Vida Manglar

Inside the project

Vida Manglar protects the mangroves, marshes and tidal streams of Cispatá Bay in the Sinú River delta on Colombia's Caribbean coast, an ecosystem that buffers storms and supports roughly 12,000 people. Conservation International developed it with technical support from South Pole and a coalition of Colombian institutions including INVEMAR, Fundación Omacha and regional authorities.

The project broke new ground by certifying credits under Verra's VCS and CCB standards using the VM0007 methodology's tidal-wetland modules, the first blue-carbon credits issued under those rules when the first vintage came to market in May 2021. Over a 30-year lifetime it is expected to sequester close to one million tonnes of CO2.

Vida Manglar keeps value local: 92% of carbon revenue flows back to community associations, supported by conservation agreements and livelihood programs such as female-led beekeeping. Apple is among the highest-profile buyers, a relationship that has also drawn scrutiny from offset critics.

Objectives

• Conserve and restore Cispatá Bay mangroves and tidal streams
• Pioneer VCS blue-carbon credits under revised VM0007 modules
• Return 92% of carbon proceeds to local communities
• Cut unplanned deforestation against the project baseline
• Support female-led beekeeping and alternative livelihoods

Approach

• Vida Manglar uses REDD+-style avoided-deforestation accounting under VM0007 paired with blue-carbon soil-carbon measurement. INVEMAR leads carbon-stock science including soil core sampling, since mangroves store most of their carbon below ground.
• Tidal-flow restoration through reopening blocked channels is monitored as part of the restoration, and all credits are verified by third-party auditors under Verra.