TZ-REDD Newsletter
TZ-REDD Newsletter
About the newsletter
The TZ-REDD quarterly newsletter is a part of the TFCG/MJUMITA project funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway. The newsletters aim to keep practitioners, donors, universities and CSOs up-to-date about REDD projects in Tanzania, upcoming events, and REDD developments around the world.
Click here to download the PDF version of the newsletter.
TZ-REDD Newsletter
Issue No. 9, January 2013
Contents
I. National REDDyness...
- NRTF Finalizes National REDD+ Strategy and Action Plan
- CSOs piloting REDD+ comment on the 2nd draft (June 2012) National REDD+ Strategy
- National REDD+ Task Force Leading Process to Establish National REDD+ Safeguards
- Tanzania REDD+ Capacity Needs Assessment and Costs Study Released by GoT, UN-REDD Tanzania Programme and Partners
- Capacity Needs Assessment for REDD+ in Tanzania
- Study on Costs of REDD+ in Tanzania
- Pilot Projects Share Experiences and Lessons on Equitable Benefit Sharing
III. Highlights from CoP18 at Doha!
- Progress on REDD at CoP18
- Government of Tanzania and REDD+ Pilot Projects Share their Experience at COP18
- Documents and policy briefs from the Government of Tanzania showcased at COP18
- Pilot projects endorse Key Messages for COP18
- Pilot projects highlight their joint work and related lessons learned
- Government of Tanzania shares experience on REDD+ readiness
- IIED, TNRF and GBM look at global and local lessons on making REDD+ pro-poor
- Some Other REDD+ Relevant Side Events
I. National REDDyness…
NRTF Finalizes National REDD+ Strategy and Action Plan
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The NRTF has redesigned its website (www.reddtz.org) and started a blog (www.reddtz.blogspot.com/)! NOTE: During this transition we’ve done our best to provide the most up-to-date links to their materials online; however, as the site has been in transition, some of the links may no longer be available.
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Submitted by Faustine D. Ninga (NRTF Secretariat)
The Tanzania National REDD+ Task Force (NRTF) has completed preparation of the National REDD+ Strategy (‘the Strategy’) and its Action Plan. The executive summary of the final version is available here, with the full documents forthcoming.
The final version of the Strategy and Action Plan were validated in a national stakeholders’ workshop held 24-25 October, 2012 (Bagamoyo). Prior to the validation workshop, country-wide consultations were held in different zones of Tanzania to raise awareness and solicit comments on the strategy and action plan. Significant inputs were also received from REDD+ pilot projects (see below), civil society organizations, the Royal Norwegian Embassy and the UN-REDD Tanzania Programme. Consolidation and finalization of the Strategy and Action Plan also involved a gender mainstreaming exercise facilitated by the Ministry of Community Development, Gender and Children.
A higher level validation workshop was held in Zanzibar on 31 October 2012, engaging members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives. A similar workshop was also held in Dodoma on 3 November 2012, engaging members of the Parliament of Tanzania through its Standing Committees on Environment, Land and Natural Resources, and on Planning and Finance.
The next step is to submit the final versions of the Strategy and Action Plan to the government for discussion and endorsement by both the Climate Change Steering and Technical Committees under the Vice President’s Office. The strategy will be made available publicly in both English and Kiswahili languages.
CSOs piloting REDD+ comment on the 2nd draft (June 2012) National REDD+ StrategyThe NRTF released a second draft of the National REDD+ Strategy and an accompanying draft Action Plan in June 2012, and comments were accepted through the end of August 2012, as reported in our last newsletter. As noted above, in preparation of the final Strategy and Action Plan, the NRTF has already revised these draft documents based in part on stakeholders’ feedback.
Civil society organisations (CSOs) currently facilitating Tanzania REDD+ pilot projects - including African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), CARE Tanzania, Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), Mpingo Conservation and Development Initiative (MCDI), Tanzania Community Forest Network (MJUMITA), Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG), Tanzania Traditional Energy Development Organization (TaTEDO), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania (WCST) – came together to commend the NRTF and its partners for preparing the 2nd drafts, and to provide feedback and comments. Their comments were made in relation to previously submitted CSO recommendations and feedback, as well as further reflections based on pilot project experience. The recommendations seek to ensure that the Strategy and Action Plan support equitable, effective and efficient REDD+.
The feedback recognizes and welcomes the improvements that were made in the June 2012 draft, and elaborates on a number of key issues that could benefit from greater clarity, including:
• Need for more and clearer information about the relative importance of deforestation drivers in different contexts in Tanzania, and appropriate prioritization of interventions to address these drivers. • Clearer protection of community land, forest, tenure and carbon rights, including by explicitly recognizing that most unreserved forests are on village land, and that villages have rights to own and benefit from carbon stored in biomass on village lands. • Clearer commitments to developing, implementing, monitoring and enforcing comprehensive national social and environmental safeguards, consistent with the strongest international standards, appropriately adapted to the national context. • Stronger recognition of gender issues and a commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment in REDD+ development and implementation. • Inclusion of high level cost-benefits analysis to determine whether international funds for REDD+ are likely to, in fact, meet and exceed the real costs of REDD+ implementation in Tanzania.
The CSOs’ comments also included feedback on specific Key Results Area and their associated Action Plan elements, including recommendations to:
• Make clearer provisions regarding how funds will be governed and equitably distributed between all levels and eligible actors (KRA2); • Clarify and make overall stronger links between carbon MRV, equitable benefit sharing and safeguards (KRA1); • Continue and strengthen provisions for full and effective participation (KRA3); • Strengthen recognition and treatment of inter-sectoral roles in implementing REDD+ (KRA4); • Strengthen focus on REDD+ governance (e.g., rule of law, accountability, transparency) in addition to sound institutional and administrative arrangements (KRA6); • Streamline and prioritize drivers and the potential interventions to address them (KRA 10); and • Better integrate safeguards across KRAs and/or create a dedicated KRA on safeguards (cross-cutting). |
National REDD+ Task Force Leading Process to Establish National REDD+ Safeguards
Submitted by Faustine D. Ninga (NRTF Secretariat)
Tanzania’s National REDD+ safeguards are set to be established by 30th July 2013. The government will spearhead the process, led by the National REDD+ Task Force (NRTF). A consultant has been selected to facilitate the NRTF in undertaking activities to put these REDD+ safeguard in place. These processes include:
• Review of existing national safeguards and international social and environmental safeguards for REDD+ and develop a framework for the two to be integrated as national safeguards for REDD+ in Tanzania.
