Chanzará & Alto Río Sequihonda

The biogeographic Chocó is one of the world's most biodiverse regions, a belt of lowland rainforest and mangrove along Colombia's Pacific coast that stretches south through Cauca and Nariño. Chanzará & Alto Río Sequihonda sits within this landscape, across the municipalities of Guapi (Cauca), Santa Bárbara de Iscuandé and El Charco (Nariño), where the Sequihonda and neighbouring river basins feed waterways that supply communities and ecosystems across the region.

The forest here is dense with endemic species found nowhere else on Earth. Jaguars, harpy eagles, poison dart frogs, and countless plant species depend on the integrity of these connected forest landscapes. The watershed functions are equally vital, regulating water flow and quality for downstream communities and agriculture.

Deforestation pressure is relentless. Illicit-crop expansion, unsustainable artisanal mining and selective logging fragment the forest, intensified by armed-actor pressure across the region. Without alternative income, communities face mounting pressure to clear their own land, and forest loss accelerates each year, taking carbon storage and irreplaceable biodiversity with it.

Chanzará & Alto Río Sequihonda exists within this landscape of threat and opportunity. The project recognises that forest protection must be economically competitive with destructive land uses. By generating revenue from carbon credits, the project makes it possible for communities to choose forest conservation as their economic strategy.

This project exists because communities decided it should exist. Free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) was not a box to tick but a genuine process of community deliberation. Afro-Colombian leaders from both councils assessed the proposal, negotiated terms, and chose to participate on their own terms.

Governance is structured through community assemblies and territorial committees where decisions about forest management, benefit distribution, and project direction are made collectively. These are not advisory bodies that rubber-stamp decisions made elsewhere. They hold real authority over how the project operates and how revenues are allocated.

Participatory monitoring is embedded in the project design. Community members conduct regular forest patrols, document land-use changes, and contribute to the data that feeds into formal verification processes. This combines traditional ecological knowledge with scientific monitoring, creating a more robust and locally grounded approach to forest management.

Revenue sharing is transparent and participatory. Communities know exactly how much carbon has been verified, what price it sold for, and how the money flows back to them. Regular reporting ensures accountability and allows communities to adjust their strategies based on actual results.

Forest monitoring is constant. Community members walk the forest regularly, documenting changes in vegetation, wildlife presence, and signs of illegal activity. This data feeds into formal monitoring reports that track carbon stock changes and verify that the forest is indeed being protected and, where applicable, restored.

Enforcement is a community responsibility. Territorial patrols deter illegal logging and hunting. Communities work with local authorities to address threats. This is not external policing but communities exercising their own territorial rights and protecting their own resources.

Sustainable livelihoods reduce pressure on the forest. Agroforestry systems integrate productive trees with food crops, generating income without requiring forest conversion. Non-timber forest products, cacao, fruit, medicinal plants, provide additional revenue streams. These activities are managed by communities themselves, ensuring that benefits stay local and that economic incentives align with forest protection.

Restoration activities target areas where forest has been degraded or partially cleared. Native tree planting, natural regeneration support, and habitat connectivity work expand the forest's carbon storage capacity and ecological function. These activities are labour-intensive and create employment for community members.

Chanzará & Alto Río Sequihonda is being developed under the Plan Vivo standard, which requires community-led forest management, rigorous carbon accounting and third-party verification. The project is at an early stage. A Project Idea Note has been prepared and certification has not yet started. It builds on the groundwork of ACADESAN, our lead project, whose Project Design Document is currently under review with Plan Vivo. No credits will be issued before independent validation and verification.

Verification is not a one-time event. Regular monitoring reports document forest changes, community activities and carbon stock updates. Projects report to Plan Vivo annually, and third-party verifiers assess the project at least every five years, confirming that carbon claims are legitimate before further credits are issued.

Documentation is comprehensive and accessible. The Project Idea Note (PIN) outlines the project concept and community context. FPIC documentation demonstrates that communities have genuinely consented to participation. Monitoring reports provide detailed data on forest conditions and project activities. These materials are available to partners through our due diligence process, allowing informed assessment before credit purchases.

Registry transparency is non-negotiable. Every credit issued is registered in Mama Nature's public transparency register, with details on issuance date, verification status and retirement. Once a credit is purchased and retired, it is permanently removed from circulation, preventing double counting and creating an auditable record from issuance through final retirement.

The Project Idea Note (PIN) provides the foundational project description, including community context, forest baseline conditions, project activities and expected outcomes. It outlines the rationale for the project and demonstrates alignment with Plan Vivo requirements. The PIN forms the basis for all subsequent project development; the Project Design Document (PDD) becomes the public reference document once submitted to Plan Vivo.

Maps and spatial data document the exact project boundaries, community territories, forest types and land-use zones. High-resolution satellite imagery provides baseline forest cover data. Community-generated maps show territorial knowledge and land management zones. These materials are essential for understanding the geographic scope and ecological context of the project.

The monitoring plan details how forest conditions are tracked, how carbon stocks are estimated and how community activities are documented. It specifies monitoring frequency, data collection methods, quality assurance procedures and reporting timelines. This plan ensures consistency and rigour in data collection across project years.

Safeguards documentation demonstrates how the project protects environmental and social integrity. FPIC records show that communities have genuinely consented to participation. Grievance mechanisms allow community members to raise concerns. Environmental impact assessments identify potential risks and mitigation measures. These materials ensure that the project operates with genuine community benefit and environmental protection.

Once the project reaches the verification stage, third-party auditors will issue verification statements confirming that monitoring data is accurate, that carbon calculations are correct and that the project meets Plan Vivo standards. These statements will provide independent assurance that every credit issued is legitimate and represents genuine climate impact.