Combating Climate Change

Growing scientific evidence has shown that some degree of climate change is inevitable, and Nicaragua has already begun to experience early impacts of a changing climate.  (Read more about Climate Change in Nicaragua).

Mitigation: Return to Forest

Paso Pacifico's climate change mitigation program, which refers to our effort to reduce or offset carbon emissions, began as a partner to our reforestation projects. Return to Forest is Paso Pacifico's hallmark climate change mitigation program. To date, the Return to Forest project has planted 250,000 native trees and will sequester 150,000 tons of carbon over the next 40 years. This project was the third project globally to receive a gold ranking of the Climate, Community, and Biodiversity Standard and carbon offset credits from this project are sold by our partners at Carbonfund.org on the US Voluntary Market.  You can learn more about Return to Forest by watching this video.

As part of the upcoming Phase II Expansion of the Return to Forest project, Paso Pacifico is seeking out landowners in Nicaragua who are interested in preserving preexisting forests on their lands, as well as those interested in reforesting degraded areas.

Adaptation: Building Capacity

Our new program addressing climate change adaptation will launch in Fall 2010. Paso Pacifico plans to build the capacity of local people, ecosystems, and infrastructure to withstand climate impacts by enhancing resilience amongst people and the natural ecosystems they depend on. Participatory community workshops will educate rural communities about climate change, its impacts, and how to cope with those impacts (i.e. disaster preparedness, diversifying crops and fishing catches). Meanwhile, Paso Pacifico will also facilitate community-led restoration efforts of the forest watershed and coastal mangroves, thereby increasing the resilience of these ecosystems to climate impacts. Communities will learn that restoring and conserving their natural ecosystems helps prepare for climate change by allowing healthy ecosystems to perform natural functions like water cycling, soil stabilization, and providing wildlife habitat.