• Hold a series of stakeholder consultations to discuss the review report (from activity 1 above) and propose how safeguards can be effectively and efficiently integrated and tailored to the Tanzanian context.
• Develop draft REDD+ safeguards and facilitate stakeholder workshops in different zones of Tanzania to discuss the draft document. This activity will also involve a 90-day period for public comment on the draft version, and for incorporation of stakeholders’ comments.
• Develop an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) that identifies social and environmental risks that may result from implementation of the National REDD+ Strategy, and develop appropriate actions to manage and mitigate risks.
• Facilitate a national validation workshop for both the national REDD+ safeguards and the Environmental and Social Management Framework.
• Establish a country-level Standards Committee to oversee use of the National REDD+ Safeguards in Tanzania. Establishment of such a committee will consider a balance of government and civil society actors, gender balance and effective representation of forest dependent peoples. A country-level committee can also be developed from existing REDD+ Technical Working Groups.
Tanzania REDD+ Capacity Needs Assessment and Costs Study Released by GoT, UN-REDD Tanzania Programme and Partners
Capacity Needs Assessment for REDD+ in Tanzania
Ralf Ernst, UN-REDD Programme Coordinator Tanzania.
Source: Press release available on national REDD website (www.reddtz.org)
Capacity Needs Assessment full report and policy brief available here
The Government of Tanzania, through the UN-REDD National Programme and in cooperation with UNDP, recently conducted a Capacity Needs Assessment (CNA) of government institutions for REDD+ at central, regional, district and local levels in Tanzania.
It is recognised that capacity-development is essential for the development of a national REDD+ scheme, but who needs to be trained on what and what else is needed to build the necessary capacity for REDD+? Answers to these questions are essential for the success of REDD+, and with that in mind the Government of Tanzania conducted the CNA.
At the central level, the CNA included all the institutions that are represented in the National REDD+ Task Force. In addition, the CNA team visited seven selected districts to assess capacities at district and local levels and identify additional capacity development needs.
In a participatory process, a task and institutional analysis was conducted and a capacity assessment framework established. Karen Edwards, senior consultant of LTS International and the leader of the CNA team, explained: “While many aspects of the future REDD+ scheme are still uncertain and assumptions had to be made, this process allowed participants to identify what tasks will in future be performed at what level of the administration and what skills and other capacities will be required.”
The CNA adapted the UNDP Framework for capacity assessment which uses a multi-dimensional approach and provides the scope to assess institutional incentives, leadership issues, accountability and dialogue processes. Knowledge and technical skills, often the only focus of capacity assessments, were only two aspects of this comprehensive assessment. Core focal issues were based on a participatory analysis of the current bottlenecks for REDD+ in Tanzania as identified by the stakeholders. It was these core issues that became the foci for the assessment.
A general finding of the CNA is that the most awareness and discourse on REDD+ exists at the national level, while “there is extremely limited knowledge and technical skills at the district and village level which is in fact the core sphere of REDD+ implementation”.
At the district level, the CNA found that there are functional challenges particularly in planning and data monitoring that already hinder the widespread implementation of other policy frameworks that support sustainable land management such as Participatory Forest Management (PFM) and Participatory Land Use Management (PLUM). “Given that REDD+ in Tanzania will build on the existing structures for PFM and PLUM, these capacity challenges will also be limiting for REDD+ implementation”, Karen Edwards said. At village levels there are clear capacity gaps in relation to governance and villages’ power for enforcing their own rights.
The CNA proposes a five-year Capacity Development Plan for the years 2012 – 2017 and several intervention packages for REDD+ capacity development for central, district and local levels that allow for short term gains as well as long term strategic objectives to be achieved. Some key principles that influenced the design of these packages were:
• Mobilising existing capacity where possible;
• Increasing diversity of interventions to include some training but also dialogue mechanisms, leadership programs, institutional incentives;
• Minimising one–off training interventions and building in coaching and follow up performance tasks;
• Offering self-development and training opportunities for the best suited and motivated participants;
• Integrating capacity with clear, strategic roll out of REDD+ alongside other natural resource and land management policies and programs; and
• Keep learning up-to-date and real, based on lessons from the field in Tanzania and elsewhere.
“The UN agencies that work together under the UN-REDD Programme (FAO, UNDP and UNEP) will discuss the Capacity Development Plan with the relevant government institutions, in particular those represented in the National REDD+ Task Force, and with development partners to facilitate all necessary support for Tanzania’s efforts in developing a fully functional REDD+ scheme”, said Ralf Ernst, the International UN-REDD Coordinator in Tanzania.
Study on Costs of REDD+ in Tanzania
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT) and UNDP, through the UN-REDD National Programme, commissioned a study to get an answer to the question of what REDD+ costs in Tanzania.
Available outputs of this study include:
• The final report and policy briefing (available here);
• A scientific article based on the project findings - entitled A bottom-up approach to estimating cost elements of REDD+ pilot projects in Tanzania (Merger et al 2012) (available here, see more detail in ‘Resources’ section below); and
• A software tool that REDD+ project developers and other interested stakeholders can use to monitor and control the cost of a REDD+ project (available here). During the project, training was provided to REDD+ pilot project staff and other interested parties in the use and application of this tool.
The study distinguishes four different kinds of costs that REDD+ projects incur: opportunity costs, implementation costs, transaction costs and institutional costs.
Forest economists and other experts from two firms, LTS International and Germany-based UNIQUE forestry and land use advisory company, worked closely with several of the REDD+ pilot projects in Tanzania as well as representatives from government and academia and other stakeholders in the REDD+ process to establish the above costs at the project level. Results show that all cost elements have wide variations depending on the location of a project, the surrounding land-uses and the general economic conditions. Project-specific opportunity costs range from USD -7.8 to USD 28.8 per tonne of CO2. Combined implementation, transaction and institutional costs range from USD 3.9 to USD 8.9 per ha and per year with the largest share, up to 95%, being consumed by implementation costs.
The project results emphasised the need for establishing project- and region-specific costs for the development of REDD+ projects in order to identify the most cost-efficient project locations. Results were presented, for example, in the form of REDD+ opportunity cost curves (see above). An opportunity cost curve provides a comparison of the opportunity costs of different types of land use change. Figure 1 presents this information from the three pilot projects used in this study, covering a total of approximately 328,000 hectares of woodland and forests in western, central and southern Tanzania over a ten-year period. The vertical axis represents the opportunity cost of the emissions reduction option (in monetary units per tonne of CO2 equivalent), while the horizontal axis shows the corresponding quantity of reduction (expressed in million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year). A wide bar indicates significant potential emission reductions, while a narrow bar indicates the opposite.
