Two new afforestation and reforestation  projects have been approved by the UN Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in March, according to the World Bank, which manages them.

The  Moldova Soil Conservation Project  is run by Moldova’s State Forest Agency, Moldsilva, which aims to reforest 20,290 hectares of degraded land belonging to it and local councils. The 20-year project aims to deliver 2.5 million tonnes of CO2 emission reductions by 2017 through carbon bio-sequestration in trees and soil. Up to 40 different native and naturalised tree species will be used. It was officially registered as a CDM project in early March.

“This project will contribute to reduce the impacts of climate change, not only at a national but global level by sequestering about three millions tonnes of carbon dioxide between 2002 and 2022,” Anatolie Popusoi, director general of Moldsilva, was quoted as saying in a World Bank press release.

Last week another CDM project was announced: the first small scale afforestation/reforestation project. It is a scheme to plant trees on the fringe of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan in India, which aims to help stabilise sand dunes, increase soil quality, improve water holding capacity in the land, sequester carbon and generate credit revenues for local communities. Tree species such as acacia and eucalyptus for timber and Ber for fruit harvest will be planted on 370 hectares of degraded cropland in cooperative venture with 227 local farmers and the Haryana Forest Department. The project is expected to generate some 380,000 temporary Certified Emission Reductions (CERs), or carbon credits, over its 20-year lifespan.