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National Institutional Arrangements for REDD Case Study – Colombia

Prepared by

Corporación Ecoversa Bogotá, Colombia

Project Coordinator Javier Tomás Blanco Freja

International Financing for REDD A Project of WWF US Policy Program

This is a report of the project “International Financing for REDD,” undertaken by WWF US Policy Program between July and December 2009, as part of WWF FC NI Program “Engaging Civil Society in REDD Programs.

The focus of the “International Financing for REDD” project was: (a) To further UNFCCC parties’ understanding of the role and sequencing of public, private and market funding for REDD; and, (b) To discuss institutional and funding arrangements for REDD at international and national level

The project worked by (a) engaging in the international REDD discussion in the run up to COP15; (b) producing or participating in the production of technical reviews, reports and proposals; (c) advising WWF network on these issues; and (d) collaborating with WWF country offices in the review of country level arrangements for REDD.

This scoping exercise on the state of Colombia’s REDD arrangements as of late 2009, was jointly commissioned by this project and by WWF Colombia . Please direct queries regarding the project to its director Pablo Gutman at [email protected] and questions regarding WWF REDD work in Colombia to Javier Sabogal Mogollón [email protected]

Report No. 4 November 2009

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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Table of Content

1. Overview of Deforestation in Colombia 1.1 Deforestation Levels in Colombia 1.2 Main Causes of Deforestation 1.3 Conclusion

2. Colombia’s Position on REDD 3. Institutional Arrangements to Control Deforestation in Colombia

3.1 Institutional Analysis 3.2 Conclusion

4. Isntruments to Control Deforestation in Colombia 4.1 Economic, Legal, and Technical Instruments 4.2 Conclusion

5. Ongoing REDD Projects and Capacity Buidling Activities 5.1 Sub-National Level Projects 5.2 REDD Capacity Buliding Activities

6. Gap Identification and Critical Issues 7. Functional Distribution Proposal

7.1 Proposed REDD Institutional Arrangements for Colombia 7.2 Interphase between the International REDD System and the Proposed REDD Institutional Arrangements for Colombia

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1. Overview of Deforestation in Colombia

This section discusses the deforestation situation in Colombia, based on the level of coverage of natural forests and the deforestation rates estimated in the official surveys, and then presents an analysis of the causes of deforestation. 1.1 Deforestation levels in Colombia Existing sources of information regarding levels of forest cover and deforestation in Colombia can be divided into two groups: 91) official publications and (2) reports from government agencies to international institutions. The following table provides a summary of the official publications reporting deforestation levels for Colombia:

Table 1. Official publications reporting deforestation levels for Colombia

Reference Agency Coverage Methodology Analysis Period

Natural forest cover (ha)

Total deforestation for the period

Annual deforestation for the period

Etter (1998) “Mapa General de Ecosistemas de Colombia: Scale 1:2000000” Instituto Alexander von Humboldt, Bogotá, Colombia.

Humboldt National

Identification and classification of coverage based on satellite imagery.

1997 57,582,000 (1997)

NA NA

Leyva P. ( Ed.) 2001. “El Medio Ambiente en Colombia” Instituto de Hidrología, Meteorología y Estudios Ambientales, IDEAM, Bogotá, Colombia. Agosto 2001.

IDEAM National

Identification and classification of coverage based on Landsat TM satellite imagery. IDEAM 1996 classification methodology. Scale 1:500,000

1996 63,777,519 (1996)

NA NA

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IDEAM 2004. Informe Anual sobre el Estado del Medio Ambiente y los Recursos Naturales

IDEAM National

Identification, classification, and comparison of coverage based on Landsat satellite imagery for the 80s and 90s, and the years 2000 to 2003. Scale 1:500,000 IDEAM 1996 classification methodology.

1986, 1994 and 2001

55,613,000* (2001) 56,280,000* (1994) 56,902,000* (1986)

622,000 ha (1986–1994) 668,000 ha (1994-2001)

76,921 ha/yr (1986–1994) 101,303 ha/yr (1994-2001)

IDEAM, IGAC, IAvh, Invemar, I. Sinchi e IIAP 2007. Ecosistemas continentales, costeros y marinos de Colombia. Bogotá, Colombia.

IDEAM, IGAC, IAvh, Invemar, I. Sinchi and IIAP

National

Interpretation of satellite imagery (Landstat TM and ETM). Scale 1:500,000

2001 61,064,182*** (2001)

N/A N/A

Armenteras D, Rodriguez N (Eds) 2007. “Monitoreo de los ecosistemas andinos 1985-2005: Síntesis”. Instituto de Investigaciones Alexander Von Humboldt, Bogotá, Colombia.

Humboldt Andes Region

Identification, classification, and comparison of coverage based on satellite imagery. Scale 1:500,000 Classification methodology (Etter 1998)

1985, 2000 and 2005

10,839,310 (2005) 11,131,605 (2000) 12,633,099 (1985)

1,501,482 (1985-2000) 292,308 (2000-2005)

100,099 ha/yr 58,459 ha/yr

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Cárdenas M. (2005) “Valoración de superficies deforestadas por cultivos ilícitos en la Zona de Reserva Forestal del Rio Magdalena.” IDEAM y Oficina de las Naciones Unidas frente a la Droga y el Delito.

Magdalena River Forest Reserve Area (2,172,752 ha)

Identification, classification, and comparison of coverage based on satellite imagery. Landsat 7 TM. Scale 1:500,000

2000-2004

1,144,814 (2000)

11,384 ha for illegal crops (2000-2004)

NA

Gobierno de Colombia y UNODC 2005 “Análisis Multitemporal de cultivos de coca en las áreas del Sistema Nacional de Parques – Periodo 2001-2004”. Bogotá, Colombia.

Ministry of the Environment, Housing and Territorial Development – Special Administrative Unit for National Parks

Area of interest in 18 of 51 national parks (3,139,159 ha)

2001-2004

3,139,159

19,100 ha (2001-2004) 3,321 ha for illegal crops.

* Includes natural forests, mangroves, riparian forests, fragmented Andean forest (50%), and savanna woodlands (30%). Does not

include forest plantations. *** Includes natural ecosystems classified as natural forests and mangroves. Does not include plantations.

Colombia has also officially reported to FAO and the Convention on Climate Change, data related to deforestation or greenhouse gas emissions from land use changes. The following table shows the information reported.

Table 2. Colombian deforestation or GHGs reports to international agencies.

*Data reported based on IDEAM 2004, reclassified to comply with FAO’s definition and calibrated to add to total area for the country.

Does not include forest plantations and savanna woodlands.

