Vida Manglar is not a restoration project. As a REDD+ program, it focuses on developing actions to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation of mangrove forests, preventing the carbon stored in trees and sediments from being released into the atmosphere, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation. Restoration is one of the actions aimed at preventing emissions.
This area of the country is characterized by the implementation of a unique scheme of rotational and participatory forest use, which is regulated by CVS as the environmental authority. This model makes it possible to grant use permits under strict technical and legal standards to ensure the sustainability of the ecosystem. Thus, use is carried out in a controlled manner, in authorized areas.
Vida Manglar is organized through a clear governance structure to articulate all actors and ensure the long-term sustainability of the program. For this purpose, the program has an operational manual and a resource distribution system aligned with the Management Plan of the DRMI of Cispatá Bay, La Balsa, and Tinajones.
Additionally, the program has two governing bodies: the Steering Committee, responsible for guiding financial and technical operations according to the priorities of the protected area, and the Technical Committee, which ensures the strength, efficiency, and effectiveness of the annual operational plan. The latter includes two representatives of the mangrove associations, previously selected by the communities themselves.
Regarding the financial aspect, resources are managed through the Vida Manglar Fund, composed of an extinguishable account and an endowment fund, whose management oversees the Fund for Environmental Action and Children – Fondo Acción.
In this way, the program manages to articulate the participation of multiple actors, maintain technical and financial coherence, and ensure that decisions are made collectively and transparently.
The commercialization of Vida Manglar carbon credits is regulated in the program’s Operational Manual, where the specific responsibilities of each strategic partner are defined. CVS does not directly sell the credits, as this task requires a specialized technical team with experience in international markets.
Accordingly, the Vida Manglar Operational Manual establishes, within the functions of Conservation International, through the CI Nature Finance Division team, the identification of buyers and the commercialization of carbon credits in the international voluntary market.
Additionally, CVS signed a letter formally authorizing Conservation International to be the entity responsible for this process.
Once carbon credits are commercialized, the resources obtained are transferred directly to Fondo Acción, the entity responsible for managing the funds, which are reinvested in the implementation of the Management Plan of the protected area of the DRMI Cispatá.
Consequently, CVS ensures that all actions carried out in the DRMI of Cispatá are aligned with the Comprehensive Management Plan and with Vida Manglar, to avoid duplication of efforts and resources, but it does not directly participate in the sale of carbon credits.
The resources generated from the sale of blue carbon credits for the Vida Manglar program do not finance the following:
– 100% of the budget required for the implementation of management plan actions – this is because there must always be a contribution from environmental authorities, as leaders of the program’s protected areas.
– Purchase of land transport vehicles.
– Purchase of land or constructions.
– Payment of salaries of the directors of the partner institutions of the program.
– All those established in the administrator’s procurement manual.
