Forest Reference Emission Level Research Articles

Community Monitoring of Forest Carbon Stocks and Safeguards Tracking in Kenya: Design and Implementation Considerations

This paper investigates modalities required to design and implement community monitoring of forest carbon stock changes and safeguards implementation in Kenya. General principles and elements were drawn from the UNFCCC REDD+ policy frameworks for developing modalities and procedures for designing community forest monitoring system. The paper utilised policy analysis approach used to derive monitoring goals and objectives by assessing the compatibility of Kenya’s policy and legislative framework with monitoring elements provided in the UNFCCC REDD+ policy mechanism. The elements included monitoring goals, objectives, questions, indicators, and methods and tools. Two goals were identified which included, reduction of forest carbon emissions (ER) and monitoring of multiple social and environmental safeguards (SG). Five ER related objectives were identified to include: forest reference emission levels or forest reference levels, drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, Land use activities, eligible ER actions and estimation of forest emissions. Six objectives guiding SG were identified to include: policy, governance, human rights, socio-economic, biodiversity and environmental concerns. Corresponding questions to the goals and objectives were systematically designed. In turns, indicators, depicting quantitative and qualitative measurements, which best provided answers to questions were identified. The various methods and tools used by communities around the world in providing data and information required to satisfy the indictors were identified through literature review. The review identified four methods and tools that included: Remote Sensing and GIS, GPS survey, smartphone survey and Ground trothing. Smartphone and cloud-based server technology were found to be the recent emergent tools in aiding community monitoring of REDD+ projects. The paper argues that local communities and indigenous peoples have the capability and capacity to monitor and undertake forest carbon monitoring and tracking of implementation of safeguards if supported with relevant training; compensated for the time, labour and knowledge they contribute to the process; provided with feedback and involved decision making process.

Exploring different forest definitions and their impact on developing REDD+ reference emission levels: A case study for Indonesia

Developing countries participating in the mitigation mechanism of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+), need to determine a national forest reference emission level (REL) as part of their national monitoring system, which serves as a benchmark to measure the impact of their REDD+ actions. Using data from Indonesia, we show that the choice of a forest definition can have a large impact on estimates of deforestation and forest degradation areas, on assessment of drivers of deforestation and on the development of a REL. The total area of deforestation between 2000 and 2009 was 4.9 million ha when using the FAO definition, 18% higher when using a ‘natural forest definition’ and 27% higher when using the national definition. Using the national and natural forest definitions, large areas (>50%) were classified as shrubland after deforestation. We used regression models to predict future deforestation. Deforestation was much better predicted than degradation (R2 of 0.81 vs. 0.52), with the natural forest definition giving the best prediction. Apart from historical deforestation and initial forest cover, gross domestic product and human population were important predictors of future deforestation in Indonesia. Degradation processes were less well modeled and predictions relied on estimates of historical degradation and forest cover.

The evolution and outlook of REDD-plus negotiation

Based on the development of the negotiations on REDD-plus in Conferences of the Parties of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate (UNFCCC) and Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), we analyzed the status of REDD-plus negotiations since the formulation of Bali Road Map in 2007. We examined the progress, the divergences of the Parties, future trends, some countermeasures for future negotiations on REDD-plus and the implementation of relevant international conventions for China. Our results indicate that all Parties from UNFCCC and CBD have reached a consensus on the priorities of incentive measures and technologies and methodologies, and the implementation level in relation to REDD-plus, and that REDD-plus should be implemented at the national level rather than at subnational levels. Consensus between Parties have not yet been reached on the financial mechanism, the forest reference emission level, the implementation of REDD-plus safeguard and whether the results based REDD-plus activities be measurable, reportable and verifiable at international/national level. Negotiations on REDD-plus in the future will focus on the issues of incentive measures and verification methodologies in relation to non-carbon benefits resulting from the implementation of REDD-plus activities. As a result, we recommend that multiple benefits to climate, biodiversity and community should be considered when national strategy plans for REDD-plus are formulated in China, and that the implementation of REDD-plus activities in China should be engaged in three phases, i.e. capacity building, demonstration activities and monitoring.

Conferenza di Durban sul clima: nuove prospettive per il mondo forestale

Abstract: The recent Durban Climate Conference can be considered a step forward in the agroforestry sector within the international climate regulatory regime. After four years of negotiations the long-awaited decision on Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol was agreed, including a new activity (wetland drainage and rewetting), defining the accounting rules for forest management (which was shifted from voluntary to mandatory), the accounting for harvested wood products and the treatment of emissions from natural disturbances. Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, conservation, sustainable management of forest, and the enhancement of forest carbon stock (REDD+) has moved ahead as well, with the agreement of two decisions as an intermediate step for the finalization of the REDD+ mechanism architecture. The first decision is about methodological aspects on guidance on system for providing information on how safeguards are addressed and respected and on modalities relating to forest reference emission levels and forest reference levels that are benchmarks for assessing country’s performance in implementing REDD+ activities. The second decision is about policy approaches and incentives on REDD+ activities, that is the controversial issue on the sources of financing for REDD+ mechanism. As source of finance for result-based actions, a wide variety of sources are recognized: public and private, bilateral and multilateral, including the Green Climate Fund, provided that they are new, additional and predictable. Both market and non-market approaches were also considered as possible tool for financing REDD+ action, to be developed by the Conference of Parties. Although a more ambitious outcome would have been desirable, the conference in Durban concluded with the finalization of key outcomes in the forestry sector providing important operational instruments to incentivize sustainable forest management at global level, representing a significant step forward in the full recognition of the fundamental role of forests in the carbon cycle.