International Agency Forest Area (ha) Annual deforestation Reporting

agency

FAO* Global Forest Resources Assessment FRA (2005).

61,523,878 (1986) 61,081,176 (1994) 60,647,311(2001)

55,338 ha/yr (1986-1994) 61,981 ha/yr (1994-2001)

IDEAM

First National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

N.A. 91,930 ha/yr (1990-1994) IDEAM

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To summarize , currently different studies show different levels of natural forest cover. Some (Leyva 2001, IDEAM et al. 2007), report 61 million hectares of natural forest cover while others (IDEAM 2004), estimate a coverage of 55 million hectares. Although the latter study reports an annual deforestation rate of 101,000 ha/year, the IDEAM report to FAO adjusted it increasing the natural forest cover to 60 million hectares in 2001 and a level of deforestation of 62,000 hectares/year during the period 1994-2001. There is a clear need to standardize methodologies and arrive to clear estimates of the country’s forest coverage and deforestation rates. This may require the formal adoption of a definition for natural forests that can be applied to the interpretation of satellite images and solve the issue about the treatment and classification of fragmented forests and wooded savannahs. In addition, if we compare the deforestation rate for Colombia to that of other countries with natural tropical forests (see tables 3 and 4 below), we can see that Colombia is classified as a country with high coverage and moderate deforestation rates, ( forests cover between 50% and 85% of the country and annual deforestation rates are between 0.04% and 0.8%)

Table 3. Developing countries with largest area of natural forest

Country / Area

Natural forest in 2005

Total area Primary Natural modified Semi-natural

1000 ha 1000 ha 1000 ha 1000 ha

Brazil 472,314 415,890 56,424

China 165,921 11,632 114,332 39,957

Indonesia 85,096 48,702 36,394

Peru 67,988 61,065 6,923 0

India 64,475 32,943 31,532

Mexico 63,180 32,850 30,330 Sudan 62,142 13,509 47,282 1,351

Colombia 60,399 53,062 7,337

Angola 58,973 0 58,973 0

Bolivia 58,720 29,360 29,360

Total first 10 countries 1,210,282 666,070 383,904 109,234

Total Global 3,538,478 1,337,764 1,939,719 260,995

Source: FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005.

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Table 4. Developing countries with higher deforestation levels

Country / Area 2000-2005

1000 ha/yr %

Brazil -3,103 -0.6

Indonesia -1,871 -2.0

Sudan -589 -0.8

Myanmar -466 -1.4

Zambia -445 -1.0

United Republic of Tanzania -412 -1.1

Nigeria -410 -3.3

Democratic Republic of the Congo -319 -0.2

Zimbabwe -313 -1.7

Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) -288 -0.6

Bolivia -270 -0.5

Mexico -260 -0.4

Cameroon -220 -1.0

Cambodia -219 -2.0

Ecuador -198 -1.7

Total first 10 countries -9,383

Colombia -47

Source: FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment 2005.

As shown in the tables above, Colombia is among the first 10 developing countries with the largest area of natural forest cover; nevertheless it is not among the countries with the highest annual deforestation levels, countries such as Bolivia, Ecuador and Venezuela surpass it. According to the diagnosis presented by the Government, in the document Visión Colombia 2019 (DNP 2007), despite the serious inconsistencies in the reports (in some cases there is a difference of more than 300,000 ha/yr) there is evidence of a decrease in the rate of deforestation. Likewise, the same document states that the deforestation processes do not have the same intensity in every region; the deforestation is more intense in the inter-Andean valleys and Caribbean plains, and is linked to the deregulation of watersheds management and the settlement of large and medium-sized urban centers. In general, even though a considerable loss of natural forest cover associated with deforestation processes is acknowledged, the Government does not considered it very significant; deforestation rates in the recent years have had a tendency to decrease. It is important to emphasize that currently in Colombia there is no system for periodic monitoring of the natural forest cover. The information that the government has corresponds to the information presented in specific studies that in many cases cannot be used for multi-year comparison and analysis because they were prepared using different methodologies and procedures. According to the National Forest Development Plan (2000), MAVT and its affiliated institutions are responsible for monitoring; it also assigned special responsibility to IDEAM. In this regard, IDEAM is developing a national forest inventory to be completed by 2011. In addition, funding from the Moore Foundation is being used to estimate the deforestation rate and quantify the carbon

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stocks. These two studies conducted by IDEAM will provide a baseline for deforestation, and prioritize the areas where these processes are more intense in order to plan appropriate activities and projects to facilitate their effective control. 1.2 MAIN CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION The following causes for deforestation have been identified in various policy documents. FOREST POLICY The forest policy, issued in a 1994 (CONPES 27501), indicated that although 69% of the country's mainland was suitable for forests, only 46% had forest cover. According to this document, the main causes for forest loss were deforestation processes such as, in order of impact: expansion of the agricultural frontier, colonization, infrastructure building, illegal crops, firewood consumption, forest fires, and timber extraction for industrial and commercial uses. In addition, the displacement of peasant communities to forest areas (caused by circumstances related to public order) is also mentioned as an important cause of deforestation. In these new settlements the forest is cleared to set up subsistence-level agricultural and livestock activities and collect firewood for cooking (no other alternative sources of energy available). The forest policy indicated that illegal crops in 1991 affected areas in 323 municipalities, this figure increased to 385 in 1994. This activity is mainly centered in the Andean and Amazon regions. It was estimated that for every hectare planted with coca and poppy, 2 and 2.5 ha of forest, were lost respectively.

National Forest Development Plan

In 1989, Act 37 established the basis for structuring the National Forest Development Plan (PNDF). The Ministry of the Environment, pursuant to the statutory mandate contained in Paragraph 4 Article 5 of Act 99 of 1993, proceeded to lead and coordinate the preparation of this plan. The development phase took into consideration the studies carried out under the framework of the Environmental and Natural Resources Management Program (PAMRN), the goals and principles of the Forest and Biodiversity Policy, the strategies for consolidating the National System of Protected Areas, and incorporated the international initiatives from the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO). The Plan was approved at the National Environmental Council meeting held on December 5th, 2000 and was published in 20012.

1 Quoted in Ministerio del Medio Ambiente – Departamento Nacional de Planeación. 1996. Política de Bosques.

Documento CONPES 2834. Bogotá

2 Ministerio del Medio Ambiente. 2001. Plan Nacional de desarrollo Forestal. Primera Edición. Bogotá - Colombia. ISBN:

9487-12-2

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The PNDF incorporates much of the Forest Policy, and outlines the following as some of the main causes for forest loss and fragmentation:

a. Absence of land use policies and plans for colonization; b. Slash and burn agricultural practices. c. Non-sustainable agriculture. d. Intensive use of firewood. e. Construction of infrastructure (roads, hydroelectric, mining, and oil production). f. Illegal crops. g. Forest fires.

