Publication: Quality-Of-Governance Standards For Carbon Emissions Trading. Developing REDD+ Governance Through A Multi-Stage, Multi-Level And Multi-Stakeholder Approach by Lopez-Casero Federico Tim CADMAN and Tek MARASENI (26 Jun 2013)

IGES Discussion Paper No. FC-2012-02

Quality-Of-Governance Standards For Carbon Emissions Trading. Developing REDD+ Governance Through A Multi-Stage, Multi-Level And Multi-Stakeholder Approach

Author: LOPEZ-CASERO Federico; Tim CADMAN and Tek MARASENI

Discussion Paper / Working Paper | 2013/06 | Language: English

Copyright: IGES | Page No./Total No. of Pages: 31 pages.

This discussion paper presents the Action Research Project to Develop a National Quality-of-governance Standard for REDD+ and the Forest Sector in Nepal, which was launched by IGES, Griffith University and the University of Southern Queensland.

The process of developing a voluntary national standard in Nepal through online surveys, key informant interviews, a multi-stakeholder forum and field consultation, has provided an innovative and field-tested apporach to standards development.

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	Discussion_paper_Final_20130617_FLC.pdf	6.3 MB

Area:	Natural Resources and Ecosystem Services
Task:	Forest Conservation
Region:	Worldwide, Nepal

For more information: http://pub.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/view.php?docid=4658

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New Books: Redeeming REDD Policies, Incentives and Social Feasibility for Avoided Deforestation By Michael I. Brown (20 Jun 2013)

Redeeming REDD

Policies, Incentives and Social Feasibility for Avoided Deforestation

By Michael I. Brown

Published 20th June 2013 by Routledge – 344 pages

Descriptions:

It is now well accepted that deforestation is a key source of greenhouse gas emissions and of climate change, with forests representing major sinks for carbon. As a result, public and private initiatives for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) have been widely endorsed by policy-makers. A key issue is the feasibility of carbon trading or other incentives to encourage land-owners and indigenous people, particularly in developing tropical countries, to conserve forests, rather than to cut them down for agricultural or other development purposes.

This book presents a major critique of the aims and policies of REDD as currently structured, particularly in terms of their social feasibility. It is shown how the claims to be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as enhance people's livelihoods and biodiversity conservation are unrealistic. There is a naive assumption that technical or economic fixes are sufficient for success. However, the social and governance aspects of REDD, and its enhanced version known as REDD+, are shown to be implausible. Instead to enhance REDD's prospects, the author provides a roadmap for developing a new social contract that puts people first.

Contents:

Introduction

1. Grounds for Pessimism and Optimism

2. Theses and Theory of Change

3. REDD’s Path to Date

4. What do Pygmies circa Mobutu’s Zaire have to do with REDD?

5. Science and Policy

6. Stakeholders and REDD

7. Social Feasibility and Its Components

8. Capacity Building: Often Discussed, Rarely Implemented

9. Financing Issues

10. Risks Related to REDD

11. A New Social Contract for Moving Forward

References

Index

For more information: http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415517867/

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New Books: Community Forest Monitoring for the Carbon Market Opportunities Under REDD Edited by Margaret Skutsch (1 Jun 2013)

Community Forest Monitoring for the Carbon Market

Opportunities Under REDD

Edited by Margaret Skutsch

Published 1st June 2013 by Routledge – 208 pages

Descriptions:

Recent developments in international policy on Reduced Emissions from Deforestation in Developing countries (REDD) open the way for crediting of carbon saved by rural communities through management of the forests in their vicinity. Since the annual changes in forest carbon stock under this kind of management are relatively small and often under the canopy, they cannot easily be assessed using remote sensing, so ground-level data collection is likely to be essential over large areas of forests. The potential role of communities in measuring, monitoring and reporting carbon stock changes in their forests has been explicitly mentioned in UNFCCC documentation on methodology for REDD+, the extended form of REDD that includes forest enhancement, sustainable forest management and forest conservation. This book presents practical methods by which communities can do it. These methods were developed and tested with communities in villages in Africa and Asia under a six-year research programme. The reliability of the data gathered by the community is shown to be equivalent to that of professional forest inventories while the costs are much lower. Involvement of local communities in collection of this data may be the most cost-effective solution for national REDD+ programmes. Moreover, it could provide the basis for a transparent system for distribution of the financial rewards from REDD+ and the carbon market. The book first presents the policy context, concepts, methods and general results, which include estimates of typical carbon savings resulting from community management in different types of tropical forests. It also looks at the governance issues that may be involved and a variety of ways in which incentive schemes might be designed to encourage communities to participate. The second half of the book is devoted to case studies from the countries involved in the research. These provide both ideas and practical experience to enable agencies to engage with local communities to monitor carbon stock changes.