Opportunity cost curves allow project developers and governments to determine a carbon price that would be required to meet the opportunity cost of selected land uses in a project location and the total amount of emission reductions that could be obtained for each land use type.
The project also highlighted the need for REDD+ initiatives to be integrated with other sectoral investment plans such as in agriculture and energy to ensure harmonization of activities and to offset high implementation costs. In the long term, the study concluded, investments in REDD+ need to result in more sustainable land use systems that address the underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation.
Pilot Projects Share Experiences and Lessons on Equitable Benefit Sharing
Adapted from description in TNRF et al 2012 (here)
A key component of getting REDD+ ready is understanding and establishing equitable and effective benefit sharing mechanisms. A recent joint report and related briefing on Equitable Benefit Sharing: Exploring Experiences and Lessons for REDD+ in Tanzania (here and here) explore the benefit sharing mechanisms that are being developed and tested within the national REDD+ pilot projects. They aim to document emerging examples and lessons, enhance Tanzanian stakeholders’ understanding of equitable REDD+ benefit sharing, and identify practical benefit sharing options for the consideration of REDD+ implementers in Tanzania. They explore, among others: what benefit sharing is, what benefits and costs REDD+ can generate in Tanzania, options and considerations for making benefit sharing work in practice in Tanzania, and the importance of integrating safeguards. The publications illustrate that the REDD+ projects are taking substantially different, typically locally developed approaches to sharing benefits. For example, there are several different ways that participating villages are governing and distributing REDD+ related payments – including establishing shared community funds, distributing funds to households and distributing funds to individual women, men and children in the village. At the same time, the projects are beginning to learn lessons from one another and to identify points of shared concern and consensus, such as the importance of good governance at all levels in making genuine and equitable benefit sharing possible.
II. Updates from the Field
REDD+ pilot project updates are submitted by project staff on a periodic, voluntary basis for information sharing at a broader level.
Mid-Term Review of REDD+ Pilot Projects
Source: Deloitte AS, 2012. Mid-term Review Report of Nine NGO REDD+ Pilot Projects in Tanzania -Higher-Level Overview of NGO REDD+ Portfolio
Last year a mid-term review was carried out to assess the nine NGOs implementing REDD+ pilot projects in Tanzania. The main objectives of the review were to determine if the projects are meeting their targets and to provide recommendations for areas of improvement to help the projects achieve their deliverables.
Overall, the review was quite positive:
“The REDD+ pilot project portfolio has succeeded in funding important conservation initiatives across the country. Project activities are leading to the protection and sustainable management of large forest areas that serve as critical wildlife habitat and, in some cases, act as regional watershed catchment areas. At the local level, impacts from projects in the portfolio are visible and recognized by local communities. The selection of projects was well planned as the portfolio covers a wide range of project conditions that are testing key REDD+ policy decisions at the subnational level.”
However, the assessment also pointed out some significant challenges that the pilot projects face. For example, the projects “operate in a black box and communication and collaboration on technical aspects of the projects is severely lacking.” Increased collaboration was recommended especially in the areas of project design, methodology development and fire monitoring. It found similar communication challenges on the policy front and recommended that the projects develop a clear REDD+ policy agenda to better influence national strategy development.
The mid-term review can be downloaded here.
Individual project reviews can be downloaded here.
AWF
Project: Advancing REDD in the Kondoa Irangi Hills Forests (ARKFor)
Implementing organization: African Wildlife Foundation (AWF)
Submitted by Godlisten Matilya
Carbon assessment:
To further establishment of project reference emission levels and compilation of the Project Document (PD) under the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS), AWF initiated project validation in July 2012. A leading certification organization, Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), was engaged to lead the project validation process using VM0006 Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) methodology. VCS is a greenhouse gas accounting program used by projects to verify and issue carbon credits in voluntary markets. As of 30 September 2012, the VM0006 methodology v1.0 is no longer valid. However, it is being revised and will be re-released. Several challenges arose during the validation process, some associated with the field team deviating slightly from field protocol requirements, others associated with the application of the methodology itself. For instance, the VM0006 methodology requires the reference area to be 20 times greater than the carbon accounting forest (referred to as project area), and the two must have strong similarities. In the Kondoa case, the carbon accounting forest covers about 20,000 ha, and the reference area must therefore cover about 400,000 ha (that is, 20 times greater). Under this situation, it is very unlikely that the project area and reference area will show strong similarities because a reference area of this large size is likely to include a variety of landforms, vegetation and habitats. The VM0006 is being revised to address such hurdles and to better enable projects to be validated. For instance, it would be more feasible to use a more one-to-one project area forest to reference area forest comparison. AWF will resume the project validation process once the VM0006 methodology is revised and released.
Increasing understanding on REDD:
Since the last update the number of people trained on REDD+ concepts, land use planning and participatory forest management has increased from 136 men and 81 women to 156 men and 99 women. The most recent training has focused only on local community members.
Improved forest and land management to address fundamental drivers of deforestation:
Seventeen villages have now completed their land use plans (LUPs) (up from 14 in our last report). These LUPs have been submitted to the Ministry of Land and Settlement Development for gazettment. As previously reported, processes for establishing Joint Forest Management (JFM) in two government owned forest reserves have advanced and activities such as patrols by Village Forest Scouts (VFSs) are ongoing. A challenge for JFM implementation at the village level has included lack of fire arms for protection against wildlife, transport and food for VFSs. Processes to establish Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) for village land forests have also been initiated in three villages, and management plans are currently being written.
Visit by Ambassador Ingunn Klepsvik, Norwegian Ambassador to Tanzania:
The Norwegian Ambassador to Tanzania visited AWF in Kondoa from 14 – 16 September 2012 to inspect project activities. Generally, she was pleased with the progress made and engagement of stakeholders. The Ambassador’s visit helped increase awareness on REDD+ and climate change issues among senior district government officials, members of the police force, local communities and a wide range of other stakeholders. The Ambassador’s visit also helped to clear negative perceptions among some local communities that REDD+ projects have a hidden agenda of grabbing village land. The visit increased community members’ confidence of REDD+ projects as part of the global initiative for mitigating and adapting to climate change and its effects.
MCDI
Project: Combining REDD, PFM and FSC certification in South-Eastern Tanzania
Implementing organization: Mpingo Conservation and Development Initiative (MCDI)
(Updates also included in pilot projects lessons summary launched by NRTF at COP18)
Recent project achievements: MCDI has signed new REDD agreements with 3 of the 6 participating villages. The project is re-measuring stem mortality in the previously established permanent sample plots, as well as designing a method for monitoring large stem mortality. The aim is to develop a method that communities can use to easily monitor the impacts of fire in the VLFRs. The project has also undertaken training on good governance with Village Natural Resource Communities (VNRCs), Village Government and few selected representatives from each participating villages, as well as VNRC training on bird monitoring systems.