It also indicated that even though it did not have very precise sources of information, it was possible to establish that ecosystems such as mangroves, and the Catival, Sajal and Guandal forests, were most threatened and it was critical to develop concrete measures for their conservation and protection. Regarding the deforestation rates, the document indicated that there were no reliable figures to establish an annual rate; however it was estimated that the rate of cover loss was between 200,000 and 600,000 hectares for the period evaluated.

Annual report on the status of the environment and re newable natural resources

in Colombia 3

This document describes the direct and underlying anthropic causes related to changes in forest cover in Colombia. Among the direct causes are the following:

a. shifting cultivation in humid forests. b. cattle raising. c. traditional and technified agriculture. d. mining. e. non-sustainable timber harvesting. f. industry. g. transportation infrastructure. h. service infrastructure. i. urban development.

The following are some of the anthropic underlying causes:

a. market failures (forest and natural ecosystem goods and services undervalued or with no recognized market value).

b. concentration of ownership and limited access to natural resources, lack of clarity over ownership of the land and resources, inappropriate use of the land and resources.

c. state policy mistakes (perverse or inadequate incentives, excessive regulation, inadequate or insufficient government investment).

3 IDEAM. 2004 Informe anual sobre el estado del medio ambiente y los recursos naturales renovables en Colombia.

Bogotá. ISBN 958-8067-11-1.

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d. governance failures. e. deficiencies in the training and education of the people and productive sectors

(inadequate education, limited employment and production opportunities, distorted labor markets, limited access to markets).

Centennial Vision Colombia II (Consolidating environmental management to

promote sustainable development 4)

According to this document the country's forest cover has decreased by 1,289,000 hectares between 1986 and 2001, corresponding to an average annual deforestation of approximately 85,900 ha., and an average annual rate of 0.15%, attributed to causes such as: colonization and expansion of the agricultural frontier - including illegal crops (73.3%); timber harvesting (11.7%); firewood consumption (11%), and forest fires (2%). In terms of deforestation associated with illicit crops, the document indicates that the majority of the coca plantations are located in the departments of Putumayo, Guaviare, Caquetá, Meta, and Norte de Santander; and the poppy plantations are concentrated mainly in Cauca, Nariño, Tolima, Huila, Cesar, and Boyacá. On the subject of timber harvesting, the document indicates that in 1999 the Ministry of the Environment (now MAVDT) estimated that 60% of the timber for domestic consumption came from natural forests. The document also reports that for the period 1994 - 2001, the average annual rate of forest plantations, both for production and protection purposes, was approximately 16,475 ha.; it also indicated that those efforts were insufficient to compensate for the deforestation which was six times higher.

1.3 Conclusion

Our conclusion is that Colombia does not have national-level data or studies that clearly and consistently quantify or characterize the agents and causes of deforestation. The policy documents reviewed, identify qualitatively the following direct causes for deforestation:

a. Expansion of the agricultural and cattle raising frontier b. Colonization/displacement of communities c. Mining d. Illegal crops e. Timber extraction for sale or self-consumption f. Forest fires

4 Departamento Nacional de Planeación. 2007. Visión Colombia II Centenario (Consolidar una gestión ambiental que

promueva el desarrollo sostenible. ISBN: 978-958-8340-10-4

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According to most government reports almost three quarters of forest losses are driven by colonization and the expansion of the agricultural frontier. These expansion processes are occurring in the departments of Putumayo, Guaviare, Caquetá, and Meta as a result of an increased presence of illegal crops in those areas. The few hectares cleared for these crops, encourage community settlements that begin establishing small-scale agricultural production activities, which in turn have a significant effect in increasing the degradation and deforestation fronts. The National Government has made significant efforts to supply fuel, particularly gas, to reduce the pressure on the forest caused by communities whose only cooking energy source is firewood. According to information released by the Government (DNP 2007), in 1997 there was 18.9% gas service coverage nationwide, by 2003 it had increased to 35.9%; nevertheless, the increased coverage in the rural areas was only 2.4%. The latter indicates that firewood is still the main source of energy in the rural areas.

2. Colombia’s Position on REDD

The following discussion is based on official documents sent to the UNFCCC Secretariat, and takes particularly into account the views expressed by the Ministry of the Environment, Housing and Territorial Development Panel of Climate Change, who leads the country’s position on REDD. Colombia has actively participated in various preparatory negotiations for COP 15 Copenhagen. During the informal and experts workshops, Colombia has defended the option for a country to participate in the REDD mechanism through activities implemented at sub-national level. This option is proposed as a structural option and not as an initial step prior to expanding to national coverage. Consequently, the reference levels, monitoring, reporting and verification would have sub-national scope, and would include provisions for leakage control. The main arguments for defending this option in the negotiations are:

a. It is unlikely for the country to make a commitment over the entire national forest cover since, for example, there are deforestation processes such as those caused by illegal crops that are very difficult to control.

b. A nationwide approach would generate inequities for example when deforestation control efforts are made in an area while deforestation is increased in other areas. In this case, the reduction efforts would be "nullified" in the national accounting.

c. The channeling of resources by the government is inefficient and reduces the effective support and resources reaching the communities.

d. Private financing sources would be reluctant to channel resources to the central governments.

e. The establishing of national forest reference levels and reduction goals would in practice involve sectoral commitments from developing countries; this approach has been traditionally opposed by developing countries in the UNFCCC discussions.

With regard to this last point, Colombia does not support the idea of equating REDD to the National Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) under the Bali Action Plan, because it would

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have different characteristics and require special support. Likewise, Colombia does not agree with the accreditation of the NAMA's; however Colombia would be interested if REDD were to include market options, but this would make the two ideas incompatible. Likewise, Colombia favors REDD incentives involving carbon markets, by generating credits that could be used to comply with the reduction commitments of developed countries. In this regard, Colombia proposes (UNFCCC/AWGLCA/2009/MISC04p1), a REDD mechanism under the Convention to validate and register activities subject to monitoring and verification that would generate reduction certificates complying with the criteria for additionality, real sustainable development, and carbon benefits, and that are also measurable and long-term. It is important to clarify that this mechanism would be available for countries opting for a national approach as well as those opting for a sub-national approach. Moreover, Colombia also supports the creation of a Special Fund for Climate Change, to finance REDD activities, programs, and measures that complement those financed with resources assigned to the climate change focal area of the global environment facility and through bilateral or multilateral funding, in the following areas:

a. To increase the capacity of developing countries to monitor the changes in forest cover and associated carbon stocks.

b. To design and implement policies to reduce deforestation and degradation. c. To support ongoing efforts to improve forest conservation and forest carbon stocks in

developing countries.