Contents:

Part I: Principles and Issues
1. Why Community Forest Monitoring?
2. How Much Carbon Does Community Forest Management Save?
3. Local Participation In Mapping, Measuring and Monitoring for Community Carbon Forestry
4. The Policy Context of Community Monitoring for REDD+
5. Information Requirements for National REDD+ Programmes
6. The Costs And Reliability of Forest Carbon Monitoring by Communities
7. A Field Guide for Community Forest Carbon Monitoring
8. Participatory Mapping and Monitoring of Forest Carbon Services Using Freeware: Cybertracker and Google Earth 

Part II: Case Studies
9. The Cost to Communities in Nepal of Participating in REDD+
10. Community Carbon Forestry to Counter Forest Degradation in the Indian Himalayas
11. The Potential of Community Forest Management Under REDD+ for Achieving MDG Goals in Tanzania
12. West Africa: Carbon Savings Through Community Management of Dry Savanna Woodlands
13. Can Carbon Compete with the Loggers in Papua New Guinea?
14. Will Poor Nepalese Communities be able to Access REDD+ Carbon Credits? A Legal Analysis

For more information: http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415852890/

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Publication: Protecting carbon to destroy forests: land enclosures and REDD+ (19 Apr 2013)

Protecting carbon to destroy forests: land enclosures and REDD+

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This paper argues that REDD+ will not stop forest destruction developing countries and the underlying causes of deforestation remain untouched. The paper suggests that because REDD+ is embedded in the logic that environmental destruction in one location can be ‘compensated’ in another, it acts to reinforce the underlying drivers of deforestation and climate change. It also gives forest destroyers a way to legitimise their actions as environmentally ‘friendly’ or ‘carbon neutral’. The paper continues that far from positioning itself as an ally to the many local groups that have preserved forested lands most strongly, REDD+ tends to silence debates about the unjust realities surrounding corporate pressures on land tenure regimes. The paper aims to provide a historical background and experiences on the ground in order to further the argument that because land and nature enclosures are central to its operation, REDD+ cannot be fixed.

For more information: 

http://www.eldis.org/go/display&type=Document&id=65054?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+eldis-climate_change+%28Eldis+Climate+Change%29#.UX51K6ITIVg

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Publication: Putting the pieces together for good governance of REDD+: an analysis of 32 REDD+ country readiness proposals by L. Goers Williams (19 Apr 2013)

Putting the pieces together for good governance of REDD+: an analysis of 32 REDD+ country readiness proposals by L. Goers Williams

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This working paper presents positive trends and overarching gaps in how countries designing programmes to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) are proposing to address governance challenges. It hopes to help governments, donors and civil society groups identify where additional analysis, financial support and capacity-building are needed. The paper reviews 32 REDD+ readiness proposals submitted to the World Bank-administered Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and the United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in developing countries (UN-REDD Programme) to understand overall trends in how elements of readiness are being understood and prioritised globally. The analysis finds that the readiness proposals make important commitments to developing effective, equitable, and well-governed REDD+ programmes, but general statements have not yet been translated into clear next steps.

For more information: 

http://www.eldis.org/go/display&type=Document&id=65050?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+eldis-climate_change+%28Eldis+Climate+Change%29#.UXE7DaJ-YVg

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Publication: IGES Briefing Note On REDD+ Negotiations: UNFCCC COP 18, Doha by Lopex-Casero, Federico (27 Mar 2013)

IGES Briefing Note On REDD+ Negotiations: UNFCCC COP 18, Doha


Author: Lopez-Casero, Federico|
2013/03
Language: English|
Publication Type: Discussion papers & Conference Papers|
Copyright: IGES. |
Contributor: Yamanoshita, Makino

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File name	Size
Doha-COP-report-eng.pdf	471 KB

For more information: http://enviroscope.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/view.php?docid=4333

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Publication: Governing the Forests: An Institutional Analysis of REDD+ and Community Forest Management in Asia published by UNU-IAS (Feb 2013)

Governing the Forests: An Institutional Analysis of REDD+ and Community Forest Management in Asia

By Jose Puppim de Oliveira, Tim Cadman, Hwan Ok Ma, Tek Maraseni, Anar Koli, Yogesh D. Jadhav and Dede Prabowo

REDD+ has become an important component in the discussions on climate change and forest governance, but there is further need to understand the linkages with local governance and the challenges for its implementation. This joint report will serve as a useful reference for policymakers, professionals and practitioners as they work to promote REDD+ in ways that tackle climate change and biodiversity loss but also respect concerns and listen to the voice of local stakeholders.


IBN 978-92-808-4542-6
February 2013, 53 pages
Download report as a .pdf file (1.94 MB)

For more information: http://www.ias.unu.edu/sub_page.aspx?catID=111&ddlID=169

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Publications: New Project Publications by APN (15 Mar 2013)

New Project Publications

15/03/2013POSTED IN: GLOBAL CHANGE ANNOUNCEMENTS, NEW PROJECT PUBLICATION

The following project related output has been published and can be downloaded from its project metadata page.

