international redd+ architecture and its relevance for india - naresh kadyan

7/31/2019 International REDD+ architecture and its relevance for India - Naresh Kadyan

1/14

International REDD+architecture

and its relevance for India

Ridhima Sud

Jitendra Vir Sharma

Arun Kumar Bansal


2/14

Introduction

The conservation of forest resources is an issuethat transcends political boundaries, and is oflocal, national, and global concern. The rangeof ecosystem goods and services provided byforests include carbon sequestration and storage.Deforestation and forest degradation in tropical

regions is the second largest source of globalgreenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Various studiesestimate its share in total global anthropogenicGHG emissions to be between 12 and 20 percent (Ghazoul et al, 2010; IPCC, 2007). As thepotential of the forestry sector to contributesignificantly to a low-cost global mitigationportfolio was recognized in the internationalclimate change arena, REDD+ became central todiscussions under the United Nations FrameworkConvention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The concept was first introduced in itspreliminary form at the climate changenegotiations during the Third Meeting ofthe Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC(COP-3) in 1997; to enlist carbon services offorests under the Clean Development Mechanism(CDM), and account for emissions and removalsfrom Land-Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry(LULUCF) activities. In 2005 at COP-11,Reducing Emissions from Deforestation (RED)in developing countries: approaches to stimulate

action was introduced as an agenda item in thenegotiations. Further, with no significant progressmade by the Annex I parties in meeting theirmitigation pledges under the Kyoto Protocol,REDD+ gained prominence as a low-hangingfruit to achieve these emission reduction targets.However, conservation of forests comes with

a significant opportunity cost for developingcountries, as reserving forests implies foregoingthe benefits that would have been generatedby exploiting these resources, or from adoptingalternative land use practices. Further, the on-sitebenefits of forests are lower than the potentialbenefits of alternative land uses. Therefore, in

order to safeguard the forests against activitiesthat prove to be destructive to its interests, andto protect the rights of local forest dependentcommunities, new elements were introducedand the scope of RED was enhanced to includethe issues of forest degradation (REDD) andcompensated conservation (REDD+).

India has played an important role in REDD+negotiations and has been instrumental inshaping the REDD+ mechanism by emphasizingthe role of conservation and sustainable forest

management in mitigating carbon emissions.In international negotiations, Indias positionon REDD+ underscores the need for reducingemissions through conservation, sustainablemanagement of forests, and enhancement of forestcarbon stocks, in addition to reducing emissionsfrom deforestation and forest degradation. Indiasstance was accepted at COP-13 in 2007 andincorporated in the Bali Action Plan which guidesthe current negotiations on REDD+.

While the modalities of the international

REDD+ architecture are being negotiated andmethodologies getting refined, countries need toprepare themselves in order to benefit from theemerging mechanism that would not only havecarbon benefits for the global community, butalso contribute significantly towards meeting theirsustainable development objectives.

International REDD+ architecture and

its relevance for IndiaRidhima Sud1, Jitendra Vir Sharma2, Arun Kumar Bansal3

1 Associate Fellow, The Energy and Resources Institute2 Senior Fellow, The Energy and Resources Institute (corresponding author. email: [email protected])3 Additional Director-General, Forest Conservation, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India


3/14

2

International REDD+ architecture and its relevance for India

Indias preparedness for REDD+

At the national level, India has a robust policyand legal framework in the form of the WildlifeProtection Act, 1972; Forest Conservation Act,1980; National Forest Policy, 1988; NationalEnvironmental Policy 2006; and Forest Rights Act2006 for the sustainable management of its forests.

Indias National Forest Policy, formulated fouryears before the Earth Summit (UNCED 1992),embodies all elements social, environment, andeconomic of Sustainable Forest Management.The principal aim of Indias National ForestPolicy is to ensure environmental stability andmaintenance of ecological balance, includingatmospheric equilibrium, which is vital for thesustenance of all life forms human, animal, andplant. The derivation of direct economic benefit issubordinate to this principal aim.

