vichada-climate-reforestation-project-paz
SDGs
  • No Poverty
  • Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • Responsible Consumption and Production
  • Climate Action
  • Life on Land

Vichada Climate Reforestation Project (PAZ)

Project overview

The Vichada Reforestation Project transforms more than 7,000 hectares of formerly degraded savannah in the Vichada Department of eastern Colombia into sustainable forest. The project sits in the vast Llanos Orientales near Puerto Carreño, on land previously affected by extensive, low-yield cattle ranching that had depleted soils and removed native vegetation. It is developed by Inverbosques and CO2OL, and is FSC certified across all production and conservation areas.

More than 6 million trees have been planted, with a careful mix of commercial timber species (Acacia mangium, Rubber, and Pine) and native species. The project removes over 120,000 tCO₂e per year on average, with credits issued under the Gold Standard for the Global Goals (GS4GG) framework. 

The Sylvera “BBB” rating gives the project an above-average independent quality score among ARR projects, and the combination of FSC, Gold Standard, and Sylvera makes it a strong fit for buyers requiring the highest level of technical integrity.

Community benefits

  • Regional socio-economic transformation: In a department historically affected by isolation and lack of infrastructure, the project represents one of the largest sources of formal employment, providing stable, long-term work for more than 200 local workers.
  • Advanced technical training: Workers receive continuous training in advanced agroforestry techniques, sustainable forest management, machinery operation, and occupational health and safety protocols.
  • Infrastructure and community support: The project fosters indirect regional development by improving local roads and access tracks, and supports local schools and health initiatives through corporate social investment.

Environmental and biodiversity benefits

  • Protection of gallery forests: The project strictly safeguards and restores the native gallery forests along local rivers, which are vital for protecting water resources and preventing riverbank erosion in the Orinoco basin.
  • Wildlife havens: By combining commercial plots with native conservation zones, the project creates complex forest structures that have led to the return of giant anteaters (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), tapirs, deer, and diverse neotropical bird species.
  • Soil regeneration: The root systems of the planted trees and the accumulation of organic litter have significantly improved soil structure, nutrient levels, and water-retention capacity in the fragile savanna soil.

Project information

Location Llanos Orientales, near Puerto Carreño, Vichada Department, Colombia
Country Colombia
Developer Inverbosques / CO2OL
Type Afforestation, Reforestation, and Revegetation (ARR), nature-based removal
Methodology AR-ACM0003, Gold Standard Methodology for Afforestation and Reforestation 
Registry listing Gold Standard GS 4221 
Additional certification Sylvera “BBB”, FSC certified (Forest Stewardship Council), confirming 100% sustainable forest management across all project sites
Credit period 30 years (2014 to 2044)

Certification

The_Gold_Standard_logo.svg 1
k5fh5c3tizgtqmdoiigpul3cnlsu 1-1
Frame 476-1