A novel approach to assess and monitor forests for REDD

Analysis of Uganda’s policy and legal framework for the implementation of REDD+

Modelling Forest Fragmentation and Carbon Emissions for REDD plus

The deforestation and degradation of forests in the Global South have become central to current global efforts to address climate change. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) initiative for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) is perhaps the most notable in this regard. The initiative intends to reward participating nations economically in five areas: (1) reducing emissions from deforestation; (2) reducing emissions from forest degradation; (3) conservation of forest carbon stocks; (4) sustainable management of forests; and (5) enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

SummaryReducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation plus the conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries (REDD+) requires information on land-use and land-cover changes (LULCCs) and carbon emission trends from the past to the present and into the future. Here, we use the results of participatory scenario development in Tanzania to assess the potential interacting impacts on carbon stock, biodiversity and water yield of alternative scenarios where REDD+ is or is not effectively implemented by 2025, a green economy (GE) scenario and a business as usual (BAU) scenario, respectively. Under the BAU scenario, LULCCs will cause 296 million tonnes of carbon (MtC) national stock loss by 2025, reduce the extent of suitable habitats for endemic and rare species (mainly in encroached protected mountain forests) and change water yields. In the GE scenario, national stock loss decreases to 133 MtC. In this scenario, consistent LULCC impacts occur within small forest patches with high carbon density, water catchment capacity and biodiversity richness. Opportunities for maximizing carbon emission reductions nationally are largely related to sustainable woodland management, but also contain trade-offs with biodiversity conservation and changes in water availability.

Under the global climate negotiations, a REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, conservation of forest carbon stocks; sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks) regime is established by multi-stakeholders such as transnational organizations, states, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). However, several developed countries have strategically exerted their leadership in forming and implementing a REDD+ regime in the international community. This paper attempts to investigate national REDD+ strategies of Norway, Germany, Australia, the US, and Japan which have contributed to forming a global REDD+ regime. REDD+ strategies and policies of the five countries were analyzed using three categories: pledge, type of support, and approach. These five countries have commonalities in that they pledged their commitment to establishing a REDD+ architecture through non-binding agreements such as the Copenhagen Accord and the REDD+ Partnership. Furthermore, they have been providing developing countries with financial and technical assistance through multilateral and bilateral schemes using their own international initiatives on climate and forest. Nevertheless, they have different approaches and scoping for REDD+. The results from this study indicate that developed countries contribute to building a global regime on REDD+ with different strategies based on their interests and perspectives. These can be elucidated as leadership in forming the REDD+ regime. Analysis on activities to support REDD+ as international cooperation strategies by developed countries will help the dynamics of a global regime of REDD+ to be understood.

Issues related to indigenous peoples and environmental law were discussed in 2010 in several human rights bodies and processes, at the tenth Conference of the Parties (COP-10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and under or in connection with the international climate change regime. Highlights include the prominent inclusion of traditional knowledge in the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from Their Utilization to the CBD (Nagoya Protocol), in-depth discussions on indigenous rights and corporate accountability, and progress on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, conservation of forest-carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest-carbon stocks (REDD+). This report will start with a review of the general developments on indigenous peoples’ rights that are relevant for international environmental law, focusing on developments in human rights bodies and processes related to conflicts between environmental protection and indigenous rights, on the one hand, and corporate accountability with respect to indigenous peoples on the other. It will then review the outcomes of the CBD COP-10 that are of relevance for indigenous peoples, including an overview of the international obligations related to access to, and benefit sharing from, the use of traditional knowledge and genetic resources held by indigenous and local communities contained in the Nagoya Protocol. The report will turn to the indigenous rights implications of ongoing negotiations on REDD + in a post-2012 international regime on climate change, as discussed under the CBD, international programs supporting REDD pilot activities, and the international climate change regime.

Managing production forests for timber production and carbon emission reductions under the REDD+ scheme

Different options have been suggested by Parties to the UNFCCC (United FrameworkConvention on Climate Change) for inclusion in national approaches to REDD andREDD + (reduced deforestation, reduced degradation, enhancement of forest carbon stocks, sustainablemanagement of forest, and conservation of forest carbon stocks). This paper proposes thatfrom the practical and technical points of view of designing action for REDD andREDD + at local and sub-national level, as well as from the point of view of the necessaryMRV (monitoring, reporting and verification), these should be grouped into threecategories: conservation, which is rewarded on the basis of no changes in forest stock,reduced deforestation, in which lowered rates of forest area loss are rewarded,and positive impacts on carbon stock changes in forests remaining forest, whichincludes reduced degradation, sustainable management of forest of various kinds,and forest enhancement. Thus we have moved degradation, which conventionallyis grouped with deforestation, into the forest management group reported asareas remaining forest land, with which it has, in reality, and particularly asregards MRV, much more in common. Secondly, in the context of the fact thatREDD/REDD + is to take the form of a national or near-national approach, we argue thatwhile systematic national monitoring is important, it may not be necessary forREDD/REDD + activities, or for national MRV, to be started at equal levels of intensity all over thecountry. Rather, areas where interventions seem easiest to start may be targeted, and heredata measurements may be more rigorous (Tier 3), for example based on stakeholderself-monitoring with independent verification, while in other, untreated areas, a lowerlevel of monitoring may be pursued, at least in the first instance. Treated areasmay be targeted for any of the three groups of activities (conservation, reduceddeforestation, and positive impact on carbon stock increases in forest remaining forest).

