitoring of vegetation
 
### Analyzing terrestrial ecosystems from space

Space-based remote sensing enables us to observe terrestrial environments using remote data acquisition methods based on the properties of electromagnetic radiation. Satellite sensors can measure the amount of energy (reflectance) reflected or emitted by a surface as a function of the wavelength of the electromagnetic spectrum, and analyze and monitor changes in the surface over time. The total reflectance recorded in each spectral band (blue, green, red, infrared, etc.) forms the object's “spectral signature”. Each surface thus has its own spectral signature, enabling it to be identified on satellite images.
 
### Defining the spectral signature of plant species

Remote sensing makes it possible to establish the spectral signature of plants by analyzing their optical properties in the visible, near-infrared and mid-infrared ranges. These properties depend in particular on the vegetation's cellular structure, as well as its water and pigment content. 
- **Cell structure.** The anatomical structure of leaves plays a significant role in the spectral signature of vegetation at longer wavelengths. Near-infrared radiation passes through the leaf to the cell layer, where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged in the processes of photosynthesis and respiration. In this layer, near-infrared radiation is strongly reflected. It therefore depends directly on leaf anatomy. 
- **Water content.** Leaf water content is also a factor influencing vegetation's spectral signature in the mid-infrared wavelengths. The higher the water content, the lower the reflectance of vegetation. In remote sensing, this wavelength range is used to identify water-stressed vegetation cover.
- **Leaf pigment content.** All plants contain green pigments (chlorophyll), orange pigments (carotenes) and blue-red pigments (anthocyanins). The presence of these leaf pigments (particularly chlorophyll, which is the most abundant) in plants is responsible for their high absorption of visible radiation.

These three elements vary according to season, plant species and life cycle. In other words, the spectral signature of vegetation is not constant. It reflects differences in the structure and characteristics of plant cover. 
 
![Spectral-species-canopy-from-ground.jpg](/uploads/Spectral_species_canopy_from_ground_72dbe3beac.jpg)

## The spectral species method

### From spectral signatures to spectral species: identifying the spatial distribution of plant species

At the scale of a forest plot, remote sensing can identify different spectral signatures, which can be distinguished and attributed to distinct plant species, grouped under categories known as “spectral species”. 

“Through opensource platforms, we have access to Copernicus satellite data, which is revisited every five days or so. We can download the current satellite view of a plot within one of our projects by entering its GPS coordinates,” explains Richard Sourbès, Impact Officer for Reforest'Action. “We then process this data using the Python programming language. On the satellite view, each pixel represents a surface that emits energy in 12 spectral bands. These reflectances in each spectral band are recovered by our software. They make up the spectral signature of the forest surface analyzed. We then try to classify each pixel into groups called spectral species according to the similarity of their signatures, and we thus obtain an estimate of the number of different species present in the canopy.”

This method provides a map of the spatial distribution of spectral species observed in the forest. The map takes the form of a satellite view of the plot, with each pixel color corresponding to a spectral species. 

![Spectral-species-map.jpg](/uploads/Spectral_species_map_ae538870db.jpg)
 
### From the spatial distribution of species to an index of their diversity: monitoring plant biodiversity

This first tool can then be used to calculate diversity indices, in particular the Shannon index. The Shannon index is the most commonly used diversity index in ecology. It is used to calculate species richness and distribution within a forest. In other words, the more numerous and evenly distributed the plant species, the higher the index. 

Reforest'Action uses the Shannon index to determine the specific diversity of spectral species, which is an indicator of the biological (taxonomic) diversity of canopy species. This plant diversity is represented in the form of a heat map, which locates, in warm color, spots of high plant diversity, and in cold color, spots of low plant diversity. It is then possible to follow the evolution of this biodiversity throughout the forest's growth. 

“In concrete terms, the forest stand is re-divided into cells of around 1000 m2, in which the abundance of each of the spectral species present is calculated”, explains Richard Sourbès. “In other words, the Shannon index is calculated by a simple change of scale: going from a 10x10 m pixel to a 33x33 m pixel, we obtain zones containing a greater or lesser diversity of spectral species, enabling us to identify the most diverse areas of the plot studied. Within a cell, the more numerous and evenly distributed the spectral species, the higher the Shannon index.  Conversely, a cell containing a single spectral species will have a Shannon index equal to zero, representing zero species diversity.” 

This mapping is particularly important: it enables field monitoring missions to be steered more effectively, in particular by targeting sampling zones adapted to the results of remote monitoring, and by enabling more precise management recommendations to be formulated. The tool also complements field surveys, which cannot be carried out on all forest stands, as they sometimes extend over dozens or even hundreds of hectares.

![Shannon-Index-Map.jpg](/uploads/Shannon_Index_Map_4dc16676fd.jpg)
 
## Valuable tools for monitoring restoration projects

By making it possible to monitor canopy diversity, the spatial distribution of plant species and forest evolution over time, the spectral species method and its associated tools (spectral species map, Shannon index) are invaluable in forest management and restoration projects. 

Because the data obtained is geo-referenced, it is particularly effective for locating potential invasive species that could threaten the stability of the forest ecosystem, or a lack of species diversity at stand level. They can be used to provide an initial diagnosis of canopy plant biodiversity on a forest scale, to better understand the ecological and environmental factors that favor or hinder plant biodiversity, to establish good practices that lead to high diversity, or to take corrective measures in the opposite case.  

Forest managers can use this data to develop their management practices to optimize species diversity, as well as the stability and resilience of the forest ecosystem as a whole. 

In the medium term, the aim is to be able to calculate the Shannon index for all our projects, in order to monitor the diversity of species represented on the forest plots that have been restored. This index will enable us to measure the impact generated by our projects in terms of plant biodiversity restoration, and will join a range of impact measurement tools currently being developed by Reforest'Action's Innovation & Impact Department.

![Spectral-Species-field-data.jpg](/uploads/Spectral_Species_field_data_23a1e9b997.jpg)

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Spectral species: an innovative method for monitoring plant biodiversity from space

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