3. Institutional Arrangements to Control Deforestation in Colombia

This section describes the institutions, processes, and instruments available to control deforestation in Colombia and identifies the gaps and critical aspects. It includes a description of the current projects related to REDD and the main results. Based on this analysis, we will propose an institutional and functional structure for the appropriate implementation of a REDD program.

3.1 Institutional Analysis

The following institutions have roles and responsibilities for deforestation control in Colombia.

Ministry of the Environment, Housing and Territorial Development

Act 99 of 1993, Article 2, created the Ministry and assigned it the goals of leading the environmental and renewable resource management, promoting a respectful and harmonious relationship between people and nature, and defining the policies and regulations to recover, conserve, protect, manage, use and exploit the renewable natural resources and the environment of the Nation, in order to ensure a sustainable development. It is also the coordinating entity for the National Environmental System (SINA). Regard to forest ecosystems, the Ministry of the Environment is assigned with specific roles such as:

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a. Preserve, demarcate, and set apart the areas comprising the national system of national parks and forest reserves, and regulate their use and operation (Sentence C-649 of 1997);

b. Establish global quotas and identify the species that can be harvested in the natural forests and the specimens of flora and fauna that can be collected, taking into account the supply and the renewal capacity of these resources. Based on these, the Regional Autonomous Corporations (CARs) can issue the corresponding permits, concessions, and exploitation permits;

c. Coordinate the drafting of the National Forest Development Plan mentioned in Act 37 of 1989 and structure, implement, and coordinate the National Forest Service created by Act 37 of 1989.

Furthermore, Decree 2811 of 1974 (National Code for Renewable Natural Resources and the Environment) authorizes the Ministry of the Environment, in its capacity as national managing entity for the renewable natural resources and the environment, to establish closed seasons and implement control and protection measures for the forest resources. Therefore, the Ministry is responsible for preparing the national policies and measures to reduce deforestation, including those needed to add areas to the National Parks System. It is also responsible for establishing global quotas and identifying forest species under the jurisdiction of the Sustainable Development Corporations (not in every CAR), so that they can issue permits, concessions, and exploit authorizations.

Special Administrative Unit for the National Park System – UAESPNN.

While this is an Administrative Unit under the Ministry of the Environment, Housing and Territorial Development, its primary function is to manage the areas comprising the national parks system, which cover approximately 10% of the country’s mainland territory. As shown in Table 1, within the National Parks System there is clear evidence of deforestation processes caused by different agents, including illegal crops. Therefore, the Parks Unit, is responsible for preparing and implementing specific actions to reduce deforestation in the areas within the National Parks system and exercise control and ensure compliance with the restrictions and obligations imposed by the regulations established for these areas.

Regional Autonomous Corporations, Sustainable Development Corporations and

Urban Environmental Authorities

Decree 2811 of 1974, assigns roles to these agencies as managers of the renewable natural resources and the environment, including the creation and management of forest reserves, establishing closed season for forest products under their jurisdiction, as well as granting or denying licenses, concessions, permits, authorizations or safe-conduct documents for the harvesting and mobilization of forest-derived resources. Law 99 of 1993 reconfirms these responsibilities in Articles 23 to 41, Article 66; Article 31 specifically outlines the roles of these environmental authorities. Decree 1791 of 1996 establishes the forestry system and outlines to the environmental authorities the procedure for granting permits and authorizations for the use of the natural forests as well as the registry of the operation log books of the companies marketing or processing forest products;

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these should help control forestry activities and the safe-conduct mobilization documents regulated by Resolution 438 of 2001. Therefore, the regional and urban environmental authorities are the agencies responsible for implementing actions to reduce deforestation, such as controlling illegal timber trade, controlling forestry activities, issuing deforestation control and forest conservation norms, and implementing forest management to determine among other things, the protection and production forests.

Departments

The departments are responsible, through their units and organizations, for the issuing of special provisions related to the environment, provide the budget and the technical, financial and administrative support to the environmental authorities within their territory, coordinate and direct the inter-municipal environmental control and surveillance activities such as those dealing with the mobilization, use, and commercialization of renewable natural resources, with support from the public enforcement authorities. In this regard, the Departments should be included in the deforestation reduction strategies to particularly regarding the control and surveillance of wood extraction from natural forests.

Districts, Municipalities, and Indigenous Territorial Entities.

Article 313 of the country’s 1991 Constitution states that district and municipal councils are responsible for the regulation of land uses within their respective jurisdictions; this responsibility is to be exercised in accordance with the provisions of Act 388 of 1997 for territorial development. In addition, Article 65 of Act 99 of 1993 assigns certain roles to the mayors as legal representatives of these territorial entities, including:

a. Develop and implement environmental plans, programs, and projects b. Establish norms for the control, preservation and protection of the ecological heritage; c. Exercise the role of environmental police; among others.

Act 99 of 1993 assigns to Indigenous territorial entities the same roles and duties regarding environmental issues, that are elsewhere assigned to municipalities. Therefore, the districts, municipalities and indigenous territorial entities have the authority to develop and implement forest conservation plans, programs and projects. They can also issue regulations for deforestation control and forest conservation, keeping in line with strategies and plans issued by the Ministry of Environment and the corresponding regional environmental authorities.

Hydrology, Meteorology, and Environmental Studies Institute - IDEAM

IDEAM is in charge of collecting and managing scientific and technical information about the country’s ecosystems. It is also responsible for establishing the technical basis for classifying and zoning the national territory for territorial planning and managing purposes.

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Likewise, IDEAM is responsible for collecting, analyzing, studying, processing and disseminating information on soils and vegetation cover to facilitate the management and use of the biophysical resources of the Nation. In this sense, the Institute is the entity responsible for disseminating information on national forest cover, including the official deforestation rates. Likewise, it is responsible for coordinating the preparation of the national communications to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Biological Resources Research Institute - Alexander von Humboldt

It is responsible for the scientific and applied research of the biotic and hydro-biotic resources in the mainland territory of Colombia. It is also responsible for creating, in the regions not covered by other institutes, research stations for the different national macro-systems. It should also provide technical assistance and technology transfer to the regional environmental authorities, Departments, Districts, Municipalities and other entities responsible for environmental and renewable natural resource management. Based on this general role, the Humboldt Institute should be able to conduct research on carbon sequestration in the natural ecosystems.