Southeast Asia is rich in tropical forests and biodiversity but rapid deforestation and forest degradation have accelerated climate change and threatened sustainable development in the region. Carbon emission reductions through reducing deforestation and forest degradation, forest conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+) have been a focal topic of the climate change mitigation since the Bali in 2007. However, only a handful of studies exist so far on this important issue that are suitable to inform the debate with estimates of carbon stocks and emission reductions or removals as a result of REDD+. Our study attempts to analyze the potential emission reductions and removals for a 35-year period under the REDD+ scheme. We start by developing land use change and forest harvesting models that are used to estimate carbon stock changes in natural forests and forest plantations in Southeast Asia. Carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation of natural forests were 1865.1, 1611.4, and 1300.4 TgCO2 year-1, respectively. With a hypothetical carbon project of 35 years beginning from 2015, carbon emission reductions were estimated at 817.6 TgCO2 year-1, of which about 10% was from reducing forest degradation. Carbon removals due to increase of forest plantations were 76.3 TgCO2 year-1 but the removals could be much higher if there is a new definition on the eligibility of forest plantations. Summing up together, about 893.9 TgCO2 of carbon credits could be achieved from implementing carbon project in Southeast Asia or about US $6.6 billion annually between 2015 and 2050 if carbon price in 2012 is used. In addition to reducing emissions, there are other benefits from carbon project implementation. This study suggests that REDD+ has great potential for reducing carbon emissions and enhancing carbon stocks in the forests. Without financial incentives, carbon project would not happen and therefore climate change will continue to threaten future development.

Deforestation and forest degradation are the important causal agents to global climate change. REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation along with conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks and sustainable management of forest) is a recently adopted global initiative to mitigate global climate change by conserving the forests and its carbon. Bangladesh is still in the preparatory phase of the REDD+ program. Assessing the potential risks of corruption is important to the setting up of strategies of REDD+ implementation. So, a study was conducted in the Madhupur, Sreemangal and Rangamati forest areas to assess these risks. The study was conducted through three types of surveys and interviews. It was found that there is a chance of potential corruption risks while implementing REDD+ program in Bangladesh. Political leaders and other powerful groups may manipulate the policy making and development strategies of REDD+. Financial management, benefit sharing and procurement management in the REDD+ program should be considered in the corruption risks analysis. There is a chance of diversion or embezzlement of REDD+ funds, laundering of money and elite capture of REDD+ benefits. Over estimation of costs and collusions in the bidding may also occur while implementing REDD+. For the successful and transparent implementation of REDD+, this possible risks should be taken into consideration. This study can be partially useful to fixing up the REDD+ strategies in Bangladesh.
 The Chittagong Univ. J. Sci. 40(1) : 1-20, 2019

Originally proposed in 2005 as a way to use financial incentives to tackle global climate change, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) has evolved to include conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks, in what is now known as REDD+. Biodiversity protection is still viewed principally as a co-benefit of the REDD+ process, with conservation of forest tree cover and carbon stocks providing the main measure of success. However, focusing solely on tree cover and carbon stocks does not always protect other species, which may be threatened by other factors, most notably hunting. We present evidence from the literature that loss of biodiversity can affect forest composition, tree survival and forest resilience and may in some cases ultimately lead to a reduction in carbon storage. We argue that REDD+ projects should specifically mitigate for threats to biodiversity if they are to maximize carbon storage potential in the long term.

