Abstract
Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) in the tropics could slow climate change while contributing to biodiversity conservation and to improvement of people's livelihoods. In this study, we assessed the opportunities and challenges of implementing REDD in South West (SW) Uganda. We consulted key stakeholders and reviewed regional literature particularly focusing on the opportunities for conservation and human welfare benefits. We structured our study using the Simpson and Vira's (2010) framework for assessing policy interventions. The leading drivers of forest loss and degradation include escalating timber trade, fuel-wood extraction and agricultural expansion. Forestry authorities were poorly funded, largely uncoordinated and widely accused of corruption. Land tenure was a concern with many de-facto owners lacking legal titles. Generally, local stakeholders had limited awareness of REDD, and local expectations appeared un-realistically high. Mechanisms for allocating and administering REDD payments remained unknown. However, civil society organisations appeared the most popular option to manage REDD funding as government agencies had limited credibility. For REDD to succeed, the challenges we have highlighted will need to be addressed: key to success will be improvements in foundational knowledge, enabling institutions and social conditions. Our results have implications for potential REDD activities around the world which face similar challenges.
Highlights
Deforestation and forest degradation are believed to contribute approximately 12% of total anthropogenic atmospheric carbon emissions (Rogner et al, 2007; Van der Werf et al, 2009)
It is known that little of the remaining forest in South West (SW) Uganda lies outside the Protected Forest Estate (PFE) which comprises National Parks, Central Forest Reserves and the degraded local forest reserves under district local governments
One respondent from a research institution felt that widespread perceptions of deforestation and forest degradation rates in the area are exaggerated and small scale plantations and areas of secondary forest re-growth are both expanding in some regions
Summary
Deforestation and forest degradation are believed to contribute approximately 12% of total anthropogenic atmospheric carbon emissions (Rogner et al, 2007; Van der Werf et al, 2009). Some setbacks at Cancun in 2011 and Doha in 2012 (Coad et al, 2008; Kossoy and Ambrosi, 2010), the recent 2013 Warsaw Conference of the Parties saw significant progress on REDD, suggesting that some form of REDD is likely to be adopted by the UNFCCC as part of the post-2012 climate change framework (Allan et al, 2013) This may result in a fund-based system or provisions for market-based trading of carbon credits generated by verified projects (Allan et al, 2013). We anticipate that richer countries will continue to seek ways to off-set their own carbon emissions by paying the opportunity cost of forest conservation to developing countries (Kanowski et al, 2011)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
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 callMore From: International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