Sinchi Amazon Research Institute and Pacific Environmental Research Institute IIAP

The goal of these institutes is to carry out and disseminate high-level studies and scientific research related to the biological, social and ecological aspects of the Amazon region and the Chocó Biogeographic area, respectively. This role includes studies of deforestation dynamics in each of these regions.

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

As the lead agency for agricultural activities it is responsible for defining the policies governing this sector; it is in charge of formulating the agricultural sector policy as well as preparing and overseeing the implementation of the different plans, programs, and projects set forward in this sector (Decree 2478 of 1999). This Ministry is responsible for preparing colonization policies, in coordination with the Ministry of the Environment. It is also responsible for defining the policies for commercial forest plantations, both for native or introduced species, based on the national environmental policy established by the Ministry of the Environment. Regarding the special environmental protection zones such as wildlife (flora and fauna) sanctuaries, natural and regional parks, forest reserves, and protected areas, this Ministry is responsible for regulating, controlling and overseeing the agricultural activities occurring or intended to occur (when permitted) in these areas, in coordination with the environmental authorities. Similarly, in conjunction with INCODER, the Ministry is responsible for defining the vacant properties that can not be adjudicated under the Law because they are located within the buffer

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zones of environmental protection areas; likewise, the Ministry monitors the processes of extinction of ownership presented by INCODER for violations of the environmental norms, with prior opinion from the relevant environmental administrative authorities.

INCODER

This is a public institution under the Ministry of Agriculture, created by Decree - Law 1300 of 2003. Among its roles are the following:

a. To administer on behalf of the State, the nation’s vacant lands, that is, the urban or rural lands with no constructions or cultivation that are part of the State goods because they are located within the territorial boundaries and have no other owner; therefore INCODER has the authority to adjudicate them, enter into contracts, establish reserves, and advance colonization programs.

b. To exercise appropriate legal action in cases of undue appropriation of vacant lands. c. To address land tenure issues in order to identify the land owned by the Nation and

facilitate the clearing of titles for private properties. d. To cooperate with the relevant bodies in the monitoring, conservation, and restoration of

natural resources. e. To recover national lands unlawfully occupied

Accordingly, INCODER is responsible for designing and/or implementing deforestation reduction policies involving forests on national vacant lands.

3.2 Conclusion

According to the previous analysis, many public institutions participate or are required by law to participate in the management and protection of the country forests. These results at times in conflicting and contradictory policies, Moreover enforcement is usually lax, among other reasons because drivers of deforestation are for the most part outside the forest sector and beyond the reach of these agencies. New policy framework should help overcome these institutional barriers and achieve efficiency, effectiveness, and social justice in the conservation of Colombia’s forests. Some of these governance gridlocks that should be addressed include

a. Lack of clear definition in regards to ownership of the land and natural resources and the rights associated with ethnic minorities.

b. Contradictory regulatory framework that establishes rigid and confusing processes and procedures that further promote illegality.

c. Weak institutions, poorly skilled staff, lack of political will, and lack of technical rigor in the decision-making process.

4. Instruments to control Deforestation in Colombia

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This section discusses the environmental and social safeguards, and the economic, legal, and technical instruments available for reducing deforestation, as well as the current processes and procedures.

4.1 Economic, Legal, and Technical Instruments

Legal and Technical Instruments:

The law contemplates the following instruments for natural resource management in general and forest management in particular Forest Management. Decree 1791 of 1996 grants the Regional Autonomous Corporations (CARs), within their respective jurisdictions, the authority to plan forest management activities within their jurisdictions. Forest management planning includes preserving, marking forests’ boundaries, and creating protective, productive, and productive-protective forest areas subject to specific exploitation rules. Each designated forest area should have a forest management plan prepared by the CAR authorities. The forest management plan helps the CARs make decisions about granting permits, authorizations, or concessions for forest exploitation as well as setting reserved areas for protection. Forestry management in natural forest: Decree 1791 of 1996 establishes the system for forest harvesting in national natural forests under three categories: one-time, persistent, and domestic, and defines them as follows:

a. One-time Uses (forest clearance): Those made only once; they are allowed in areas where technical studies indicate a better land use option other than forest cover, or in areas with special public use or social interest justifications.

b. Persistent Uses: Those made based on sustainability criteria and requiring maintenance of the forest using sustainable forestry techniques.

c. Domestic Uses: Those made exclusively to satisfy critical domestic needs. Does not allow for marketing of the products.

The decree also establishes the procedure for using the natural forests or products derived from wild plants, both in public domain areas (through licenses or concessions) as well as in private properties (through authorizations). It also establishes the different requirements and procedures to obtain the respective forest permit from the environmental authority. In this regard, the CARs use permits and authorizations to exercise their role as surveillance entities for the control and sustainable use of the natural forests. Establishing closed seasons: through this normative policy instrument, the Ministry of the Environment, Housing and Territorial Development, as well as the Regional Autonomous Corporations, the Sustainable Development Corporations, and the Urban Environmental Authorities, in their role as managers of the renewable natural resources, are authorized within their respective jurisdictions to establish closed season for the harvesting and marketing of forest products under the provisions of section c) Article 240 of Decree 2811 of 1974 which states:

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"For the marketing of forest products, the management shall have the following authority: (...), c) Establish closed season and limits for the use of forest species, according to their characteristics, occurrence, and market situation.”

This instrument can be used by the environmental authorities to temporarily prohibit the harvesting of natural forests in a specific area. Mobilization permit (salvoconducto): According to Article 223 of Decree 2811 of 1974, ad later on Decree 1791 of 1996 in Articles 74 to 83, all primary forest products or products derived from wild plants, that enter, exit, or are mobilized within the national territory must have a “salvoconducto” that is a document that allows its mobilization from the harvesting location to the utilization, processing, industrialization, or marketing sites, or from the port of entry into the country to its final destination. There are three types of safe conduct documents: mobilization, renewal, and re-mobilization. More recently the Ministry of the Environment, Housing and Territorial Development issued Resolution 438 of 2001 establishing a single national document for the transportation of specimens of biodiversity within the country. In a control operation, if a carrier does not have the “salvoconducto” document issued by a competent authority, the inspectors – on behalf of the Ministry of the environment-- can withhold or confiscate the timber being transported. Operation Log Book Registry: Decree 2811 of 1974 provides in Article 227 that all forestry companies should obtain a permit. Consequently, Regulatory Decree 1791 in Chapter X, articles 63 to 68, regulates the forestry industries or companies, requiring that forest product primary processing companies, forest product secondary processing companies, or finished product companies, forest marketing companies, marketing and forest product secondary processing companies, and integrated companies, should keep an operation log book registered with the appropriate environmental authority, whether a Regional Autonomous Corporation, a Sustainable Development or Urban Environmental Authority. This authority may at any time verify the information in the operation log book and make any visits it deems necessary. It also establishes the obligation to submit to the environmental authority under its jurisdiction, an annual activity report, and avoid acquiring and processing forest products from natural forests that lack the appropriate salvoconducto document. Environmental Licenses: Law 99 of 1993 declared this instrument as the necessary authorization document issued by the competent environmental authority for the implementation of a work, activity, or project. The recipient of the environmental license is subject to comply with the requirements set in the license with regards to prevention, mitigation, correction, compensation, and management of the environmental impacts generated during the different stages of the recipient’s licensed activity. This normative instrument is currently regulated by Decree 1220 of 2005 that indicates which projects, works, or activities require a license, the environmental authorities responsible for issuing the license, and the process or procedure for obtaining it.