Understanding and addressing drivers of deforestation and forest degradation: The project undertook analysis of different deforestation drivers in Kilwa District to estimate annual carbon losses. Fire was identified as a significant driver in the relatively remote forests that provide the greatest opportunities for local communities in Kilwa to generate sustained economic benefits from PFM based on certified timber harvesting. The project therefore focused on addressing fire, as a driver, through early burning. More specifically, to generate carbon offsets in the Village Land Forest Reserves, the project is focusing on managing fire intensity through a community-based fire management programme that involves early burning. Early burning trials where conducted in two villages in 2012.
Key project lessons learned to date
Early burning
· There is a need to proactively monitor forest drying after the end of the rains, and begin early burning as soon as some areas are ready.
· Forests do not dry out homogenously. Early burning will need to be conducted starting with those areas which dry out quickest, and ending with the wettest areas.
· MCDI field staff have to play a roving facilitation and monitoring role, leaving community teams, once fully trained, to take on the bulk of the work.
· Each Village Land Forest Reserve has to be mapped out to show which parts of the forest dry out quickest and which dry out more slowly. Typical fire penetration routes around each forest, such as roads, tracks or paths, should also be mapped as they may need extra protection.
· More investment is needed in fire interventions to meet the goal of climate change mitigation.
Land use planning
· Village Land Use Planning has helped resolve conflicts within many villages, but has also been a catalyst for boundary conflict among villagers in other villages participating in the REDD project. Resolving such disputes requires substantial resources and has slowed the implementation of project activities.
Capacity building
· Low levels of awareness and understanding of the REDD concept resulted in some villages being reluctant to join the REDD project. However, as more awareness raising has taken place, more communities are now requesting to be engaged with the REDD project.
Gender
· More awareness is need among both women and men to encourage more involvement of both genders in REDD activities and to support stronger gender mainstreaming.
Carbon stock estimates
· Forests and woodlands of Kilwa District are extremely heterogeneous, and as such, carbon stocks in above ground biomass have been shown to vary widely.
· Information sharing and participation helps participating communities develop trust on REDD projects.
· Good governance is very important, especially in benefit sharing
· Community members’ sense of ownership and value of forest resources has increased in the project area. For example, villagers no longer allow outsiders to cut trees for charcoal and timber.
· Community members expect significantly higher returns from timber sales than from carbon credit revenues. As REDD is new concept, and carbon markets and carbon savings are volatile, it is very difficult to gauge exactly what benefits will accrue to participating communities.
Challenges: The project continues to face boundary disputes between some villages, and is working closely with the Kilwa District council to solve them.
TFCG and MJUMITA
Project: Making REDD Work for Communities and Forest Conservation in Tanzania
Implementing organizations: Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG) and MJUMITA (Community Forest Conservation Network of Tanzania)
Submitted by TFCG/MJUMITA
Making REDD work for communities and forest conservation in Tanzania: update on recent project progress
Piloting a REDD payment mechanism at community level
The project has demonstrated a community-oriented REDD payment model that has brought benefits to communities in terms of direct payments; investment in community development projects; and more effective and sustainable management of the forests and other natural resources that underpin rural livelihoods in 17 villages. Up to August 2012, the project had made trial REDD payments worth a total of USD $168,100 to 17,765 people. The amount paid to each village was based on a number of factors including the village’s historical deforestation rate, the percentage of the forest on that village’s land that was included in the village forest reserve and the carbon density and area of forest remaining on the village’s land. The trial payments are individual payments that are made to all residents of the participating villages.
Payments have been made to 4,997 women, 4,195 men and 8,573 children. From this money, community members agreed to spend US$ 47,700 on community development projects including, contributions to the construction of a dispensary, a health clinic and two primary schools.
REDD readiness
The project has provided REDD readiness support to communities to conserve 62,912 ha of high biodiversity forest in 17 village forest reserves. With a view to addressing the local deforestation drivers, the project has been promoting conservation agriculture with initial results indicating a shift in farmer behaviour away from forest clearance and increased yields thereby achieving the project’s dual objectives of reducing deforestation and improving the livelihoods of the poorest households. The project aims to market carbon credits based on validation and verification from the Verified Carbon Standard and the Climate, Community and Biodiversity project standards. Project design documents are being prepared to meet the requirements of both of these standards.
Recent project achievements
Conservation Agriculture
Small-scale agriculture is the main driver of deforestation in both sites. In order to help farmers adopt improved agricultural techniques that do not involve forest clearance but that increase yields, the project has been implementing site-specific agricultural strategies. Six hundred and fifty five farmers (264 women, 391 men) from 14 villages have been trained in conservation agriculture and 16 farmer field schools have been established.
The majority of these farmers have started to apply the conservation agriculture techniques onto their farms.
The most popular techniques have been minimum till and avoiding clearing forest. The farmers have seen the potential for increased yields and the project is now receiving requests from many other farmers keen to learn about conservation agriculture. In order to enhance the sustainability of the training, 39 Community Based Trainers from 13 villages were provided with additional training on conservation agriculture by Ilonga and Naliendele Agricultural Research Institutes so they can provide ongoing technical support to other farmers in their communities.
Sustainable charcoal production
In Kilosa District, TFCG and MJUMITA have established a parallel project to address the risk of leakage from charcoal production. In a few of the lowland villages, charcoal production is being carried out by a small proportion of the community. TFCG and MJUMITA are now working with the communities to establish sustainable charcoal production. The charcoal will be produced within one or two forest management units of the respective village forest reserve and will be sold into niche markets for consumers willing to pay a premium for certified charcoal.
III. Highlights from CoP18 at Doha!
This year, the 18th annual Conference of Parties (COP18) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) took place from 26 November to 7 December 2012 in Doha, Qatar. In lieu of the usual newsletter section on REDD+ across the region, in this issue we share some REDD+ highlights from the UNFCCC COP18.
Progress on REDD at CoP18
Submitted by Mr. Charles Meshack, Executive Director, Tanzania Forest Conservation Group
A team of Tanzania civil society representatives followed all 14 days of the UNFCCC climate change conference in Doha. Despite the short-term uncertainty about REDD+, including as we emerge with little substantive progress from COP (see below), we can identify some key issues for the long-term future of REDD+ based on the outcomes from Doha and on experience with piloting REDD+ in Tanzania.