Indias National Forest Policy is in alignmentwith the four global objectives agreed in 2006 byall member countries of United Nations underthe umbrella of United Nations Forum on Forests(UNFF). These global objectives aim to:

1. Reverse the loss of forest cover worldwide throughsustainable forest management, including

protection, restoration, afforestation, andreforestation; and increase efforts to preventforest degradation

2. Enhance forest-based economic, social, andenvironmental benefits,including improving thelivelihoods of forest dependent people

3. Increase significantly the area of protected forestsworldwide and other areas of sustainablymanaged forests, as well as the proportionof forest products from sustainably managed

forests

4. Reverse the decline in official developmentassistance for sustainable forest managementand

mobilize significantly increased, new, andadditional financial resources from all sourcesfor the implementation of sustainableforest management

India has already demonstrated its commitmentin climate negotiations by declaring that, even asit pursues its social and economic developmentobjectives, it will not allow its per capita GHGemissions to exceed the average per capitaemissions of developed countries1. Conservation,expansion, and improvement in the quality of itsforests is a national priority for India as it is notonly a cost-effective mitigation measure againstclimate change, but also generates benefits in

terms of ensuring qualitative and sustained flowof ecosystem goods and services, vital for thesustenance of local forest dependent communities(MoEF, undated; Sarkar, 2011).

A range of policies and programmes havebeen initiated at the national level to addressthe impacts of climate change in the context ofsustainable development. The National Missionfor a Green India (GIM)2 is one of eight Missionsprepared under the aegis of the National ActionPlan on Climate Change (NAPCC). Its objective

is to increase forest cover by over five million haand improve the quality of forests over anotherfive million ha during the next ten years; enhanceannual CO

2sequestration by 50 to 60 million

tonnes by the year 2020; and increase forest-based livelihood income of about three millionhouseholds living in and around the forest.

The National Afforestation Programme (NAP)aims to restore degraded forests with activeparticipation of local communities. For furtherstrengthening, this programme has been reviewed

by the Government of India based on feedbackfrom implementing States and other stakeholders(GoI 2011)3. The MoEF is implementing a centrally

1 MoEF(2009). http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=49738. Last Accessed on 11th July 2012. Ministry of

Environment and Forests. Press Information Bureau, Government of India2 moef.nic.in/downloads/public-information/GIM-Report-PMCCC.pdf. Last accesses on: 12th July 2012.


4/14


sponsored scheme, namely Intensification ofForest Management Scheme, which aims at thecreation of infrastructure for the development,protection, and conservation of forest resources

in the country.For India, carbon services from forests and

plantations is one of the co-benefits and notthe primary objective of forest management.Therefore, as India is poised to pilot REDD+projects in the country, it is important to revisitsome of the issues underpinning the design ofan appropriate national architecture.

Design and implementation of REDD+

activities

Irrespective of the final design of the REDD+mechanism, provisions have to be made todeliver on finance, to support eligible projects;Monitoring Reporting and Verification (MRV)mechanism, to ensure activities are in alignmentwith the principles of the Framework Conventionon Climate Change and; safeguards, so thatREDD+ helps in conserving, maintaining andenhancing ecological services and contributesto the socio-economic development of forestdependent communities.

Finance

REDD+ is a financial instrument to incentivizeavoided deforestation and degradation of forests,conservation, and sustainable management offorests with a view to reduce GHG emissions. Itaims at compensating forest owners in developingcountries for conserving forests by assigninga value to the forest carbon stock, one of theecosystem services that forests provide. Thenotion of REDD+ is based on two basic premises.Firstly, countries conserving forests forego theeconomic gain from harvesting them, as well

as the benefits from alternative land use, andhence the need to be compensated for the same.Secondly, costs involved in conservation andsustainable management of forests need to be

shared by developed countries, as forests providea range of offsite ecosystem services. Given thelivelihood linkage of forests in many developingcountries, forest conservation imposes severaldirect and indirect costs. Hence, any financialmechanism to compensate some of these costs bydeveloped countries would encourage sustainablemanagement of forests in developing countries.The Eliasch Review (2008) estimates that evenif forest carbon is included in global emissionstrading; the cost of halving net global carbon

dioxide emissions from forests by 2030 would stillbe a substantial sum of US $ 17-33 billion annually.The review identifies two types of financing needsthat would arise regardless of the final design ofthe REDD+ mechanism. These are:(i) Upfront capacity-building (readiness) costs,

which will require upfront investmentsin REDD+ infrastructure, monitoringsystems, forest and carbon density data, andstakeholder participation

(ii) On-going emission reduction costs, which

include:a. Forest protection costs for implementationof Policies and Measures (PAMs) to attractREDD+ investmentsb. Opportunity costs for compensatingforegone profits from reducingforest emissions

Financing REDD+ has remained one of thebottlenecks because of the huge uncertaintyinvolving the mechanisms for its operation.However, since COP-11 in 2005, it has been

recognized that developed countries shouldfinancially support developing countries inimplementing REDD+ activities.

