ABOUT
The Gola Rainforest National Park was established to better protect the 70,000-hectare park, the 70,000-hectare buffer zone, and the millions of tons of carbon that are locked within Gola’s trees and the earth below it. Gola’s previous Forest Reserve status allowed for small-scale logging operations, industrial and artisanal mining, and agricultural activities, and these activities caused rapid deforestation and degradation. This project enables local stakeholders (government, communities, and national NGOs) to manage this entire landscape sustainably, to benefit both local communities and wildlife. All the project’s efforts, from National Park Forest Guard employment opportunities to the establishment of a cocoa farmer’s co-operative, contribute to the rebuilding of lives after a decade of civil war and the recent Ebola outbreak.
IMPACT
498,667
Tons of carbon reduced each year
70,000
Hectares of forest are protected
BENEFITS
- Reintroduces sustainable cocoa production skills that were lost during the civil war and Ebola crisis. These practices impact over 24,000 local people across 122 communities.
- Provides over 160 jobs to local communities through the Gola Rainforest National Park Forest Guard and sustainable cocoa production.
PHOTOS
VERIFICATIONS
Founded in 2005, Verra is a global leader helping tackle the world’s most intractable environmental and social challenges by developing and managing standards that help the private sector, countries, and civil society achieve ambitious sustainable development and climate action goals. Verra’s global standards and frameworks serve as linchpins for channeling finance towards high-impact activities that tackle some of the most pressing environmental issues of our day.