Key REDD+ issues including multiple benefits and benefit-sharing, MRV, finance, and safeguards were raised by delegates and observers in negotiations, plenary meetings and side discussions throughout COP. While little substantive forward progress was made, clarity and technical guidance on how to address many of these issues are on the agenda for the coming year and at COP19. In sum, in 2013 and the lead up to COP19, Parties’ continued REDD+ work will focus on (per Climate Connect’s COP18 summary here):
• “Work programme on results-based finance in 2013 [programme may end by COP19]
• Aim to improve and increase finance for REDD activities, and to incentivise non-carbon benefits…
• …Process to address issues such as the provision of financial and technical support for developing countries in the forestry sector
• Parties invited to submit views on the modalities of financial and technical support by 25 March 2013”
Early lessons from REDD+ pilot projects reflect and give further insight into many of the key issues debated at Doha. For example, the projects show that MRV processes should include not only carbon, but also core project benefits such as land tenure reform and community forest management.
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What were the main outcomes for REDD+ at COP18?
According to IISD’s Doha Climate Change Conference summary:
“Parties discussed [REDD+]… in a spin-off group and in informal, open-ended consultations conducted by the [Ad hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the UNFCCC] AWG-LCA Chair. Negotiations were based on non-papers and parties’ submissions.
A group of parties, opposed by a number of other countries, proposed the establishment of a REDD+ Committee to mainstream the implementation of REDD+ activities and ensure consistency of financial resources mobilization. Despite some parties’ expressed opposition to creating new institutions, parties also discussed the possibility of establishing a governing body under the authority of the COP to promote and coordinate REDD+ activities. Parties eventually agreed that [Subsidiary Body for Implementation] SBI 39 and [Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice] SBSTA 39 should initiate a process to address the issue of support for REDD+ activities.
Developed countries emphasized the need to consider non-carbon benefits in REDD+ implementation and suggested a work programme to consider options for scaling up finance for REDD+ activities, taking into account non-carbon benefits. Some countries opposed, noting difficulties and the high amount of investment requirement in the measurement of such benefits. Parties eventually agreed to initiate work on methodological issues related to non-carbon benefits for consideration by COP 19. Another controversial issue was how to refer to the need for additional financial support for REDD+ activities.
Final Outcome: The COP, inter alia: • decides to undertake a work programme on results-based finance in 2013 to end by COP 19, including two in-session workshops, to progress the full implementation of the activities referred to in decision 1/CP.16, paragraph 70 (REDD+ activities); • decides that the aim of the work programme is to contribute to the ongoing efforts to scale up and improve the effectiveness of finance for REDD+ activities, taking into account a wide variety of sources; and • requests SBSTA 38 to consider how non-market-based approaches, such as joint mitigation and adaptation approaches, could be developed; and initiate work on methodological issues related to non-carbon benefits resulting from REDD+ activities, for reporting to COP 19.
The COP also: • recognizes the need to improve the coordination of support for REDD+ activities, and to provide adequate and predictable support, including financial resources and technical and technological support, to developing country parties for implementation of those activities; • requests the [subsidiary bodies] …at their 39th session to jointly initiate a process for addressing the need to improve the coordination of support for REDD+ activities, and to consider existing institutional arrangements or potential governance alternatives and to make recommendations to COP 19; and • invites submissions of views by parties and observer organizations by 25 March 2013.” |
Government of Tanzania and REDD+ Pilot Projects Share their Experience at COP18
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TNRF Tracks Tanzania at COP 18 |
The Government of Tanzania, a Party to the UNFCCC, and national stakeholders including the CSOs facilitating REDD+ pilot projects shared their work and experiences with the international community at COP18. This included preparation of publications and participation in the events highlighted below.
Documents and policy briefs from the Government of Tanzania showcased at COP18
The Government of Tanzania, particularly the NRTF working with its Secretariat, released several publications in November 2012 to showcase at COP18 (all available here). This included the Executive Summary of the final Tanzania National REDD+ Strategy (see details above).
A compilation of key lessons learned from the REDD+ pilot projects being facilitated by TFCG/MJUMITA, MCDI, TaTEDO, AWF, CARE, JGI, WCS, and WCST was among these documents. This compilation includes lessons on the importance and challenges of, among others:
• ensuring good governance at all levels, including of REDD+ funds
• engaging community members including in leadership roles in REDD+
• establishing clear tenure and undertaking land use planning
• raising awareness on REDD+ among local community members, including to ensure they are able to make empowered choices to participate, as well as among other institutions and stakeholders
• realizing co-benefits for community members, as part of REDD+’s overall benefits
• establishing effective and efficient MRV
• managing fire as a means for addressing a key deforestation driver
• understanding and meeting the costs of REDD+ at the local level, including given the long timeframes effective implementation may require
The government’s releases also include a number of policy briefs based upon studies on:
• REDD+ related knowledge and communications in Tanzania at various levels (2010 study). The brief highlights that knowledge about REDD+ among different stakeholders was low at all levels at the time of the study, and that many barriers to effective communications remain, but also that there are a number of ongoing initiatives to improve communications and knowledge.
• Mechanisms for carbon trading and marketing opportunities for REDD+ in Tanzania (study timeframe not specified). The study was intended to document existing REDD related projects in Tanzania including voluntary markets, and to document opportunities for carbon marketing including negotiations, liability and contractual issues. It concludes that there is great potential for Tanzania to benefit from REDD+ implementation, including in realizing contributions to sustainable forest management, climate change mitigation, forest biodiversity conservation, and poverty reduction, especially among rural forest dependent communities.
• Modalities for establishing and operationalizing a National REDD+ Trust Fund (2010 study), which looked at, among others, legal and other requirements for establishing a trust fund, organizational structure and institutional arrangements, procedures for receiving funds, and procedures for effecting payments to beneficiaries.
Pilot projects endorse Key Messages for COP18
The eight CSOs currently facilitating implementation of REDD+ pilot projects in Tanzania endorsed key messages for the consideration of Parties at COP 18, including the following:
1. An agreement on and support for the implementation of REDD+ financing mechanisms is a matter of urgency, including mechanisms that are adequate (covering full real costs), accessible (particularly to women and men in forest communities), timely and reliable, performance based, adaptable to changing and diverse circumstances, and well governed, including being fair, enforceable, transparent and accountable at all levels.
2. Robust, credible, timely and mandated reporting is needed to ensure implementation and adherence to environmental and social safeguards. Parties should go further in defining strong and clear guidance, including to, “ensure transparency, consistency, comprehensiveness and effectiveness” in safeguards reporting.