3 MoEF (2011) http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=78545 Ministry of Environment and Forests Press

Information Bureau, Government of India Last accesses on: 12th July 2012


5/14

4


Official Development Assistance (ODA) tends tobe a short-term source of finance and therefore isless suited to long-cycle carbon forestry projects(Estrada Porrra et al. 2007). This makes ODA

better suited for developing the national REDD+strategy and undertaking preparedness activities.Voluntary markets have been the predominantsource of finance for the forestry sector andin 2007, contributed towards 18 per cent of allprojects, globally (Hamilton et al. 2008). Thecompliance market is currently restricted toafforestation/reforestation under the CleanDevelopment Mechanism (CDM), and it is stillnot clear if it would become part of the futureREDD+ mechanism.

India, in its submission to the UNFCCC (MoEF2009), recommends a flexible combination ofmarket based and non-market based approachesfor providing positive incentives for the two types ofcarbon stocks under the REDD+ regime: (a) changein carbon stocks that includes incremental carbonstocks and reduced deforestation, and (b) baselinecarbon stocks. The market-based approaches thatwould be developed for incentivizing removals andemission reductions to be separate from the CDMmarket and conservation of forest carbon stocks

could be incentivized through non-marketbased mechanisms.

Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification

One of the critical methodological issues forREDD+ implementation is fixing the referencebaselines for emission measurements andmodalities for MRV. Some countries argue for ahistorical baseline whereas others advocate using

a global baseline (Dooley, 2008). A decision ofCOP-16 on The Cancun Agreements4, requestsdeveloping countries to develop a nationalstrategy or action plan; a national forest reference

emission level and/or forest reference level (oras an interim measure, sub-national ones); and arobust and transparent national forest monitoringsystem (possibly with sub-national monitoring andreporting as an interim measure).

India is of the view that the Reference Level(RL)/Reference Emission Level (REL) need tobe fixed in an open and transparent mannerfollowing the procedure agreed by the Parties forthe purpose5. Indias National Forest Policy led toa the design of the Joint Forest Management (JFM)

programme following a circular issued by MoEF in1990. It emphasized that State governments involvelocal forest communities, who would receive a pre-determined share from the forest produce. As aresult, the States issued enabling JFM resolutionsand peoples participation became central toSustainable Forest Management (SFM). Therefore,in the absence of an agreed RL/REL at theinternational level,the year 1990, can be adoptedas the baseline year for REDD+.

In addition to the above-mentioned issues,

implemention of REDD+ faces a host ofoperational challenges particularly on measuringadditionalityof carbon stocks; assessingsystemleakageso that the avoided deforestation in onearea is not displaced to another; and ensuring

permanenceof carbon storage even after theREDD+ project period has ended (Ghazoul et al.,2010). Therefore, MRV would entail monitoringnot only the project period and the project site,

4 FCCC/CP/2010/7/Add.1.The Cancun Agreements: Outcome of the work of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term

Cooperative Action under the Convention. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. (Decision

1/CP.16, available at: http://unfccc.int/documentation/decisions/items/3597.php?dec=j&such=j&cp=/CP#beg). Last

Accessed on 11th July 2012.5 Views submitted by India on modalities and procedures for financing results-based actions and considering activities

related to decision 1/CP.16, paragraphs 6870 and 72 (Decision [-/CP.17] Outcome of the work of the Ad Hoc Working

Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention, paragraph 69


6/14


but continued monitoring over an extended periodto ensure permanence and assess the degree ofleakage, if any.

