Creating jobs and gender equality through afforestationThe Liangdu Afforestation Project is located in Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province of China, The project plants native species on barren lands for greenhouse gas removal whilst contributing to local sustainable development. 23,720 hectares of the forest is being planted on barren lands. Prior to the project activity, these areas were characterized by poor ecological environment and karst rocky desertification.
The project is spread across Shuicheng county, Pan county and Liuzhi special district. The total population in the project zone is nearly 2,900,753. All the barren lands for afforestation activities belong to the local people and village committees manage the lands on behalf of the inhabitants. The project proponent has been fully authorized by all the village committees to implement the project management and monitoring. The project has created 15,220 jobs for locals, 70 percent of them being taken by women.
How does reforestation/afforestation/revegetation contribute to climate action?Forests are essential in our lives and are among the planet's most important carbon sinks. Besides providing habitats for wildlife, they filter the air, stabilise and protect soils, store water, and contribute to the balance of our climate. However, global forest areas have declined sharply in recent decades due to increasing settlements, agriculture, illegal logging, and raw material extraction. Afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation activities significantly increase a forest’s carbon storage capacity in both the biomass of the forest and in the soil. The storage capacity varies according to the tree species, age, and location. Experts distinguish these activities in the following way:
Afforestation converts non-forested areas into forest ones. Reforestation restores forest areas that have been damaged or deforested in the past. Revegetation increases the vegetation through planting trees, shrubs, or other plants.