3. While the recent advancements are welcomed, continued progress towards clarifying and supporting MRV systems is needed, as reliable and economically feasible ways to verify emissions reductions will be critical for REDD+ to move forward globally.
4. REDD+ should remain a priority because it can bring local and global benefits, but it is not a standalone approach. Pilot projects in Tanzania suggest that REDD+ can deliver important benefits, if it is effectively and equitably implemented. However, urgent and drastic action is needed in other sectors and, at a global level, REDD+ must be part of ambitious emissions reduction pledges by Parties.
Pilot projects highlight their joint work and related lessons learned
Source: Adapted from TNRF et al 2012 overview (here)
The national Tanzania REDD+ pilot projects cover different regions, and have diverse aims and approaches. Nonetheless, the pilots have been working collaboratively on a number of fronts, to exchange lessons learned across projects, and to advance learning, action and appropriate REDD+ policy in Tanzania and internationally. In a joint publication entitled Working Together for Learning and Action:
Shared Experiences of the Tanzania REDD+ Pilot Projects (available here), launched at COP18, TNRF and the CSOs currently facilitating pilot projects reflect on some of this collaborative work. Together, the pilots have found that making REDD+ work means different things in different contexts, but that there are important opportunities to learn across projects. There are also common factors, including the challenges and importance of implementing reliable carbon measuring, monitoring, reporting and verification; securing REDD+ financing that reaches communities; integrating strong safeguards; and establishing equitable and effective benefit sharing. The pilot projects are seeing impacts of their collective efforts, particularly where policy making processes are open to participation. They have been using a mix of approaches, including engaging with the media, and are facilitating communication across levels, sectors and borders, in addition to among the projects themselves.
Government of Tanzania shares experience on REDD+ readiness
The United Republic of Tanzania, with the Clinton Climate Initiative, hosted a side event on REDD+ Readiness: Lessons Learnt and Way Forward on Saturday 1 December. Topics included:
• The National REDD+ Strategy and Action Plan
• Experience in Developing MRV System
• Experience in Piloting REDD+ Payments
• Opportunity Cost for REDD+ in Tanzania
IIED, TNRF and GBM look at global and local lessons on making REDD+ pro-poor
On Monday 5 December, TNRF co-hosted a side event with the International Institute of Environment and Development (IIED) and the Green Belt Movement (GBM) entitled, “What’s needed to make REDD+ pro-poor? A local and Global perspective.” The event, attended by over 60 participants at COP 18, was aimed at sharing lessons and exploring a variety of options on how to make REDD+ pro-poor. Geofrey Mwanjela from TNRF brought some lessons from the Tanzanian REDD+ pilot projects to feed into the discussion. Of particular note, was the fact that each of the REDD+ pilot projects are using different models depending on where the project operates and who is involved. Read more here!
Some Other REDD+ Relevant Side Events
• On 29 November IIED held a workshop entitled, ‘What does it take to achieve pro-poor REDD+?’ It looked at evidence and lessons from research across six countries – Tanzania, Vietnam, Ghana, Uganda, Mozambique, and Brazil - to learn more about some critical questions about REDD+, including if and how it can be pro-poor. Read more here.
• On 28 November, CIFOR and GOFC-GOLD co-hosted a side event entitled, “REDD+ stepwise progress in national forest monitoring, MRV, reference levels and assessing drivers”. The event (www.cifor.org/cop18) presented the approaches for assessing drivers of deforestation and means for national forestry monitoring. Indonesia showcased their experience, sharing the multiple stages they have gone through in setting up monitoring systems and how information on drivers of deforestation is important for national REDD+ strategy development. CIFOR’s research has shown a general lack of national level information on drivers of deforestation for most countries – and particularly in Africa. Read more here.
IV. Resources
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Sharing the Benefits of REDD+: Lessons from the field Source: The Nature Conservancy description here
“In the near-term, most funding for REDD+ will come from the public sector and will focus on building readiness, piloting key policies and measures, and demonstrating how REDD+ will work on the ground. These upfront investments in REDD+ can deliver real, meaningful benefits, such as securing stakeholders’ access to resources and land, empowering communities to participate in land-use decisions, creating new “green” enterprises that are economically sustainable, and shifting towards low-carbon practices in existing industries. These benefits are real and measurable, and are independent from any performance-based payments from measuring emissions reductions that may come once a program is fully implemented. This report examines the full set of opportunities to generate benefits through all phases of developing, demonstrating and implementing a REDD+ program. Further, it examines how actors’ interests at all levels can be aligned – from individual landholders to private firms to state and federal governments.
This report includes case studies of 10 existing natural resource management and benefit sharing programs. We identified the 5 key factors that must be considered when designing any successful natural resource management program and drew lessons for REDD+. The case studies focus on the following programs:
• Costa Rica’s National Payments for Environmental Services Program (PSA) • Mexico’s Nature Conservation Fund (FMCN) • Brazil’s Ecological Tax (ICMS-E) • Indonesia’s Kecamatan Development Project (KDP) • Botswana’s Multi-Year Approach to Budgeting Diamond Extraction Revenues • Brazil’s Amazon Fund • Oddar Meanchey: Community Forest REDD+ Project in Northwest Cambodia • Distribution of Mineral Revenues in Colombia • China’s Clean Development Mechanism Guangxi Reforestation Project • Bolsa Floresta: Amazonas State, Brazil”
Citation: Myers Madeira, Erin; Kelley, Lisa; Blockhus, Jill; Ganz, David; Cortez, Rane; Fishbein, Greg. 2012. Sharing the Benefits of REDD+: Lessons from the field. The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Available here: http://www.conservationgateway.org/Pages/REDDBenefitsReport.aspx |
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Forests & People First: The need for universal REDD+ Safeguards Source: Greenpeace Int’l 2012:3
“A number of REDD+ countries have begun to develop their own national safeguard standards, a development that – if carried out in a participatory, transparent manner and in compliance with international obligations – is to be strongly encouraged. While taking into account national circumstances, common ground is needed at international level in order to ensure consistency if we want to reduce and halt deforestation globally. A robust international framework can help forest countries in developing their own national systems and generate confidence from the international community and investors.
In order to inform these processes, [this publication]… compare[s] the various existing REDD+ relevant safeguard policies across institutions, identified major gaps and formulated a set of recommendations that could lead to a more coherent and more practicable approach to implementing safeguards.
While this paper only compares multilateral policies, bilateral contributions make up a large part of current REDD+ and forest financing. [Greenpeace]… strongly encourage[s] national governments and bilateral agencies to review their own standards and take the necessary steps to ensure harmonisation with international safeguards.”