In India, the challenge before the forestry

sector is not so much related to checkingdeforestation as it lies in managing degradation. Itis particularly difficult to curb forest degradationdue to widespread poverty, and overwhelmingdependence of local communities on forestresources for subsistence and livelihood. Evenintroducing new policies and schemes to reducethe dependence on forests would be a slowprocess subject to myriad operational challenges.As a result, MRV of forest degradation presentsmuch greater challenges in terms of technical

and cost implications as evaluating carbonemissions from degradation would requireextensive on-site monitoring as remote sensinghas its limitations (Foody, 2002). Although Indiapossesses an established system of monitoringSustainable Forest Management (SFM) activities bymeans of eight criteria and forty-three indicatorsdeveloped under the Bhopal-India process(1998); new techniques and methods need toevolve for measuring aspects such as leakage andadditionality of forest carbon stocks.

Safeguards

The IPCC (2007) report lays emphasis on goodgovernance practices that respect both proceduralas well as consequential equity, i.e. equity in thedecision-making process as well as the resultantoutcome. Social accountability involves informedactions based on rigorous analysis of data,where stakeholders use their interpretation ofsuch data and their rights responsibly, not onlyto assert their interests and the concerns of the

marginalized, but also to develop their abilityto influence and negotiate directly with officialdecision makers (ANSA 2010). The design of theREDD+ architecture should ensure that it not onlycontributes to GHG emissions reductions but alsoensures compliance with the necessary social andenvironmental safeguards.

At the international level, the need for developinga Safeguards Information System (SIS) hasreceived considerable attention for obtainingresults based finance by providing information

on how safeguards are addressed and respectedin developing countries. At COP-17 in Durban(Decision 12/CP.17 Para 5) it was agreed that asummary of information on how safeguards arebeing addressed and respected should be providedperiodically in national communications by thedeveloping country undertaking REDD+ activities,or through communication channels agreed bythe COP.

In India, there are safeguards already in placeto protect the customary rights and traditions

of tribes, forest dwellers, and other localcommunities. Policy and legal instruments exist inthe form of Joint Forest Management programmes,the Forest Rights Act, and the Biological DiversityAct, whose provisions ensure the rights of localcommunities and enable them to be key playersin the local-level governance of natural resources.After successfully involving communities in theprotection and management of forests, Joint ForestManagement (JFM) has recently been integratedinto a more democratic organization of local

governance, the Gram Sabha. JFM is evolving intoJFM+ by involving the livelihood concerns of forestdependent communities along with protectionand management of forests. The Forest Rights Acthas further strengthened the legal framework inthe country for safeguarding the rights of tribaland other forest dwellers. India will also adopt, asappropriate, the modalities as would be agreed inthe Subsidiary Body for Scientific and TechnicalAdvise (SBSTA) for providing information oninternal safeguards to the UNFCCC, including

ensuring participation of local communities, andconservation of natural forests and theirecosystem services.

The principal beneficiaries of resourcesgenerated from trading of enhanced carbon wouldbe the forest dependent communities involved inthe conservation of forests. The Government of


7/14

6


India is committed to ensure that full incentivesfrom REDD+ go to the local communities asand when these become available6. A part ofthe incentives are expected to be invested in

conservation and improvement of the variedecosystem services derived from the resource baseof forests including biodiversity, and Non TimberForest Products (NTFPs) among others.

Institutional arrangement

The REDD+ architecture at the international levelrecognizes the sovereign rights of the nations todesign and implement nationally appropriatepolicies and measures. Therefore, flexibility toaccommodate different national circumstances

would be inherent to its design. The Conferenceof Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC needs to haveprovisions for balanced representation from bothdeveloping and developed country parties toensure transparency, equity and accountability inthe decision making process.

The institutional mechanism at the internationallevel, while providing overall oversight for REDD+mechanism, will incentivize measurable actions onREDD+ that are in accordance with the objectivesof the Framework Convention on climate change.

The National REDD+ Cell set up at the Ministryof Environment and Forests (MoEF) will playa key role in the design and implementationof REDD+ strategies at the national and sub-national level, consistent with the mechanism atthe international level. The National REDD+ Cellwill coordinate and guide REDD+ related actionsat the national level, and engage with the StateForest Departments (SFDs) to collect, processand manage all relevant information and datarelating to forest carbon accounting. It will also

help identify REDD+ opportunities in the Statesand work with State Forest Departments (SFDs)for REDD+ project development. The Cell would

actively participate in the deliberations of theUNFCCC on REDD+ and also assist MoEF and itsaffiliated agencies in developing and implementingappropriate policies relating to REDD+

implementation in the country. Besides, it will helpin mobilizing and disbursement of resources andproviding technical guidance and support to theStates by engaging with the Centres of Excellence.

