With the rainforests of South America under ever-increasing threat from unsustainable logging and land conversion practices, BP has joined forces with other companies, a local co-coordinating agency, and the Bolivian government to administer the Noel Kempff Mercado Climate Action Project in Bolivia. With the aim of contributing to mitigation of global climate change, the Climate Action Project (CAP) is the largest forest-based carbon project in the world.
The Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, on the borders of Brazil and Bolivia, occupies some 3.7 million acres, roughly the size of the US State of Massachusetts. The forest is home to more than 150 mammal species, 650 bird species, 105 reptile and amphibian species, and more than 4,000 plant species, with over 100 different orchid varieties alone. Five villages with about 1200 inhabitants also lie in and around the Park.
The CAP aims to protect nearly four million acres of threatened tropical forests in the Department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia for at least 30 years. The primary purpose of the project is to capture carbon dioxide and store carbon that would have been released as a result of logging activities in the area. At the same time, the project aims to preserve one of the richest and most biologically diverse ecosystems in the world and to foster sustainable development in local communities.
The sustainable use of natural resources by the local communities is seen as key to the long-term survival and prosperity of the Park. CAP has helped these communities gain status as indigenous peoples to protect their rights, and taught sustainable production techniques for the resources in the forests surrounding the park, such as lumber and heart-of-palm. Micro-enterprises such as crafts for eco-tourists, fishing, beekeeping, and cashew processing are all encouraged. The commercial exploitation of the Park’s resources to safeguard its future funding lies in the hands of Canopy Botanicals, which partners with a Bolivian manufacturer of natural food products.
The keys to success for this project are the full participation of local communities, financial support from external sources, a proactive management programme, and the backing of government.