Economic and Financial Challenges to Scaling Up Sustainable Cocoa Production in Côte d'Ivoire - Executive Summary

Agroforestry can play a key role in addressing the critical situation of Ivorian forests. It would also ensure the future of cocoa farming, a key sector of the country’s economy. To that end, a national agroforestry definition including quantitative elements is needed to guide investments consistently with national policy objectives. It would also harmonize socio-economic and environmental objectives. This study highlights several elements that can guide the development of this definition. The latter should consider the factors that influence cocoa yields in the arbitration between environmental and economic costs and benefits for the different actors in the cocoa value chain.

Using Spatial Analysis to Support REDD+ Land-Use Planning in Papua New Guinea: Strengthening Benefits for Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Livelihoods

Some of the analyses presented here were developed by national technicians in joint working sessions. This contributed to building national capacity in spatial analysis, access to relevant datasets and the use of decision support tools. As more and better data becomes available, the analyses presented here could be updated to provide better support for planning, including at a sub-national scale. We encourage follow-up work to build on the analyses presented here and to capitalize on the enhanced in country capacity for spatial analysis for evidence-based decision-making.

Forestry and Macroeconomic Accounts of Uganda: The Importance of Linking Ecosystem Services to Macroeconomics

The purpose of this study is to analyse the economic value of Uganda’s forest resources, where possible, and demonstrate some policy instruments that would alleviate pressure on these natural forest systems.

Improving Efficiency in Forestry Operations and Forest Product Processing in Kenya: A Viable REDD+ Policy and Measure

This report analyses whether increased efficiency in forestry operations and forest product processing and utilization are interesting REDD+ policies and measures for the Government of Kenya to pursue, with the potential to attract public and/or private investments to enable REDD+ implementation. In particular, the report focuses on the extent to which efficiency improvements could address supply deficiency in the forest sector, thereby reducing pressures on existing forests and related emissions.

Escenarios de Deforestación Futura en Paraguay

El análisis histórico del uso y cambio de uso de la tierra, así como la preparación de escenarios espaciales futuros de deforestación y degradación del bosque servirán para identificar áreas prioritarias de acción, analizar los posibles impactos de políticas de desarrollo en la conservación de bosques y definir aquellas políticas de REDD+ que contribuyan a la estabilización de las fronteras de deforestación y que maximicen la suma de beneficios ambientales y sociales que se pueden generar a partir de un esquema REDD+.

Escenarios de Deforestación Futura en Panamá

La generación de escenarios de deforestación es imprescindible para entender áreas de alto riesgo y que meritan intervenciones tempranas. Si se asume que la implementación plena de un programa REDD+ que alcance todo el territorio del país puede tardar varios años en materializarse, entonces la secuencia geográfica de intervenciones, es decir, donde se debe implementar primero, toma gran valor. El avance de la deforestación en los próximos 5 a 10 años puede ser importante y por consiguiente también el daño ecosistémico que esta trae aparejado.

Integrated Land-Use Planning for REDD+: Lessons from Combining Spatial Analysis and Participatory Approaches at the Sub-National Level in Viet Nam

A National REDD+ Strategy or Action Plan is required for a country to be able to receive results-based payments under the UNFCCC. This strategy should set out the actions, often referred to as “policies and measures” (PAMs), and governance arrangements to ensure the achievement of a country’s REDD+ objectives.

Dinámicas de Cambio de Uso de Suelo y Costos de Oportunidad en Panamá - Opciones para REDD+ y Sinergias con la Alianza por el Millón de Hectáreas

Este reporte presenta un análisis de las principales trayectorias de deforestación y degradación de bosques en Panamá, pérdidas y ganancias de carbono, y costos de oportunidad asociados. Se presenta también un análisis de sinergias entre REDD+ y la Alianza del Millón de Hectáreas, esta última una importante iniciativa del Gobierno de Panamá con capacidad de catalizar un cambio significativo en el paisaje rural del país. El reporte explora los ingresos brutos y netos de costos de oportunidad que REDD+ y la Alianza por el Millón de Hectáreas pudieran generar en concepto de pagos por resultados. El análisis toma todo el territorio panameño y se realiza principalmente desde una perspectiva social.

Beneficios Múltiples de REDD+ en Costa Rica: Análisis Espaciales para Apoyar la Toma de Decisiones

Más allá de la mitigación del cambio climático, la puesta en práctica de REDD+ puede fortalecer y/o promover beneficios sociales y ambientales, siempre y cuando sus políticas, acciones y actividades (PAMs, por sus siglas en inglés) sean diseñadas adecuadamente. Estos beneficios son conocidos como beneficios múltiples y pudieran hacer que la implementación de REDD+ en Costa Rica sea más atractiva para las partes interesadas relevantes (ej. actores con acceso al PPSA), especialmente si, al mismo tiempo, los riesgos asociados a esta iniciativa son evitados o mitigados. Por esta razón, el país se encuentra evaluando los beneficios múltiples que pudieran ser potenciados por la ejecución de la Estrategia Nacional REDD+ (EN-REDD+) y su Plan de Implementación. Este esfuerzo favorece el abordaje de las salvaguardas sociales y ambientales establecidas por la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Cambio Climático.