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The environmental license is especially relevant for forest management because most of the forest related projects, works or activities subject to licensing involve the use of natural forests. Similarly, the environmental license helps the projects under licensing, to prevent, mitigate or compensate for the impacts they generate, including deforestation caused by public interest projects (e.g. hydroelectric projects, roads, large-scale mining, etc.). Special Management Areas: These are areas regulated in general by Articles 308 to 336 of Decree 2811 of 1974 and are defined as areas established for the administration, management, and protection of the environment and renewable natural resources. These areas are classified as:

a. Integrated management districts and recreation areas, regulated by Decree 1974 of 1989; b. Managed watersheds, regulated by Decree 1729 of 2002; c) Soil conservation districts; and c. National Parks System, regulated by Decree 622 of 1977.

From a natural forest conservation perspective, the most important protection and special management categories are the areas within the national parks system, the integrated management districts, and the managed watersheds. ECONOMIC INSTRUMENTS Conservation CIF: Act 139 of 1994 created the Forest Incentive Certificate (CIF) in Colombia as a government tool to recognize the positive externalities resulting from reforestation and forest conservation in view that many environmental and social benefits generated by reforestation and forest conservation are shared by the population at large. This provision was regulated by Decree 1824 of 1994 for reforestation CIFs, and by Decree 900 of 1997 for conservation CIFs. Conservation CIFs are defined as the recognition for the direct and indirect costs incurred by property owners to maintain the natural forest ecosystems in their land with little or no intervention. The value of the CIF was to be based on the one hand on the direct and indirect costs to the landowner and, on the other hand, on the availability of funds. The decree identifies the areas where the incentive is recognized, the requirements and procedure to access it, the formula for calculating the value, the duration, and the process for resource allocation via CONPES. According to Article 7 Act 139 of 1994 the funds to pay for FIC would come from: (a)appropriations from the national budget; (b) appropriations from decentralized agencies budgets; (c) funds derived from environmental fines and penalties; and (d) any other contribution from public or private legal persons, as well as funds from external or internal financing entities or international cooperation agencies. The Government has not implemented the Conservation CIFs despite being one of the main instruments available in the Colombian legislation to promote the conservation of natural forests. Tax Exemptions: The main tax break for forest conservation or reforestation activities offered by the current Colombian Tax Code is the “Presumption of sale cost in reforestation plantations” also known as “reduction of the taxable income base”. Additionally the Tax Code (Article 157) provides for the deduction of investments made on new plantations.

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The granting of these tax exemptions, has been delegated to the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, DIAN, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Ministry of the Environment, Housing and Territorial Development, depending on the activity in question. As with other government incentives the these instruments depends largely on the degree of simplicity or complexity of the regulations to access them. Payment for Environmental Services: The National Development Plan adopted by Law 1151 of 2007, assigned to the Ministry of the Environment, Housing and Territorial Development, the responsibility to develop a set of economic and financial instruments that provide incentives for the knowledge, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, including mechanisms for creating a system for payment of environmental services. Additionally, Article 106 of the same Act amended Article 111 of Act 99 of 1993, allowing the investment of 1% of the current revenues of the municipalities and departments for the payment of environmental services. Although the Environmental Ministry set up a contract for the preparation of a National Strategy for the Payment of Environmental Services, to date this strategy has not been issued officially and the payment for environmental services has not been regulated either. Nevertheless, Colombia has several local initiatives that have formulated and implemented experiences with payment for hydrological environmental services, including those developed by CIPAV in the coffee region, the Humboldt Institute in the department of Boyaca, and Corporación Ecoversa in the Guavio region. The true potential of this funding source cannot be gauged before the Ministry of the Environment makes it operative country-wide. However, the current wording of Article 111 of Act 99 opens the possibility for the municipalities to dedicate resources to finance payment schemes for environmental services in natural forest areas classified as priorities by Act 373 of 1997 (Saving and efficient use of the water).

Social Impact Prevention Mechanisms or Procedures (So cial Safeguards)

To prevent social impacts caused either by deforestation or by deforestation control activities, Colombian legislation identifies different entities or mechanisms that allow the communities to participate in the decisions affecting them. These mechanisms were established by Act 99 of 1993, and include: i) Right to request information, ii) Public Hearings and iii) Third party intervention. In terms of the indigenous communities and communities of African descent, Act 70 of 1993 and Act 21 of 1993 grant priority rights for the use of the natural resources to these communities. The Prior Consultation mechanism was established to protect the rights of these communities and prevent impacts that could affect them. The mechanism was regulated by Decree 1320 of 1998, which states that any project, work or activity to be developed in the collective territories of black communities or indigenous reserves, should reach an agreement with these communities over the mitigation, prevention, correction, and compensation measures for the environmental impacts. 4.2 Conclusion Colombia has many legal, technical, and economic instruments that can or could be used to control deforestation. Unfortunately they don’t add up to a coherent framework.. Laws have been

