Forests - Deforestation and degradation

Title

Institutional design for improved forest governance through REDD: Lessons from the global environment facility

Reference

Ecological Economics
Volume 70, Issue 11, 15 September 2011, Pages 1908-1915

Author(s)

G. Kristin Rosendal and Steinar Andresen

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

This contribution focuses on carbon mitigation and biodiversity conservation in the context of the UN initiative for Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation in Developing countries (REDD). The design of REDD is important as it may channel much of the international funding that will potentially be made available for future environmental problem-solving in developing countries. The most important multilateral environmental funding mechanism is the Global Environment Facility (GEF). With its basic structural similarity to the emerging REDD, it provides a good starting point for drawing lessons relevant to the design of REDD. In explaining GEF priorities and performance we discuss the role of key actors as well as the organizational and institutional structure of GEF. These factors do not encourage coalitions for addressing environmental problems in the poorest countries. The institutional setting of REDD in the Convention on Climate Change may further exacerbate this trend, as neither conservation nor socioeconomic concerns like the rights and well-being of indigenous peoples and local communities are addressed. Factors that favour utilizing a similar organization structure include scope for donor trust, for bringing in established competence and a comprehensive approach. REDD must be wary of catering solely to a Northern environmental agenda.

Policy theme(s)

Forests >> Forest governance and management
Forests >> Forest protection >> Deforestation and degradation

Keywords

REDD; Legitimacy; Biodiversity; Climate change; GEF; Governance

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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N/A

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http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800911001327
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kristin.rosendal@fni.no

Title

Emissions Embodied in Trade (EET) and Land use in Tropical Forest Margins

Reference

CGIAR policy brief

Author(s)

Minang, P.A., van Noordwijk, M., Meyfroidt, P., Agus, F., Dewi, S.

Study type

Report

Abstract

Increasing proportions of land use change responsible for emissions from deforestation, forest degradation and agriculture in developing countries is associated with commodities meant for export, hence the concept of Emissions Embodied in Trade- EET. As many corporations, countries and consumers embrace carbon footprint labelling and advocate for “greener” commodities, there is potential for reducing emissions from land use change in the humid and sub-humid tropics. Yet, current debate on Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation - REDD+ has not considered the potential implications of EET. In this brief, we present and briefly reflect on (a) how emission reductions may induce cross-border land use displacements; (b) how market demand for “greener” commodities and consumer pressure on some tropical commodities can shape behaviour of land use agents and influence emissions; and (c) the policy implications that result from EET.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Greenhouse gas emissions >> Terrestrial emissions
Forests >> Forest protection >> Deforestation and degradation
Sustainable development and policy assessment >> Sustainable economic development >> Trade and environment

Keywords

N/A

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Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://www.asb.cgiar.org/PDFwebdocs/PB17_final.pdf
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asb@cgiar.org

Title

Reference

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 9: 278–286.
doi:10.1890/100084

Author(s)

Miguel N Bugalho, Maria C Caldeira, João S Pereira, James Aronson, and Juli G Pausas

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Mediterranean cork oak savannas, which are found only in southwestern Europe and northwestern Africa, are ecosystems of high socioeconomic and conservation value. Characterized by sparse tree cover and a diversity of understory vegetation - ranging from shrub formations to grasslands - that support high levels of biodiversity, these ecosystems require active management and use by humans to ensure their continued existence. The most important product of these savannas is cork, a non-timber forest product that is periodically harvested without requiring tree felling. Market devaluation of, and lower demand for, cork are causing a decline in management, or even abandonment, of southwestern Europe's cork oak savannas. Subsequent shrub encroachment into the savanna's grassland components reduces biodiversity and degrades the services provided by these ecosystems. In contrast, poverty-driven overuse is degrading cork oak savannas in northwestern Africa. 'Payment for ecosystem services' schemes, such as Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification or Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation and enhancement of carbon stocks (REDD+) programs, could produce novel economic incentives to promote sustainable use and conservation of Mediterranean cork oak savanna ecosystems in both Europe and Africa.

Policy theme(s)

Environmental economics >> Ecosystem services >> Ecosystem services
Forests >> Forest protection >> Deforestation and degradation
Forests >> Forest protection >> Forest biodiversity

Keywords

N/A

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://www.frontiersinecology.org/beyond/?p=275
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migbugalho@isa.utl.pt

Title

Stakeholder perspectives on 'fair and efficient' benefit distribution along the C-redd value chain

Reference

World Agroforestry Centre report

Author(s)

