Which one of the following is the first Plan Vivo certified Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) project in India?

Answer: (c) Khasi Hills Community REDD+ project

The Khasi Hills Community REDD+ project in Meghalaya (run by local federations) was India’s first Plan Vivo certified REDD+ project.

The idea

In Meghalaya most forest belongs to communities and clans, not to the forest department. So a forest-carbon project there had to be community-run. Khasi villages protect and regrow their forests, the carbon saved is measured, and the credits are sold to buyers abroad.

Khasi communities own the forest → They stop fires, cutting and quarrying and let forest regrow → Carbon saved is measured and certified → Credits are sold → Money returns to the villages

Why the others are wrong

(b) The ICFRE–ICIMOD work is a research/pilot partnership, not the certified project.

The trap

Government names (ICFRE, ICIMOD) sound official — but the first certified project was community-run.

Also know

The project is in the East Khasi Hills around Mawphlang, known for its sacred grove, and is run by a federation of traditional Khasi village governments (Hima). Plan Vivo is a Scotland-based standard made for small community land-use projects.