Does drying rice fields lose soil carbon, and how do AWD credits deal with it?
Possibly, and ICVCM says the effect is uncertain. VM0051 v1.1 responds with applicability conditions that ban practices that deplete soil carbon, and by requiring qualified agronomic experts to set AWD criteria for each stratum, weighing yield and wider soil health. Soil carbon stays a source of uncertainty.
What the concern is
Wetting and drying brings air into soils that are otherwise flooded. That can speed up the breakdown of organic matter. It may also be offset by crop growth, residue inputs and other management. Research shows the direction and size of the change vary with soil type, climate, management, and how often fields dry.
What VM0051 v1.1 does about it
- Applicability conditions prohibit practices that deplete soil organic carbon.
- Qualified agronomic experts develop AWD implementation criteria for each stratum, taking into account yield maintenance and broader soil health.
What ICVCM concludes
Methane typically falls a lot, but carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide fluxes vary, and the soil carbon picture needs more data. The Board treats soil carbon as context-dependent and a source of uncertainty in the climate result, best accounted for where feasible. Combining wetting and drying with residue management, nutrient optimisation or soil amendments may help keep soil carbon.
What to ask a project developer
- Who sets the drying rules for my soil type, and is that person a qualified agronomist?
- Which practices does the project forbid on my fields?
- How will my yield be tracked?
What Senseible does here
Senseible does not issue or verify carbon credits and is not a registry. It gives carbon credit eligibility signals from your own records and keeps those records in order for a verifier. Verified here means rule checks passed against the evidence, not third-party assurance.
Last reviewed 2026-11-04.