Exposure to Risks Posed by Unsustainable Land Use: What Can Burmese Banks Do?

Land use is the foundation of the Burmese economy. As the Burmese banking sector develops and expands, it will be exposed to new challenges associated with unsustainable land use and deforestation. This brief is the second in a two-part series; the first info brief examined how the Burmese banking sector could be exposed to risk generated through unsustainable land use and deforestation. This second part focuses on measures that Burmese banks can take to minimize any exposure to unsustainable land use and deforestation, while aligning their portfolio with sustainable and profitable businesses that are able to foster and reinforce a healthy functioning environment.

Scoping Private Sector Opportunities in Ethiopia: How to Stimulate Both Economic Development and REDD+ Implementation?

Ethiopia is one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa. Agriculture (subsistence and commercial) employs 80% of the population, contributes to 50% of the gross domestic product and provides 60% of export revenues, highlighting the importance of the sector for Ethiopia’s economy. At the same time, the country is experiencing ongoing deforestation, with agriculture being the principal driver of deforestation in Ethiopia. There are 2 national strategies - the climate-resilience green economy (CRGE) and the second-growth transformation plan (GTP2) - to shift the country to a more sustainable development paradigm while growing to middle-income status by 2025. Ethiopia has ample indigenous bamboo resources: the largest area of bamboo in Africa with 1 million hectares with a potential of 3 million hectares. Based on desk research and interviews, this report concludes that investments in bamboo carry the highest potential to restore, protect or recover forests as Ethiopia committed in 2014 to restore 15 million hectares by 2030. In doing so, there may be possibilities to harness the potential of both international development finance institutions as well as domestic financial institutions, given that Ethiopia is at the moment an underbanked country with little domestic or international funding flowing to forest-friendly projects that contribute to REDD+.

Banking on Forests in Myanmar

This info brief is supported by the UN-REDD Programme and published by the United Nations Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. It is the first in a two-part series that is intended to demonstrate the economic and financial benefits of a deforestation-free approach to lending and investment in Myanmar and to provide recommendations for financial institutions on how to reduce their exposure to the forest-related risks arising from their clients/ investees’ activities.

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

At the current rate of deforestation, Côte d’Ivoire is in the process of irretrievably losing all its forest cover by 2034. The country is the world’s largest producer of cocoa. The extension of farmland for cocoa cultivation is one of the main drivers of deforestation. Declining soil fertility, diseases, aging plantations and the lack of good agricultural practices have led small cocoa producers in Côte d’Ivoire to seek better yields on forest lands.

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 - Summary for Policy Makers

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.

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.

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.

High resolution.

Low resolution version (~4mb) available here.

Very high resolution version (~115mb) available here.

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.

Resumen ejecutivo de Resultados del Programa ONU-REDD en Colombia 2015

Final report for distribution

Final version for distribution

Decisions of the UN-REDD Programme's 15th Policy Board meeting. This will be incorportated in the PB Report and will be translated into FR and SP.

Presented by Jose Carlos, UN-REDD Secretariat

Presented by Anura Sathurusinghe, UN-REDD Programme Focal point, Sri Lanka

Final version from Mike Speirs