Citation: Greenpeace International. 2012. Forests & People First: The need for universal REDD+ Safeguards. Greenpeace International. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Available at http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/publications/Campaign-reports... |
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Capacity development in national forest monitoring: Experiences and progress for REDD+ Source: Adapted from CIFOR description here
This joint publication of the CIFOR Global Comparative Study on REDD and the GOFC-GOLD Land Cover Office synthesizes outcomes of a September 2012 meeting where experts met to share their experiences and to discuss some of the central, and at times controversial, issues for national forest monitoring readiness and REDD+. This collection aims to help all those invested in the success of REDD+ learn from others’ experiences.
Development of forest monitoring and measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems is an on-going priority and challenge for REDD+ countries. Through the experiences and analyses of five REDD+ countries, two donor organisations and several researchers and negotiators, the papers gathered examine:
- success factors for building
capacity and implementing national forest monitoring Citation: Mora, B.; Herold, M.; de Sy, V.; Wijaya, A.; Verchot, L.V.; and Penman, J. (eds). 2012. Capacity development in national forest monitoring - Experiences and progress for REDD+. Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) Bogor, Indonesia. Available at http://www.cifor.org/online-library/browse/view-publication/publication/3944.html |
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The context of REDD+ in Mozambique: Drivers, agents, and institutions Source: CIFOR description here
“This publication offers an overview of REDD+ strategy in Mozambique through a synthesis of the current knowledge about the causes of forest carbon changes, a review of the legal and institutional context, and a description of the current political process of REDD+. The objective of the study is to collate data and relevant information, and to offer a preliminary analysis of the fundamental aspects that can help promote efficiency, efficacy, and equity in REDD+ policy. Specifically, this study concludes that some of the major problems for REDD+ in Mozambique are the lack of data about deforestation and forest degradation, institutional weakness (regarding monitoring and propriety rights), and gaps in human and technical capacity to fulfill demands associated with REDD+. Therefore, efficient results will depend on the degree to which REDD+ policies are oriented toward real mitigation of the sources of forest carbon changes. In Mozambique, REDD+ policy tends to originate outside the timber sector. The cost-effectiveness of the results will depend on identifying and addressing the fundamental causes of forest carbon changes through more viable REDD+ policy options; government capacity to respond to REDD+ demands, especially at the sub-national level; the capacity of civil society and other institutions; and the strength of the institutional framework. The degree of success of equitable outcomes and the generation of co-benefits will depend on the inclusion and appropriateness of the processes at the national level; if those who support REDD+ costs are also being compensated; and on the general definition of carbon rights and environmental services.”
Citation: Sitoe, A.; Salomão, A.; Wertz-Kanounnikoff, S. 2012. The context of REDD+ in Mozambique - Drivers, agents, and institutions. CIFOR Occasional Paper 79. Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)Bogor, Indonesia. Available at http://www.cifor.org/online-library/browse/view-publication/publication/3877.html |
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New Publication Socio-economic conditions in REDD+ pilot areas: A synthesis of five baseline surveys Source: IIED description here
“The project Poverty and sustainable development impacts of REDD+ architecture: Options for equity, growth and the environment (POVSUS-REDD+) was initiated in 2009, and aims to increase the understanding of how institutions can be created to facilitate the implementation of REDD+ at international, national and local levels, and to what extent its implementation will bring about reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, poverty reduction and sustainable development. The project is working in Brazil, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Vietnam. In each participating country, REDD+ pilot areas were established to develop insights into how to introduce REDD+ at the local level.”
Citation: Movik, S., Birikorang, G., Enright, A., Kajembe, G., Lima, L., Marostica, S., Megid Pinto, T., Nabanoga, G., Nantongo, M., Namaalwa, J,. Silayo, D. S., and Arild Vatn (2012) Socio-economic conditions in REDD+ pilot areas: A synthesis of five baseline surveys. IIED, London. Available at http://pubs.iied.org/G03452.html?a=Thais%20Megid%20Pinto |
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New Publication Understanding Relationships between Biodiversity, Carbon, Forests and People: The key to achieving REDD+ objectives Source: Parrotta et al 2012:13 (Introduction)
"The relationships between biodiversity, carbon, forests and people are complex and interdependent. Reducing the rates of global deforestation and forest degradation will yield substantial gains for climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. Under appropriate conditions, it could also achieve significant social and economic gains. The degree to which these goals are met through a mechanism such as REDD+ will depend on the specific policies and practices employed. Should biodiversity and human well-being not be given sufficient consideration, there is a very real risk that REDD+ may fall short in achieving its objectives. To ensure that benefits from REDD+ are achieved, it is important to understand the underlying scientific premises for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation; the relationships between carbon, biodiversity and people and how these are affected by management, as well as the broader governance context which frames REDD+. This assessment report aims to further this understanding by providing recent and policy-relevant scientific information to support decision-making on activities for meeting REDD+ objectives."
Citation: Parrotta, J. A., Wildburger, C. and Mansourian, S. (eds.). 2012. Understanding Relationships between Biodiversity, Carbon, Forests and People: The Key to Achieving REDD+ Objectives. A Global Assessment Report. Prepared by the Global Forest Expert Panel on Biodiversity, Forest Management, and REDD+. IUFRO World Series Volume 31. Vienna. 161 p. (available here) |
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New Publication
Forest, Trees, and Woodlands in Africa: An Action Plan
for World Bank engagement
“The purpose of this paper is to outline an approach for Bank engagement in forests, trees, and woodlands on farms in Sub-Saharan Africa for the coming five years. The paper takes the framework of the Africa development strategy, which has two main pillars: supporting employment and competitiveness, and building resilience and reducing vulnerability; and one underlying foundation: strengthening capacity and governance. It is consistent with the pillars of the bank forest strategy from 2002, which highlight the contribution of forests to economic development, poverty reduction, and protection of global public goods. Several other World Bank corporate strategies are also relevant for the implementation of this action plan. The primary messages of this paper are linked: enhanced forest, tree and woodland management can play a key role in achieving the goals of the Africa Strategy. Employment generation, improving competitiveness as well as building resilience and reducing vulnerability are the overall objectives of the World Bank's forest engagement in Sub-Saharan Africa; and in many countries the most effective approaches will be outside the traditional forestry institutions and will involve working through operations and reforms supported through other sectors.”
