National REDD+ Implications for Tenured Indigenous Communities in Guyana, and Communities’ Impact on Forest Carbon Stocks

Han Overman,Anthony Cummings,José Fragoso,Jeffrey Luzar,Nathalie Butt

doi:10.3390/f9050231

Abstract

Early project-level initiatives of ‘reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation’ (REDD+) have left a negative impression among many forest-dependent peoples (FDP) across the tropics. As countries move towards national-level implementation and results-based payments, it is timely to analyze the effects of ‘national REDD+’ on FDP. We use Guyana’s technically approved United Nations Forest Reference Emission Level (FREL) submission and Opt-In Mechanism to assess how fifteen indigenous communities with tenured forestland may financially benefit from national REDD+, and evaluate whether, and to what extent, Guyana forms a best-case scenario. In addition, we provide a first-time assessment whether field estimates of the average carbon density of mature forests managed by fifteen forest-dependent communities (beyond rotational farming lands) equals that of nearby unmanaged mature forest, as this could affect REDD+ payment levels. We conclude that, notwithstanding some pending issues, Guyana’s national REDD+ program could be very beneficial for FDP, even under a modest United States (US) $5 unit carbon price. We present economic evidence to support forest governance change domestically in sovereign developing countries that may ease FDP tenure and national REDD+ implementation. The average carbon density was locally substantially less in FDP-managed forest, but had little effect on the overall carbon stock of the titled forest area, and is considered modest when incorporating ecological and socioeconomic attributes. Partnerships with FDP when combined with advances in remote sensing could have potential for economic monitoring of forest emissions across the tropics.

Highlights

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) aims to reduce emissions from tropical forests while ensuring livelihoods of forest-dependent people (FDP) [1]
REDD+ is intended for implementation at the national level [3], all REDD+ experiences to date are based on sub-national initiatives [17], and there has been no assessment of the national implications for FDP
In contrast to many project-level experiences, our analysis shows that REDD+ implemented nationally in Guyana could have large annual financial benefits for FDP with legal forest tenure, equivalent to 3.5–12 fold increases in cash income for the majority of housholds

Summary

Introduction

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) aims to reduce emissions from tropical forests while ensuring livelihoods of forest-dependent people (FDP) [1]. In the context of communities’ impact on forest carbon stocks of indigenous lands, we define forest-dependent peoples as residents of communities that are spatially located within or in close proximity to forests, which have de jure or de facto user rights, and which depend significantly (though not necessarily exclusively) upon forests for residents’ livelihood needs. Reported challenges of REDD+ pilots or demonstration projects with FDP include lagging global finance for REDD+, tenure insecurity, non-mandatory forest safeguards [8], poor adherence to Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) principles, and prioritizing carbon credits over local interests [9,10]. REDD+ is intended for implementation at the national level [3], all REDD+ experiences to date are based on sub-national initiatives [17], and there has been no assessment of the national implications for FDP

Results

Discussion

Conclusion