A State REDD+ Cell could be set up in therespective State Forest Departments and itsfunctions would primarily include overseeing theproject preparation and its implementation by theJoint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) orVillage Forest Protection Committees (VFPCs). Itwill also be responsible for ensuring that projects

are designed in compliance with the nationalguidelines. Once the requirements are met, theproject will be submitted to the National REDD+Cell for financing. In addition, the State REDD+Cell shall organize training and capacity buildingseminars and workshops for officials of the StateForest Department and village level institutionsthrough Forest Divisions which will be the mainimplementing agency for REDD+ programmes onthe ground.

The village-level forest governance unit shall be

responsible for REDD+ project formulation. TheJFMCs and VFPCs could directly be involved inthe implementation of REDD+ projects under thetechnical guidance of Divisional Forest Officerconcerned or his representatives. The Gram Sabhawill be the centric body to constitute the JointForest Management Committee for conservation,protection and management of forests, with benefitsharing from forests on the principle of sustainableharvests as laid down in the management planof the respective area within their jurisdiction.

The Forest Department shall provide technicalguidance to the Gram Sabha, and also monitorimplementation of the management plan.

6 Views submitted by India on modalities and procedures for financing results-based actions and considering activities

related to decision 1/CP.16, paragraphs 6870 and 72 (Decision [-/CP.17] Outcome of the work of the Ad Hoc Working

Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention, paragraph 69


8/14


Monitoring of REDD+ projects shall be doneby the National REDD+ Cell together with theState REDD+ Cell. MRV will be carried out byindependent experts not involved in any of the

processes of preparing the forest carbon stocksinventory. Local forest dependent communities,civil societies and other interested entities willbe fully involved and informed about thetechnological, methodological, policy, andfinancial aspects of the Measuring, Reporting andVerification (MRV) processes and procedures.

The data on changes in forest carbon stocksfor estimating forest degradation can be collectedusing RS/GIS along with required ground truthing(actual measurements on the project site). To

ensure transparency, provisions will be madeto involve and engage local communities, civilsociety organizations and other stakeholders,who would be trained by the FSI and ForestDepartment on technological, methodological,policy, and financial aspects of MRV processesand procedures. MoEF may designate Centresof Excellence to support both national as well asState REDD+ Cells. These Centres of Excellencewill provide capacity-building support andperform other facilitating functions as may be

required. Engaging with grassroots/civil societyorganizations will also help raise awareness on theissue among forest dependent communities.

Key issues and priorities

Forest degradation

India has 78.29 million ha (Mha) under forest& tree cover India which is 23.81 % of thegeographical area of the country (FSI 2011).India is one of the few tropical countries whereforest cover has stabilized over the period from1947 to 2007; and between 1997 and 2007, itfurther increased by 3.13 m ha (FSI 2009). Forestresources support livelihoods of approximately200 million people in India. In addition to thelivelihood dependence of the local communities,prevalence of widespread poverty, shrinking

common property resource base, and increasinghuman and livestock population are factorsresponsible for unsustainable harvest of forestproduce and major causes of forest degradation in

the country (WB, 2000).Since Indias forest policy gives priority to the

rights of local communities on forest resources formeeting their subsistence needs, it is therefore achallenge to enhance forest carbon stock withoutundermining the dependence of the local forestdependent communities. Prioritizing generation ofnatural resource based employment opportunitiesfor the forest dependent communities couldreduce dependence and address the problem ofunsustainable harvests while enhancing the

carbon stocks.

An integrated approach and inter-departmental

coordination

Critical inter-linkages between forest resources,rural livelihoods, as well as competing landuse demands, proliferate deforestation andforest degradation (Davidar, 2010; Chhatre andAgrawal, 2009; Mahapatra and Kant, 2005;Wunder, 2001). The forestry sector alone cannotbear the burden of supporting livelihoods of alarge section of population living in and aroundforest areas. Linkages with other sectors, especiallyagriculture, health, rural development, andenergy programmes needs to be studied in depth,to develop a synergistic approach to addressthe challenge, by dove-tailing various povertyalleviation programmes, prioritizing developmentof forest based enterprises, and increasingagricultural productivity in lands adjoining forestsfor yielding food, fodder and fuel-wood. Theforestry sector can play a pivotal role in thisdue to its large-scale presence in interior areas,through JFM Committees.