Citation: Bromhead, Marjory-Anne. 2012. Forest, trees, and woodlands in Africa : an action plan for World Bank engagement. Washington D.C. - The Worldbank. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/06/16903104/forest-trees-woodlands-africa-action-plan-world-bank-engagement |
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New Publication
Knowledge and brokerage in REDD+ policy making: A Policy
Networks Analysis of the case of Tanzania
“As various countries are preparing their national REDD+ strategies, balancing different types of knowledge and interests for legitimate and effective policies has become a primary, pressing challenge. Knowledge and discourses on REDD+ are deliberated in political bargaining processes between various actors involved in the policy domain that differ in their resources and capacity to influence outcomes. Using Tanzania as a country case, this study assesses the relative influence of deliberation and knowledge brokerage on the dynamics of the REDD+ policy process and its outputs vis-à-vis institutional structures and power relations between the involved policy actors. …The results suggest that through sustained public efforts, actors engaged in so-called protest events parallel to the formal government-led process have influenced the course of the policy process and to an extent, at the early formulation stage, policy content. Successful coalitions include brokers that occupy strategic positions in networks of information and resources, and have the capacity to enhance information flow and promote closure of REDD+ discourse on the appropriate policy proposals. Brokers that are characterized by discourses based on legitimized knowledge and ties to central policy actors have the greatest potential to enhance information flow and deliberation the policy process and outcomes. In the Tanzania case, there is considerable overlap between brokers and central actors…. Nevertheless, the influence of actors and coalitions that appear successful in the early stages of the policy process will be filtered by the institutional context applying to the formal decision making stages, and by shifting national and international political commitments to climate change mitigation and REDD+.”
Citation: Rantala, Salla. 2012. Knowledge and brokerage in REDD+ policy making: A Policy Networks Analysis of the case of Tanzania. Sustainability Science Program Working Paper No. 2012-03. Sustainability Science Program, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA, and Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Bogor, Indonesia. Available at http://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/mrcbg/programs/sustsci/documents/pape... |
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New Publication Getting REDD-ready: Two models of coordination and engagement from Africa
Source: IIED description here
“Deforestation is a complex problem. Almost 50
countries are now working towards REDD+ programmes — new plans to reduce
climate change from loss of forests — and they are running into difficult
dilemmas. Should REDD+ be led by a forestry agency, or by a cross-sectoral
institution that can deal with the many pressures on forested land? How can
pilot projects be designed to capture the different sides of the issue in a
coherent way? Neighbouring Mozambique and Tanzania have taken approaches that
sometimes intersect, but often contrast. Comparing the two offers lessons in
Citation: Nhantumbo, Isilda. 2012. Getting REDD-ready: two models of coordination and engagement from Africa. IIED Briefing Papers. IIED. Available at http://pubs.iied.org/17139IIED.html |
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New Publication
Land Grabbing and Political Transformation in Tanzania
"Like many of its neighbors, Tanzania is experiencing a well-documented surge of land grabbing related to investments in industries such as agriculture, biofuels, tourism, hunting, and forestry. Land grabbing in Tanzania is best understood and analyzed as both a symptom of and contributor towards wider political economic processes of change occurring in Tanzania. These changes involve the collapse of single-party hegemony of the ruling party and affiliated elites, the increasing influence of civil society and media organs, and a more open and participatory public political and policy discourse. This paper attempts to contextualize land grabbing within these contemporary macro-political transformations, and to examine how these shifts are shaping land grabs at a variety of local and regional scales with their diverse causes and drivers. The case studies demonstrate the way that new pluralist dynamics in Tanzania are creating new opportunities for local mobilization and resistance and greater agency for influencing the outcome of land disputes."
Citation: Nelson, Fred; Sulle, Emmanuel; and Lekaita, Edward. 2012. Land Grabbing and Political Transformation in Tanzania. Land Deal Politics Initiative (LDPI). Paper presented to the Global Land Grabbing II Conference - Cornell University, Ithaca NY, October 17-19, 2012. Available at http://www.cornell-landproject.org/download/landgrab2012papers/nelson.pdf |
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New Publication A bottom-up approach to estimating cost elements of REDD+ pilot projects in Tanzania
Source: Merger et al 2012 (Abstract) "Several previous global REDD+ cost studies have been conducted, demonstrating that payments for maintaining forest carbon stocks have significant potential to be a cost-effective mechanism for climate change mitigation. These studies have mostly followed highly aggregated top-down approaches without estimating the full range of REDD+ costs elements, thus underestimating the actual costs of REDD+. Based on three REDD+ pilot projects in Tanzania, representing an area of 327,825 ha, this study explicitly adopts a bottom-up approach to data assessment. By estimating opportunity, implementation, transaction and institutional costs of REDD+ we develop a practical and replicable methodological framework to consistently assess REDD+ cost elements."
Citation: Merger, Eduard; Held, Christian; Tennigkeit, Timm; and Blomley Tom. 2012. “A bottom-up approach to estimating cost elements of REDD+ pilot projects in Tanzania” Carbon Balance and Management. 2020, 7:9. Available at http://www.cbmjournal.com/content/7/1/9 |
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Collection of Policy Briefs African Women's Rights to Forests:Gender in Forest management and Policy in Central and West AfricaSource: RRI abstract (here) “These are four policy briefs in a suite of analyses undertaken by RRI’s Africa Program, focusing on gender equity and women’s rights in forest and land policy in Central and West Africa. The analyses focuses on four countries: Mali, Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Liberia. They summarize longer studies carried out by RRI Collaborators IUCN, Foundation for Community Initiatives and Cameroon Ecology.”
Citations: Weah, Julie T.B. September 2012. Women and Forests in Liberia: Gender Policy and Women’s Participation in the Forest Sector of Liberia. Brief #1 of 4. Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI). Washington, DC. Tarh Takang, Jane. September 2012. Women and Forests in Burkina Faso: Gender and Women’s Rights in Forest and Land. Brief #2 of 4. Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI). Washington, DC. Tarh Takang, Jane. September 2012. Women and Forests in Cameroon: Taking Stock of Gender in Natural Resource Management in Cameroon. Brief #3 of 4. Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI). Washington, DC. Tarh Takang, Jane. September 2012. Women and Forests in Mali: Women’s Tenure Rights in Mali’s Decentralized Land and Resource Management. Brief #4 of 4. Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI). Washington, DC. Compiled briefings available at http://www.rightsandresources.org/publication_details.php?publicationID=... |
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Newsletter The CBD REDD & Biodiversity E-Newsletter Source: CBD Secretariat description here
“The [Convention on Biological Diversity] CBD Secretariat is publishing a bi-monthly e-Newsletter to inform CBD National Focal Points and other interested recipients about biodiversity aspects in relation to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+).”
Read and subscribe to the e-newsletter here: http://www.cbd.int/forest/redd/newsletters/
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