Small forests owners and environmental sustainability in Guatemala: The potential of the Carbon Banking approach

Forest carbon is potentially an important income stream for small land owners in Guatemala that would help to cease deforestation and forest degradation pressures. However, the temporary nature of sequestered forest carbon, the risk of environmental disturbances releasing forest sequestered carbon, and the form of international carbon markets affect the ability of small forest owners to participate in carbon trading schemes. This paper reports the results of an investigation into the stability of carbon pools formed by small forest owners in Guatemala, accounting for forest fire risk and the effects on implementation of a carbon banking approach