Abstract
Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems are thought to be essential for effective carbon accounting and joint REDD+ carbon, conservation, and social development goals. Community participation in MRV (PMRV) has been shown to be both cost effective and accurate, as well as a method to potentially advance stakeholder empowerment and perceptions of legitimacy. Recognizing land tenure as a long-standing point of tension in REDD+ planning, we argue that its engagement also has a key role to play in developing a legitimate PMRV. Using household surveys, key informant interviews, and participatory mapping exercises, we present three ‘lived’ land tenure contexts in Indonesia to highlight their socially and ecologically situated natures and to consider the role of tenure pluralism in shaping PMRV. We then raise and interrogate three questions for incorporating lived land tenure contexts into a legitimate PMRV system: 1) Who holds the right to conduct PMRV activities?; 2) How are the impacts of PMRV differentially distributed within local communities?; and 3) What is the relationship between tenure security and motivation to participate in PMRV? We conclude with implementation lessons for REDD+ practitioners, including the benefits of collaborative practices, and point to critical areas for further research.
Highlights
Current international efforts to mitigate climate change include actions targeting the sustainable conservation and management of tropical forested landscapes
The results presented in this paper are part of a larger research project on Participatory Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (PMRV) conducted by researchers at the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) [45]
The tenure contexts include: negotiated partnerships in Central Java between local communities and private timber companies; tenure mosaics in West Kalimantan comprised of simultaneous, overlapping statutory and customary claims to land and resources; and customary authorities in Papua comprised of overlapping and flexible claims based on the settlement history of the area
Summary
Current international efforts to mitigate climate change include actions targeting the sustainable conservation and management of tropical forested landscapes. First proposed at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2005, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) policy aims to compensate developing countries for their avoided carbon emissions through reduced deforestation and forest degradation. Land tenure and participatory measurement, reporting, and verification. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