Final Report: Strengthening Capacity for Policy Research on Mainstreaming Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture and Water Sectors (CRP2011-01CMY-Pereira)
http://www.apn-gcr.org/resources/items/show/1697

Final Report: Assessing Vulnerability of Communities and Understanding Policy Implications of Adaptation Responses to Flood-Related Landslides in Asia (ARCP2008-09CMY)
http://www.apn-gcr.org/resources/items/show/1549

Final Report: Capability Enhancement of the Local Experts from State Universities and Colleges in Assessing Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity of Crop-based Farming Systems in Various Agroecological Settings (ACBA2011-15NSY-Wagan)
http://www.apn-gcr.org/resources/items/show/1693

Final Report: Developing an MRV system for REDD+: Scaling up from project level to a national level REDD + MRV systems for Laos and Vietnam (EBLU2011-02CMY(C)-Skole)
http://www.apn-gcr.org/resources/items/show/1708

Source: http://www.apn-gcr.org/2013/03/15/new-project-publications-7/

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Indian Updates: Institutional Framework for Implementing REDD+ in India. (18 Feb 2013)

Institutional Framework for Implementing REDD+ in India.
Updated: February 18th, 2013

by Ridhima Sud, Jitendra Vir Sharma, Arun Kumar Bansal, Subhash Chandra


Introduction

Forests in India have always held a special place in the socio-economic, cultural, and religious facets of Indian society. Though blessed with diverse forest resources that support a rich diversity of flora and fauna, the geographical distribution and quality of forests is not uniform in India. India has 78.29 million hectare (Mha) under forest and tree cover (Forest Survey of India, 2011) which is 23.81 per cent of the total geographical area of the country. Of this total, forest cover constitutes 69.20 Mha (21.05 per cent), whereas tree cover is 9.84 Mha (2.76 per 

cent). However, improving the quality of forest cover is a major concern today in terms of density classes, since very dense forests, having canopy density more than 0.7, constitutes only 8.347 Mha (2.54 per cent), and medium-density forests with canopy density of 0.4–0.7,constitute 32.07 Mha (9.76 per cent). The remaining forest cover is open 

forest or scrub which requires to be rehabilitated. India’s forests are facing immense pressure due to unsustainable use of forest produce. Poverty and forest degradation are inextricably linked and curbing forest degradation requires convergence of various poverty alleviation policies and schemes. The role of local communities is vital in not only addressing the drivers of forest degradation but also enhancing carbon stock through conservation, protection, and reforestation. The carbon stock of Indian forests in 2004 has been estimated by the 

Forest Survey of India (FSI) to be 6,663 metric tonnes (FSI, 2011). Carbon stock in India’s Forests has increased by 592 metric tonnes between 1994 and 2004, but it can be increased significantly through the involvement of local communities. The institutional mechanism for REDD+ will leverage on the strengths of the existing forest management system in the country while also ensuring sectoral integration and inter-departmental coordination to 

address some of the key drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in the country.

To view the full document: http://envfor.nic.in/assets/FP_Discussionpaper_18022013.pdf

For more information: http://envfor.nic.in/

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Publication: Understanding relationships between biodiversity, carbon, forests and people: the key to achieving REDD+ objectives. A global assessment report by J. A. Parrotta (ed); C. Wildburger (ed); S. Mansourian (ed) (Feb 2013)

Understanding relationships between biodiversity, carbon, forests and people: the key to achieving REDD+ objectives. A global assessment report

By J. A. Parrotta (ed); C. Wildburger (ed); S. Mansourian (ed)

This report seeks to better understand the relationships between biodiversity, carbon, forests and people, so as to support the achievement of REDD+ objectives. It summarises the latest scientific literature to make sense of the complex web of relationships, how they may be affected by the implementation of REDD+ management activities, and the potential trade-offs and synergies between and among environmental and socioeconomic objectives.

The introduction provides a summary of the issue, presenting contextual data to illustrate the importance of, and challenges faced by, forest ecosystems. It also discusses REDD+ and its aims of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, as well as conserving, managing and increasing forests as carbon stocks.

The report is split into four chapters. The first chapter explores the relationships and impacts of deforestation and forest degradation on biodiversity, carbon and other ecosystem services. Covering a range of forest types, it gives a broad overview of biodiversity and carbon relationships in potential REDD+ programme regions. 

Impacts of forest and land management on biodiversity and carbon are the focus of the second chapter, which explores management and action approaches, identifying areas for improving agricultural practice, measures to reduce the impact of various extractive industries, and indicators for the effective monitoring of carbon and biodiversity.

Social and economic considerations relevant to REDD+ are covered by the third chapter, including the social and economic context of governance and its consequences. This chapter concludes that REDD+ activities can greatly benefit poor people (particularly through participatory practices) and generate significant financial flows.

The fourth chapter examines existing and future options for governance of REDD+, forest management and biodiversity. It explores options to synergise climate, forest management and biodiversity at both the national and international scale, including information on data collection, planning, policies and finance. The report concludes that governance is likely to remain pluralistic; rather than impose a singular solution, this complexity should be embraced.

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For more information: 
http://www.eldis.org/go/display&type=Document&id=63521?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+eldis-climate_change+%28Eldis+Climate+Change%29#.URc60R2TyEU

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