The REDD+ framework (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, along with sustainable forest management and the conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries) incentivizes developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance carbon storage by mitigating deforestation and forest degradation. To receive results-based payments, participating countries must meet United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) requirements for Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) capacities. This study categorizes developing countries into three phases based on MRV implementation levels: phase 1 (readiness), phase 2 (demonstration), and phase 3 (implementation). Unlike the higher implementation levels observed in phase 2 and phase 3 countries, phase 1 countries have received limited attention due to their early stages of REDD+ implementation. However, assessing the potential of these countries for future REDD+ engagement and Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcome (ITMO) collaboration is crucial for achieving REDD+ goals. Thus, this study quantitatively assessed MRV capacity among phase 1 countries using an MRV capacity assessment tool, with the goal of identifying high-potential candidates for REDD+ advancement. We applied an MRV capacity assessment tool to 48 phase 1 countries out of the 71 developing countries registered on the REDD+ web platform as of September 2024. The results reveal that (1) the countries with the highest MRV scores were Ghana, India, Guatemala, Liberia, and Mongolia, with Ghana demonstrating strong potential for progression to the implementation phase due to its robust performance in both Measurement and Reporting components. In contrast, Chad scored the lowest, followed by Uruguay, Namibia, Mali, Cuba, and Benin. (2) Overall, phase 1 countries scored lower in the Reporting (R) component, which emphasizes administrative capacity, compared to the Measurement (M) component, which is technically oriented, highlighting the need for improved administrative capacity, particularly in developing and submitting the National Strategy/Action Plan and Safeguard Information System report to meet Cancun Agreement standards. While this study evaluates REDD+ implementation potential in phase 1 countries based on MRV capacity, future research should explore the effectiveness of strengthening MRV capacity through Official Development Assistance (ODA), assessing potential emissions reduction and ITMO potential.

Sustainable forest management (SFM) is a concept that guides forest management and policy globally. Over the past decades, two prominent regimes have emerged at the global level that can strengthen SFM: The European Union’s Action Plan on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade (FLEGT) and the United Nations’ mechanism for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries (REDD+). However, the understanding of how FLEGT and REDD+ can interlink with SFM to strengthen forest policy coherence is limited. Enhancing knowledge about interlinkages and synergies is important in view of recent global commitments to strengthen policy coherence. This study employed content analysis of the main global policy documents related to FLEGT and REDD+ to identify (i) the potential contributions of the two regimes to SFM, and (ii) strategies to manage the interlinkages among SFM, FLEGT, and REDD+. The results revealed several potential interlinkages, such as monitoring, reporting, and verification systems, establishing the enabling conditions of SFM, and addressing drivers of forest degradation. However, the interlinkages must be managed if their potential is to be realized. For this, the study proposes three approaches to managing the interlinkages and catalyzing progress toward SFM.

Accurate forest above-ground biomass (AGB) is crucial for sustaining forest management and mitigating climate change to support REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, plus the sustainable management of forests, and the conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks) processes. Recently launched Sentinel imagery offers a new opportunity for forest AGB mapping and monitoring. In this study, texture characteristics and backscatter coefficients of Sentinel-1, in addition to multispectral bands, vegetation indices, and biophysical variables of Sentinal-2, based on 56 measured AGB samples in the center of the Changbai Mountains, China, were used to develop biomass prediction models through geographically weighted regression (GWR) and machine learning (ML) algorithms, such as the artificial neural network (ANN), support vector machine for regression (SVR), and random forest (RF). The results showed that texture characteristics and vegetation biophysical variables were the most important predictors. SVR was the best method for predicting and mapping the patterns of AGB in the study site with limited samples, whose mean error, mean absolute error, root mean square error, and correlation coefficient were 4 × 10−3, 0.07, 0.08 Mg·ha−1, and 1, respectively. Predicted values of AGB from four models ranged from 11.80 to 324.12 Mg·ha−1, and those for broadleaved deciduous forests were the most accurate, while those for AGB above 160 Mg·ha−1 were the least accurate. The study demonstrated encouraging results in forest AGB mapping of the normal vegetated area using the freely accessible and high-resolution Sentinel imagery, based on ML techniques.

REDD+ projects aim to ‘reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries’ by providing ‘additional forest-related activities that protect the climate, namely sustainable management of forests and the conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks’ (UNFCCC 2024). While some actors underscore the benefits of REDD+, some critical scholars have emphasized how this type of initiative reproduces the capitalist logic that generated the ongoing socio-environmental crisis. We contribute to this line of inquiry by examining how Indigeneity is framed by non-Indigenous actors who work in REDD+ projects in Colombia. Answering this question is critical because these projects usually occur in dense forest areas that Indigenous Peoples inhabit and whose design and management are in the hands of external actors. Based on a year of participant observation at in-person and online public meetings and workshops about REDD+, 20 open and semi-structured interviews with non-Indigenous actors involved in these projects, and the analysis of primary public documents, we identify two dominant ways of thinking about Indigeneity that are strongly entangled with gendered processes: through the lenses of entrepreneurship and guardianship. We argue that such framing traps Indigeneity in Western values and potentially intensifies gendered-based inequalities and power differentials.