Ministries such as Ministry of RuralDevelopment, Ministry of New and RenewableEnergy among others must come forward toprovide alternate livelihood opportunities, as thereis great scope of convergence of developmental


9/14

8


programmes of Rural Development, Tribal andSocial Welfare, Health and Education, and PowerDepartments, in areas within the forests and fringeforest areas.

Centre and State government dialogue

A regular and effective consultation processbetween the Centre and State governments isa prerequisite for successful implementation ofREDD+. The State level REDD+ Cell shouldactively coordinate with and act as a linkbetween the National level REDD+ Cell and thevillage-level forest governance unit. To take onboard views of all stakeholders, pre-negotiationconsultation, and post-policy formulation briefing

on REDD+ issues needs to be institutionalized.

Building capacities

Capacity building is a key requirement for theREDD+ readiness process. Capacity has to bebuilt of officials at all tiers of forest governance,of the supporting institutions and the local forestdependent communities, on various issues rangingfrom general awareness about forest policies andprogrammes to the benefit-sharing mechanismunder REDD+, MRV mechanism, and socialand environmental safeguards. The role of localcommunities is vital in not only addressing thedrivers of forest degradation but also enhancingthe carbon stock through forest conservation,protection and reforestation. The carbon stockof Indian forests in 2004 has been estimated byForest Survey of India (FSI 2011) to be 6663 mtones, which can be increased significantly withthe involvement of local communities. There isalso a need to build capacity on methodologiesfor carbon assessment and procedures for projectpreparation under REDD+.

The National REDD+ Cell will be responsibleto build the capacity of the State REDD+ Cell andState Forest Departments (SFDs) on these issues.The SFDs would further sensitize the JFMCs andlocal -level institutions on REDD+. A simple andsystematic approach needs to be adopted to ensure

that stakeholders can easily understand their roleand responsibilities.

Support for one pilot in each State

As the REDD+ mechanism is being negotiatedby member countries of the UNFCCC andthe intricacies worked out, undertaking pilotREDD+ projects would help generate valuableexperiences before REDD+ is fully operationalizedat the national level. Pilot projects will alsohelp field-testing of the methodologies andprovide important learnings, which can addressresearch gaps, help refine SFM methodologyand provide policy inputs for large-scale designof REDD+ projects. In the process, this would

help build technical capability and also helpidentify barriers to operationalizing REDD+. It istherefore, imperative that at least one pilot studybe undertaken in each State of the country wherefeasible. The pilot projects will be undertakenwith the help of village-level Forest ResourceCommittees at Gram Sabhas, Van Panchayatsand JFMCs, among others. These could be theimplementing institutions for undertaking REDD+pilots in India, with support from the StateForest Department.

Funds for SMF

The Rio Principles adopted at the 1992 UnitedNations Conference on Environment andDevelopment underscore that States have commonbut differentiated responsibilities regardingcollective global interests and concerns relatedto forests, and the sovereign right to utilize theirresources to meet their national policy objectives.At the same time, it was also emphasized thatinternational cooperation should focus onbuilding human and institutional capacity indeveloping countries to conserve and manage theirforests. The recently concluded United NationsConference on Sustainable Development at Rioin 2012 recognizes the need for strengtheningcooperation arrangements for REDD+ in the areasof finance, trade, transfer of environmentally sound


10/14


technologies, capacity building and governance,and benefit sharing, among other key areas,which will be in accordance with nationallegislation and priorities.

India has stabilized its forest cover from1947 to 2007 owing to effective legislative andpolicy measures. Despite the fact that India is adeveloping country and the financial resourcesallocated to the forestry sector largely inadequatein meeting its demands, several ambitious policiesand programmes such as the NAP and GIM arebeing implemented in the country. It is estimatedthat addition or improvement of forest and treecover by implementing the various forestry relatedprogrammes will add 2 million tonnes of carbon

incrementally every year, and post 2020 the forestand tree cover will be adding at least 20 milliontonnes of carbon every year . This would requirean investment of INR 90 billion (USD 2 billion)every year for ten years (MoEF, undated).