World Agroforestry Centre

Study type

Report

Abstract

Local implementation of efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) can be analyzed to be part of a 'value chain'. The primary 'service' is a direct reduction of emissions and a medium-to-long term reorientation of development pathways towards the maintenance of high-carbon-stock landscapes. The ultimate 'service' for which there may be a market is a 'credible and creditable' quantification and documentation of emission reduction compared to an agreed (negotiated) baseline ('additionality' beyond reference emission levels) after corrections for leakage effects and risks of non-permanence. The steps of the value chain beyond the landscape where emission reduction takes place involve subnational + national + international levels that currently still have to operationalize rules that allow the value chain to work. In this process an external drive for efficiency (low cost emission reduction) interacts with the need for fairness (supporting conservation commitment, avoiding perverse incentives). The development of operational subnational REDD+ implementation rules involves a learning curve for all involved, the local stakeholders as well as the potential investors, regulators and facilitators of the process. Learning by the stakeholders might in future be facilitated by formal research results, but a more direct 'learning by doing' is needed at this stage. We report the development and use of a research tool FERVA for analysis of fairness and efficiency along REDD+ value chains, and its initial use in Indonesia and Peru. For Jambi province in Indonesia we also report further steps to engage potential REDD+ stakeholders in the design of subnational implementation mechanisms, including discussions with 'Orang Rimba' as the local forest dwellers are indicated. A simulation model that quantifies distributional effects ('equity') complements the 'perceived fairness' perspective that was expressed in the various focus group discussions. Vietnam is considering the coupling of REDD+ funding and an existing scheme of payment for watershed functions. This approach may reduce transaction costs, but brings its own challenges to both fairness and efficiency dimensions, as discussed here.

Policy theme(s)

Forests >> Forest protection >> Deforestation and degradation
Environmental information services >> Environmental communication >> Stakeholder/public engagement

Keywords

N/A

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://www.asb.cgiar.org/PDFwebdocs/Stakeholder%20perspectives%20along%20the%20Credd%20value%20chain.pdf
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www.worldagrofoorestrycentre.org/sea

Title

Benchmark map of forest carbon stocks in tropical regions across three continents

Reference

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2011;
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1019576108

Author(s)

Sassan S. Saatchi, Nancy L. Harris, Sandra Brown, Michael Lefsky, Edward T. A. Mitchard, William Salas, Brian R. Zutta, Wolfgang Buermann, Simon L. Lewis, Stephen Hagen, Silvia Petrova, Lee White, Miles Silman, Alexandra Morel.

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Developing countries are required to produce robust estimates of forest carbon stocks for successful implementation of climate change mitigation policies related to reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD). Here we present a 'benchmark' map of biomass carbon stocks over 2.5 billion ha of forests on three continents, encompassing all tropical forests, for the early 2000s, which will be invaluable for REDD assessments at both project and national scales. We mapped the total carbon stock in live biomass (above- and belowground), using a combination of data from 4,079 in situ inventory plots and satellite light detection and ranging (Lidar) samples of forest structure to estimate carbon storage, plus optical and microwave imagery (1-km resolution) to extrapolate over the landscape. The total biomass carbon stock of forests in the study region is estimated to be 247 Gt C, with 193 Gt C stored aboveground and 54 Gt C stored belowground in roots. Forests in Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia accounted for 49%, 25%, and 26% of the total stock, respectively. By analyzing the errors propagated through the estimation process, uncertainty at the pixel level (100 ha) ranged from ±6% to ±53%, but was constrained at the typical project (10,000 ha) and national (>1,000,000 ha) scales at ca. ±5% and ca. ±1%, respectively. The benchmark map illustrates regional patterns and provides methodologically comparable estimates of carbon stocks for 75 developing countries where previous assessments were either poor or incomplete.

Policy theme(s)

Climate change and energy >> Greenhouse gas emissions >> Terrestrial emissions
Forests >> Forest protection >> Deforestation and degradation

Keywords

forest biomass, forest height, microwave and optical imaging, error propagation, carbon cycling

Entry Source:

Shortlisted for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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N/A

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http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/05/24/1019576108
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saatchi@jpl.nasa.gov  

Title

Gold Mining in the Peruvian Amazon: Global Prices, Deforestation, and Mercury Imports

Reference

PLoS ONE 6(4): e18875.

Author(s)

Jennifer J. Swenson, Catherine E. Carter, Jean-Christophe Domec, Cesar I. Delgado

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Many factors such as poverty, ineffective institutions and environmental regulations may prevent developing countries from managing how natural resources are extracted to meet a strong market demand. Extraction for some resources has reached such proportions that evidence is measurable from space. We present recent evidence of the global demand for a single commodity and the ecosystem destruction resulting from commodity extraction, recorded by satellites for one of the most biodiverse areas of the world. We find that since 2003, recent mining deforestation in Madre de Dios, Peru is increasing nonlinearly alongside a constant annual rate of increase in international gold price (~18%/yr). We detect that the new pattern of mining deforestation (1915 ha/year, 2006-2009) is outpacing that of nearby settlement deforestation. We show that gold price is linked with exponential increases in Peruvian national mercury imports over time (R2 = 0.93, p = 0.04, 2003-2009). Given the past rates of increase we predict that mercury imports may more than double for 2011 (~500 t/year). Virtually all of Peru's mercury imports are used in artisanal gold mining. Much of the mining increase is unregulated/artisanal in nature, lacking environmental impact analysis or miner education. As a result, large quantities of mercury are being released into the atmosphere, sediments and waterways. Other developing countries endowed with gold deposits are likely experiencing similar environmental destruction in response to recent record high gold prices. The increasing availability of satellite imagery ought to evoke further studies linking economic variables with land use and cover changes on the ground.