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issued for different activities and with different goals and scopes, favoring multiple interpretation criteria and repeated confusion. As an example, there have been many calls for an inventory of Public Forests in order to clarify what rules apply to what forests. But to this day forest extraction permits are being issues without knowing if the forests in question are in public or private property. Among other things this affect the payment of forest fees, that should be paid for the extraction of forest products from Public Lands. Regarding the industrial exploitation of forest products, the regulation has been consistent in promoting and supporting reforestation through incentives and tax breaks and requiring different management instruments such as the Forest Management Plan and the Forest Concession and License Registry. These instruments, known currently under different names under the regulatory framework for Decree 1791 of 1996, have otherwise maintained the goal of ensuring proper management of the forest resources, either planted or natural. Unfortunately the lack of clear procedures and processes to enforce and monitor these rules has had the opposite effect. fostering the illegal exploitation of forests and thus increasing deforestation. Likewise forest reserves are no more than formal declarations on paper, and have not been able to promote sound territorial planning that could help reach the conservation and sustainable goals envisaged in their creation. In many cases public the agencies that authorize forest extraction activities allege lack of information regarding the existence and demarcation of forest reserves in their jurisdiction and keep and keep issuing extraction permits in what are supposedly protected forest reserves. This somehow chaotic regulatory scenario foster divergent interpretations and legal uncertainty in the implementation of processes and procedures, and furthermore discourage public and private investments on the conservation or sustainable exploitation of forest resources. Since the 1991 Constitution, that granted higher statutory and institutional hierarchy to the environmental issues, the country has been trying to harmonize the existing forest management legislation, both for natural and planted forests, define the institutions responsible for its implementation, establish a set of incentives, and define coordinating mechanisms with other regulatory frameworks, such as those for territorial management, land use, and the economic and financial instruments to help achieve the goals for conservation and sustainability. There is progress and currently the environmental authorities are streamlining and implementing some of the instruments described above including the administrative instruments for forest use, closed seasons, mobilization, and operation log book registry, and the creation and administration of special management areas. On the other hand some instruments still have poor levels of implementation, as is the case of forest management plans and conservation CIFs. Others instruments, like the payment for environmental services, have not been regulated by the government, but there have been some successful local level experiences.

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5. Ongoing REDD Projects and Capacity Building Activities

Colombia ongoing of REDD related activities can be grouped in (a) sub-national REDD projects; and, (b) capacity building activities

5.1 Sub-National Level Projects

Following is a brief description of the current sub-national level REDD projects in Colombia:

Name Project: Implementation of a strategy for better natural forest management in the Con Costa community council.

Location Bajo Baudo and Litoral del San Juan, Choco Department, Colombia

Phase Implementation of Forest Management Plan – Design of Project Design Document PDD

General Information

Area: 73,033 ha, No. Villages: 18. No. Families: 829, Individuals: 4743

Participating Agencies

USAID, Con Costa community council, Government of Choco, Codechoco

Name Project: Implementation of a strategy for better natural forest management in the Cajambre community council.

Location Municipality of Buenaventura, Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia


General Information



USAID, Cajambre community council, Municipality of Buenaventura, Government of del Valle, CVC.

Name Project: Implementation of a strategy for better natural forest management in the Bajo Mira community council.

Location Municipality of Tumaco, Department of Cuaca, Colombia

Phase Implementation of Forest Management Plan – Design of Project Design Document PDD General Information



USAID, Municipality of Tumaco, Government of Cauca, CRC

Name Project: Implementation of a strategy for better natural forest management in the greater Municipality of Chigorodó.

Location Municipality of Chigorodó, Department of Antioquia, Colombia


General Information

Area: 9,000 ha,


USAID, greater City Hall of Chigorodó, Municipality of Chigorodó, Government of Antioquia, Corantioquia.

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Name Technical support for the “Heart of the World” Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta park ranger families project

Location Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Department of Magdalena, Colombia

Phase Design of Project Design Document PDD

General Information

1,727 peasant families benefited


USAID, Presidency of the Republic, Acción Social and Government of Magdalena

Name Incorporating biodiversity conservation through avoided/reduced deforestation in the Colombian Andean foothills – Amazon Region

Location Pasto – Mocoa road, Departments of Cauca and Putumayo, Colombia



BID, Corpoamazonia, WWF

Name REDD Project in the San Nicolás Forests.

Location Municipalities of San Vicente, El Retiro, Santuario, Marinilla, Rionegro, Guarne, La Ceja, La Unión, and El Carmen

Phase Implementation of Forest Management Plan

General Information

14,646 ha during a 20 year period. Estimated reduction 1,148,084 tons CO2e


Corporación Mas Bosques, Cornare, Municipality of Oriente Antioqueño, Corporación Ecoversa

Name REDD Project in the subdivisions of Pedreras and Tarapacá, Colombian Amazon region

Location Subdivisions of Pedreras and Tarapacá, Department of Amazonas, Colombia


General Information

Area: 649,834 ha. Involves indigenous communities from the Yucuna, Matapí and Miraña groups


Conservation International, Corporación Ecoversa, Corpoamazonia.

Name Participatory land use planning, Livelihood enhancement & forest conservation in the Colombian Mazico

Location Department of Hulia, Municipalities of San Agustín, Pitalito, Palestina, and Acevedo, Colombia


General Information

73,183 ha. Approximately 80-150 tCO2 /year, during 20 years


ONF International and CAM

5.2 REDD Capacity Building Activities

The World Bank under its Forest Carbon Partnership Facility initiative, contributed close to 200,000 USD to the Colombian Government to prepare the Readiness Plan "R-Plan" document,

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whose overall goal is to assist the country in presenting and organizing the steps required to reach the readiness status to initiate activities to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. According to the information published by the World Bank, this entity plans to invest close to USD two (2) million to implement the Plan. The Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) and Fundación Natura are implementing the "Institutional Scientific and Technical Capacity to support REDD Projects to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation in Colombia”, with resources from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The overall goal of this initiative is to "Strengthen the technical and scientific capacity in Colombia to support projects to reduce emission from deforestation.” The Moore Foundation provided USD two (2) million to be used in the following activities:

a. Establish a baseline for information about deforestation processes b. Develop protocols for satellite imagery analysis and for mapping the changes in forest

cover to be used in the preparation of REDD projects c. Identify priority areas to implement REDD projects d. Establish synergies with national projects related to deforestation to support REDD

projects e. Establish agreements and commitments in pilot projects for REDD projects and for on site

validations of the protocols f. Strengthen the national capacity for monitoring, reporting, and verification of

deforestation processes in order to improve the available tools for sustainable management of forests in Colombia.

g. Support for a pilot project in areas identified as of high conservation priority.

6. Gap Identification and Critical Issues

After the previous review of the Colombian legal and institutional framework for the control of deforestation, we can conclude that there are several gaps and weaknesses in it, including,

a. Lack of standardized methodologies and of resources to systematically monitor and report on the country forests deforestation and forest degradation.

b. Lack of coordination between the agricultural and land policies and the environmental policies. Better coordination could help prevent the effects of colonization and the expanding agricultural frontier in terms of loss of forest cover.

c. Lack of clarity regarding land tenure and forest exploitation rights. d. Inadequate economic and financial incentives for forest conservation. e. Institutional and governance problems associated with multiple processes and procedures

applied by the environmental authorities, low staff qualification level, compartmentalized management of the issues dealing with deforestation control and natural resource management within those units.

f. Poor inter-institutional coordination to control illegal timber trade.

