Operation and Maintenance of Climate Projects

Mangroves and forest ongoing maintenance

What to put in contracts so trees live

Pay for survival, not planting

Milestone payments at 12 and 36 months are tied to independent survival audits (with methods published).
Species-site rules based on ecological zoning (e.g., pioneers on seaward edge, higher-salinity-tolerant species in exposed sites; no planting on historic seagrass beds).
Remote verification requires geotagged plot maps and publishes drone- and satellite-based checks, allowing the public to verify canopy growth (Primavera manual; CBMR) (Primavera et al., 2012).

Build tenure and benefit-sharing into the design

Consent and rights: where indigenous or customary rights exist, secure Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC); define who owns wood and non-wood products.
Benefit-sharing contracts: publish the percentages and timing; let communities track payments—lessons echo REDD+ research on transparent BSMs (CIFOR-ICRAF, 2023).

O&M for forests (yes, really)

Forests and mangroves also require ongoing maintenance (O&M), including fencing, watering, mulching, replanting after storms, and patrols against grazing and cutting. Contracts should specify seasonal work calendars, inputs, and monitoring—and pay on verified completion.

Publish everything

Contracts, BoQs, survival audits, and As-Built ecology in machine-readable formats (don’t hide behind scanned PDFs).
Link contract IDs to plot IDs and to annual survival datasets, so journalists, students, and watchdogs can run the numbers.

Community-led alternatives that work

Community-Based Mangrove Rehabilitation (CBMR), Philippines

CBMR frameworks, developed and disseminated through manuals by Primavera and its partners (ZSL, Forest Foundation PH), demonstrate how to dramatically increase survival rates: correct species-site matching, small and local nurseries, staged planting with community aftercare, and clear stewardship rules (Primavera et al., 2012; Forest Foundation PH, 2017). Evaluations highlight improved outcomes when communities are paid for survival and when rights to harvest limited non-timber products are clarified (Primavera, 2012; Camacho et al., 2020).

Co-management with real power, Bangladesh

Recent remote-sensing studies suggest that some co-managed protected areas exhibit positive restoration trends when local institutions have genuine decision-making authority and sufficient budgets (Karim et al., 2024). Yet qualitative research warns that co-management can be double-edged if elite dominance and gender barriers persist (Siddique et al., 2024; Begum et al., 2024). The lesson is not to abandon co-management, but to hard-wire equity— encompassing women’s representation, grievance handling, and transparent revenue flows—into the design (Karim et al., 2024; Begum et al., 2024).

Watershed user groups with contract authority

Where upland communities have enforceable roles—budget lines for patrols, incentives to keep fire and grazing controlled, and sharing rules for minor forest produce—illegal logging falls, and water security improves. FAO/ASEAN restoration guidance and community forestry research demonstrate that genuine authority and transparency outperform performative committees (FAO ASEAN restoration; CBFM evaluations). (FAO, 2011; FAO, CBFM Philippines).

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Abbey Abramson

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