In 2024 arboRise is launching a new reforestation cycle in the sub-prefecture of Samana, neighbouring Linko.
Preparations for this new stage have been underway for several months, with a reconnaissance visit in June 2022, a stakeholder consultation in five villages in January 2023 and the feasibility study with our second partner, EcoAct, culminating in the submission of the project description document to the Verra standard in December 2023.
These images from our reconnaissance in June 2022 show the similarities between Linko and Samana, where we observed the same population density, the same type of agriculture, the same deforestation… and the same enthusiastic welcome in the villages:
This warm welcome was confirmed during the stakeholder consultation with our partner EcoAct: the prefectoral, sub-prefectoral and village authorities (village chiefs, councils of elders) promised us their full support to ensure the success of the project in their region:
In the village of Sokourala, the teacher is even organising a parade of his (many) classes for us, with recitations by his pupils. It’s the perfect opportunity to give him “The Man Who Planted Trees” by Jean Giono (who inspired the arboRise project), to read with the children.
The stakeholder consultation (above) provides an opportunity to present the project, its benefits and also its risks, and then to gather the reactions and requests of the population in focus groups. Below Solène and Axelle from EcoAct in conversation with the women of the village of Gbeife:
But you’re wondering, “Where is Samana?
Below is a map of Guinea and area A, which represents the perimeter we started reforesting in 2021 (the sub-prefecture of Linko is in the top third of area A). On the right, region B is our second reforestation perimeter, and the sub-prefecture of Samana is located at the very west of this region B, just next to Linko (Samana is here on Google Maps). The aim of this second project is to reforest this region in seven years, again with the help of 2,000 families from 100 villages.
This new cycle in Samana corresponds to the statutory objective of the arboRise Foundation: “The Foundation’s reforestation campaigns are carried out in the southern countries of West Africa (in particular Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin) with the aim of creating a corridor for flora and fauna that connects the nature parks of these countries through agroforestry“. This can be clearly seen in the picture above: Regions A and B (and the future Region C) border the nature parks and wildlife reserves of Upper Guinea. Each reforestation region can be schematically represented as a rectangle of 30 km x 80 km. Below is a projection of this future natural corridor between two nature reserves:
Does that sound ambitious? It certainly does. It’s proportional to what’s at stake, because global warming is hitting these regions hard and we urgently need to create a barrier against the advance of the desert by strengthening biodiversity.
Our immediate challenge is to successfully integrate Samana, starting with the identification of the 25 villages that we will be supporting over the next 3 years. To do this, we need to put together a team, find a place for our base, buy the necessary equipment, and find the funding! And that’s the role of our partner EcoAct, which is actively looking for a player interested in the carbon that our project will absorb.
Are you still not convinced by carbon credits? It’s understandable because it’s complex: that’s why we’ve summarised all the arguments for and against in this dialogue on carbon offsetting. Enjoy it!