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The way forward is not adding more institutions or more rules. The way forward should be to simplify processes and procedures; improve coordinating among existing institutions; and increase the capacity and resources to enforce and implement existing policies..

7. Functional Distribution Proposal

7.1 Proposed REDD Institutional Arrangements for Colombia

The consultant recommendation for Colombia is that the Ministry of the Environment (MAVDT) should lead the design of a REDD strategy that encompasses the national, regional and local level, and acknowledges

a. National level programs, e.g. the CIF program b. Regional level programs e.g. granting regional or local agencies direct access to REDD

international funds, with prior approval from MAVDT c. Local level programs, like the park ranger families program, or families carrying out

conservation activities in buffer zones. These programs may be funded by the national government but are fully managed by local stakeholders.

In the case that a REDD activity results in the issuing of carbon credits, those credits should accrue to the natural or legal person, with domain rights or that has management and control over the land where the natural forest is located. In this sense, the executing agency of the regional or local project should have a document signed by the owner of the credits, authorizing it to negotiate the credits. This requirement may not be necessary when the National Government is the entity directly implementing a national level REDDS program or project. The table below presents a proposal for Colombia Institutional REDD design, using as a point of entrance the main functions that a national REDD system should deliver.

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FUNCTIONS NATIONAL/REGIONAL LEVEL

ROLES

NATIONAL

INSTITUTIONS

REGIONAL AND/OR

LOCAL INSTITUTIONS

Oversight Functions

Prepare a strategy for reducing

emissions from deforestation and

degradation

Ministry of the

Environment, Housing

and Territorial

Development

Review and approve REDD-

related plans, programs, and/or

projects

Ministry of the


and Territorial

Development

CARs (for specific

aspects with approval

from MAVDT)

Monitor the implementation of

the strategy

Ministry of the


and Territorial

Development

IDEAM

Finance Functions

Access the resources in

accordance with the REDD

strategy

Ministry of the


and Territorial

Development,

Presidency of the

Republic, and other

agencies when the

projects are

implemented by a

national level agency

Regional

Environmental

Authorities, NGOs,

regional or local

agencies, Community

Councils, when a

project is regional or

local

Transfer the resources to the

programs, plans, or projects

approved by REDD*

Ensure compliance with the

procedures for report

preparation and fiduciary

management of the national and

international funds.

National

Implementing Agency

Regional or Local

Implementing

Agencies

Technical Functions (Standards

and others)

Issue national standards for

measuring, monitoring, reporting,

and verification of deforestation

reductions for REDD, and the

environmental and social

safeguards

Ministry of the


and Territorial

Development, and the

IDEAM for measuring,

reporting, and

verification

Provide technical assistance to

the programs and projects

MAVDT trains the

regional and local

agencies

Regional and local

agencies provide

assistance to the local

implementing

agencies.

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ROLES

NATIONAL

INSTITUTIONS

REGIONAL AND/OR

LOCAL INSTITUTIONS

REDD Implementing Functions

Implementation of preparatory

and readiness activities MAVDT

Formulate programs and projects

according to the national REDD

strategy

National Agencies

Regional and/or Local

Agencies

Request and receive funds for the

approved programs and projects National Agencies

Regional or Local

Agencies

Implement projects according to

the MRV Standards and

Safeguards

National Agencies

Regional or Local

Agencies

Report the results to the

national coordination and

certification agencies

National Agencies Regional or Local

Agencies

Certification and Registry

Functions

Implement the standards and

procedures for the national

monitoring, reporting and

verification

IDEAM AAR

Register and certify the MRV

results

IDEAM for the national

level projects

AAR and report also to

IDEAM

Use the registry for the payment

and distribution of credits among

projects*

Accountability Functions Implement and supervise the

operation of the social and

environmental safeguards and

ensure prior and informed

consent from the affected

communities -

MAVDT

MIJ AAR

Implement and supervise the

operation of the procedures to

handle grievances and complaints

MAVDT AAR

*This role is not necessary within the proposed approach for Colombia.

7.2 Interphase between the International REDD System and the Proposed REDD

Institutional Arrangements for Colombia

Taking into account the proposal for Colombia, we suggest that the Ministry of the Environment, Housing and Territorial Development, should coordinate the international relations both with the Convention, as with other REDD regional international programs. Depending on the project type, the Ministry could also look for sources of financing for the projects. This role could also be implemented by regional or local agencies but they would need first to obtain approval from

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MAVDT, in order to submit projects to the financing entities. This would help MAVDT monitor and oversee the commitments and the information coming from the regional projects that contributes to the conservation goals. The technical, certification, and reporting roles should be shared, depending on the type of national or sub-national project, between the MAVDT and the local or regional implementing agencies; but this adds a role to the IDEAM. According to the TOR the main roles that should be played by the national or regional level public entities, are described in the following table:


ROLES

NATIONAL

INSTITUTIONS

REGIONAL AND/OR

LOCAL INSTITUTIONS

Oversight Functions

Coordinate the relationship

between the Convention and the

REDD mechanism

Ministry of the


and Territorial

Development

International coordination of the

relationship between REDD and

other international or regional

programs

Ministry of the


and Territorial

Development

Coordinate the relationship

between the multilateral and

bilateral financing sources

Ministry of the


and Territorial

Development

Implementing

agencies with approval

from MAVDT

Oversee the relationship with the

international carbon market

Ministry of the


and Territorial

Development

Finance function

Coordinate the relationship with

the COP financing window

Ministry of the


and Territorial

Development

Request and receive funding from

international sources

Implementing

agencies with approval

from MAVDT

Establish reporting and fiduciary

procedures for the international

financing

Presidential agency for

Social Action and

Cooperation. This

agency channels and

executes international

funds to implement

social programs.

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Technical Functions (Standards

and others)

Coordinate with UNFCCC and

other REDD technical bodies

IDEAM

MAVDT

Request technical support from

international sources

IDEAM

Regional or Local

Implementing

Agencies

Establish standards, MRV

methodologies, and other

technical procedures

MAVD with support

from IDEAM

Certification and Registry

functions

Send REDD strategy for registry

with the UNFCCC MAVDT

Send national MRV performance

reports for acknowledgement,

certification, or market

accreditation

MAVDT with support

from IDEAM for

national-level projects

Regional or Local

Implementing

Agencies

(AAR); should also

report to IDEAM

Accountability Functions

Coordinate relationship with COP

with regards to environmental

and social standards*

Establish the procedures for the

social and environmental

standards and for handling

grievances and complaints*

Report to COP regularly MAVDT

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