The Blue Carbon Project Gulf of Morrosquillo (Colombia) is the first blue carbon project registered in Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) Program. Also known as Vida Manglar—Mangrove Life—the project will sequester almost one million tonnes of CO2 over 30 years by conserving and sustainably managing 7,561 hectares of coastal mangrove ecosystem, marshes, and associated streams.
Blue carbon activities from this project provide important economic, social, and environmental benefits for local communities. This project will:
- Strengthen local governance through local municipality and community participation in sustainable management practices;
- Rescue, rehabilitate, and protect the habitat of several endangered species such as manatees and otters;
- Reduce social barriers related to poverty by promoting jobs and activities such as bee-keeping and ecotourism; and
- Introduce sustainable food sources such as community gardens.
This first-of-its-kind project was developed by Conservation International with the technical support of South Pole, using a Verra methodology (VM0007) that was revised in September 2020 to include tidal wetland conservation and restoration activities.
Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (INVEMAR), Regional Autonomous Corporation of Sinu and San Jorge Valleys (CVS), Regional Autonomous Corporation of Sucre (CARSUCRE), and Fundación Omacha are implementing and monitoring the project with validation conducted by AENOR. The Colombian General Directorate of Maritime Affairs (DIMAR) provided valuable input and support for the project.