Policy theme(s)

Chemicals >> Pollutants/hazardous substances >> Heavy metals
Forests >> Forest protection >> Deforestation and degradation

Keywords

N/A

Entry Source:

N/A

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Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

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http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0018875#aff1
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jswenson@duke.edu

Title

Remotely sensed forest cover loss shows high spatial and temporal variation across Sumatera and Kalimantan, Indonesia 2000-2008

Reference

Environmental Research Letters 6 (2011) 014010 (9pp)

Author(s)

Mark Broich, Matthew Hansen, Fred Stolle, Peter Potapov,
Belinda Arunarwati Margono and Bernard Adusei

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

The Indonesian islands of Sumatera and Kalimantan (the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo) are a center of significant and rapid forest cover loss in the humid tropics with implications for carbon dynamics, biodiversity conservation, and local livelihoods. The aim of our research was to analyze and interpret annual trends of forest cover loss for different sub-regions of the study area. We mapped forest cover loss for 2000-2008 using multi-resolution remote sensing data from the Landsat enhanced thematic mapper plus (ETM  + ) and moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors and analyzed annual trends per island, province, and official land allocation zone. The total forest cover loss for Sumatera and Kalimantan 2000-2008 was 5.39 Mha, which represents 5.3% of the land area and 9.2% of the year 2000 forest cover of these two islands. At least 6.5% of all mapped forest cover loss occurred in land allocation zones prohibiting clearing. An additional 13.6% of forest cover loss occurred where clearing is legally restricted. The overall trend of forest cover loss increased until 2006 and decreased thereafter. The trends for Sumatera and Kalimantan were distinctly different, driven primarily by the trends of Riau and Central Kalimantan provinces, respectively. This analysis shows that annual mapping of forest cover change yields a clearer picture than a one-time overall national estimate. Monitoring forest dynamics is important for national policy makers, especially given the commitment of Indonesia to reducing greenhouse gas emissions as part of the reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries initiative (REDD  + ). The improved spatio-temporal detail of forest change monitoring products will make it possible to target policies and projects in meeting this commitment. Accurate, annual forest cover loss maps will be integral to many REDD  +  objectives, including policy formulation, definition of baselines, detection of displacement, and the evaluation of the permanence of emission reduction.

Policy theme(s)

Forests>> Forest protection>> Deforestation and degradation

Keywords

tropical forest, deforestation,  REDD  +  , deforestation drivers, remote sensing, Landsat, MODIS

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N/A

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http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/6/1/014010/fulltext
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mark.broich@sdstate.edu

Title

Monitoring, reporting and verification for national REDD + programmes: Two Proposals

Reference

Environmental Research Letters 6 (2011) 014002 (10pp)
doi:10.1088/1748-9326/6/1/014002

Author(s)

Martin Herold and Margaret Skutsch

Study type

Peer Review Journal

Abstract

Different options have been suggested by Parties to the UNFCCC (United Framework Convention on Climate Change) for inclusion in national approaches to REDD and REDD+ (reduced deforestation, reduced degradation, enhancement of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forest, and conservation of forest carbon stocks). This paper proposes that from the practical and technical points of view of designing action for REDD and REDD+ at local and sub-national level, as well as from the point of view of the necessary MRV (monitoring, reporting and verification), these should be grouped into three categories: conservation, which is rewarded on the basis of no changes in forest stock, reduced deforestation, in which lowered rates of forest area loss are rewarded, and positive impacts on carbon stock changes in forests remaining forest, which includes reduced degradation, sustainable management of forest of various kinds, and forest enhancement. Thus we have moved degradation, which conventionally is grouped with deforestation, into the forest management group reported as areas remaining forest land, with which it has, in reality, and particularly as regards MRV, much more in common. Secondly, in the context of the fact that REDD/REDD+ is to take the form of a national or near-national approach, we argue that while systematic national monitoring is important, it may not be necessary for REDD/REDD+ activities, or for national MRV, to be started at equal levels of intensity all over the country. Rather, areas where interventions seem easiest to start may be targeted, and here data measurements may be more rigorous (Tier 3), for example based on stakeholder self-monitoring with independent verification, while in other, untreated areas, a lower level of monitoring may be pursued, at least in the first instance. Treated areas may be targeted for any of the three groups of activities (conservation, reduced deforestation, and positive impact on carbon stock increases in forest remaining forest).

Policy theme(s)

Forests >> Forest governance and management
Forests >> Forest protection >> Deforestation and degradation

Keywords

REDD+, forest carbon, monitoring, UNFCCC, verification

Entry Source:

Selected for Science for Environment Policy News Alert

Referred to in EC doc:

N/A

View this study at:

http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/6/1/014002
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martin.herold@wur.nl