Technical Brief 2: Conceptual Framework for Country Approaches to Safeguards

Provides an overview of the conceptual framework for country approaches to meeting REDD+ safeguards requirements of the UNFCCC, and other relevant initiatives. Builds on collective country experiences, since 2010, in offering operational guidance on REDD+ safeguards not provided by the UNFCCC. Complete with links to all other key guidance materials on safeguards produced by the UN-REDD Programme.

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REDD+ can contribute to more policy goals than to climate change mitigation alone. The priority of the Government of Kenya is to implement environmentally and socially sustainable land-use and forest policies. All REDD+ activities will be designed with a focus on additional benefits such as improving biodiversity conservation and the livelihoods of forest dependent peoples.

The Government of Kenya has identified a need for better access to comprehensive spatial data and maps on natural vegetation and land use, the biodiversity in relevant ecosystems, the ecosystem services provided by forest, and the geographical patterns of deforestation, forest degradation and their drivers. This information can inform spatial planning and design of REDD+ strategy options.

The purpose of this report is to support REDD+ planning in Kenya through the development of maps on the distribution of drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, potential additional benefits of implementing REDD+ activities, and different implementation possibilities for REDD+ strategy options.

Summaries of Information: How to Demonstrate REDD+ Safeguards are Being Addressed and Respected

Offers guidance to countries moving towards REDD+ implementation on the possible contents of summaries of safeguards information to be submitted to the UNFCCC. The brief responds to, and elaborates on, UNFCCC guidance on summaries of information, drawing on country approaches to safeguards developed since safeguards for REDD+ were adopted by the convention in 2010.

REDD+ Safeguards Information Systems: Practical Design Considerations

2017 v2.0 update of the original 2015 technical brief. Summarises the key practical design considerations for 'Safeguard Information Systems' (SIS), in line with UNFCCC requirements, discussed in more detail in the corresponding safeguards Technical Resource Series document (No. 1).

Fiscal Incentives for Agricultural Commodity Production: Options to Forge Compatibility with REDD+

This Policy Brief outlines options for forging compatibility between fiscal incentives for agricultural commodity production and REDD+.

Mapping Multiple Benefits of REDD+ in Paraguay: Using Spatial Information to Support Land-Use Planning

The government of Paraguay joined the UN-REDD Programme (United Nations Collaborative initiative on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) in developing countries) in 2008, with the aim of implementing REDD+ in alignment with the country’s conservation and development objectives, and developing capacities for integrated environmental management, with particular attention to forest-dependent communities and indigenous peoples.

Inventory of Allometric Equations for Estimating tree Biomass: A Database for China

This report introduces an allometric equation database developed specifically for China that complements the current database for Asian countries. The database was prepared following the tutorial given by Baldasso, Birigazzi et al. Equations were compiled according to different categories to provide an overview of the allometric equations available in the literature. A comparison of the equations using field inventory data was given using statistical software R to present the application of the allometric equations in the specific context.

REDD+ and Adaptation: Identifying Complementary Responses to Climate Change

Mitigation is crucial for limiting the extent of climate change and thus the severity of its impacts on society and ecosystems. However, even with our best mitigation efforts, there will still be changes in the climate system due to inertia.

Tenure & REDD+: Developing Enabling Tenure Conditions for REDD+

The tenure of land, forests and other natural resources has crucial implications for REDD+ goals, planning and implementation processes. Tenure is a decisive factor in the identification of stakeholders whose rights, territories and livelihoods are affected by REDD+ activities. It is important to understand the multiple and complex tenure systems at play in forest areas because these are central to establishing who to reward for contributing to REDD+ and how. Tenure is the basis upon which to create effective benefit-sharing systems. The domestic laws and policies framing forest tenure systems also play a major part in the achievement of REDD+ goals: their provisions may result in either reduced or increased deforestation. While tenure-related risks will affect the implementation of REDD+, REDD+ activities may also reduce or exacerbate land conflicts by changing the value of forests.

REDD+ and the 2020 Aichi Biodiversity Targets: Promoting Synergies in International Forest Conservation Efforts

Recognizing the multiple functions of forest, Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have both initiated efforts to address the impacts of forest loss and degradation. Through the CBD, countries have agreed a set of “Aichi Biodiversity Targets”, including ambitious targets for the conservation, sustainable use and restoration of forests. Through the UNFCCC, countries are discussing a financial mechanism to promote REDD+.

Policy Brief 4: The Role of the Private Sector in REDD+: The Case for Engagement and Options for Intervention

This brief aims to encourage public sector REDD+ planners and practitioners to engage with and mobilize the private sector through a range of possible interventions. It identifies relevant private sector actors, and outlines their potential role, in the context of REDD+.