Indias sustained efforts for conserving andexpanding its forest and tree resources have thepossibility of being rewarded for providing carbonservice to the international community, in additionto providing traditional goods and services tolocal communities (Ravindranath 2008). The

international community should come forward tofinance programmes that contribute to sustainabledevelopment of forests whereby carbon in Indianforests is enhanced without undermining the otherservices from forest ecosystems7.

The Government of India may establish linkagewith Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF)of the World Bank and UN-REDD programmesto access adequate financial resources necessaryto build capacity of communities and forestofficials for the implementation of REDD+.

The Government of India may also explore thepossibility of attracting funds from voluntarymarkets and carbon trading under REDD+.

The money generated through additional carbonadded or carbon saved will supplement incentivesalready derived by JFMCs through harvesting ofNon-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs), and would

help support livelihoods of communities andcontribute to overall socio-economic development.Incentives received from REDD+ would be passedto local communities involved in conservation andmanagement of the forests to ensure sustainedprotection of Indias forests.

Clarity in methodology

The progress on the REDD+ negotiations ishampered due to ambiguity on key definitions likeforest degradation, sustainable management of

forests, deforestation and sustainable harvest. Theconcept of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM)was first articulated in the Forest Principles at theEarth Summit in Rio in 1992. As the concept ofSFM evolved, the 14 members of the CollaborativePartnership on Forests (consisting of internationalorganizations and secretariats) recognized that SFMprovides an effective framework for forest-basedclimate change mitigation and adaptation. It wasemphasized that without a comprehensive approachto forests (recognizing that countries manage their

forest for multiple socio-economic, productive, andenvironmental functions) and without sound policy,legislative, and governance frameworks, forestry-related climate change mitigation and adaptationefforts on the ground will not be successful.

The Bali Action Plan (COP-13) introduces theterm Sustainable Management of Forests (SMF)in the context of REDD+. It defines REDD+ as:Policy approaches and positive incentives on issuesrelating to reducing emissions from deforestationand forest degradation in developing countries; and

the role of conservation, sustainable managementof forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocksin developing countries.

7 The United Nations (2005) Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) Report, grouped ecosystem services into four

broad categories: provisioning, such as the production of food and water; regulating, such as the control of climate and

disease; supporting, such as nutrient cycles and crop pollination; and cultural, such as spiritual and recreational benefits.


11/14

10


Therefore, in order to take the process forwardthere is a need to bring clarity on the usage of theterms, SMF, SFM and forest degradation. Also,while REDD+ lays emphasis on compensation

of carbon sequestration services, more clarity isrequired on the compensation mechanism of otherecosystem services, particularly intangible services.

In summary

REDD+ presents opportunities to cater to thevaried needs and interests of a wide range ofstakeholders. On the one hand, it lends itselftowards meeting emission reduction targets ofAnnex I countries, and on the other, it has thepotential to significantly contribute towards

strengthening SFM and sustainable developmentefforts of developing countries. However,implementing REDD+ at the national and locallevel requires reducing gaps in understandingthe issue as well as increasing capacity (technical,human and financial) for implementation.Inadequate means of implementation remainsanother grey area for effective implementation ofSMF, particularly in developing countries.

India has played a pivotal role in framingthe modalities of REDD+ in international

negotiations on climate change. Because of itslong standing commitment towards conservationand management of its forest resources, India isfavourably placed to gain access to both financialand technical resources available under theprovisions of UNFCCC. The resources generatedfrom REDD+ will not only help strengthenimplementation of existing forest policiesand programmes but also contribute towardscommunity development, biodiversity conservation,enhancing provision of ecosystem services including

carbon services as one of the co-benefits.The current levels of assistance under ODA are

largely insufficient for meeting SFM requirementsand REDD+ objectives, and therefore, adequatefunding should be made available under theexisting financial mechanism to support all activiesthat are eligibile under REDD+.

While the developing countries must securepolitical commitment for sustainable managementof forests , the developed countries must provideadequate support to the developing countries

to further strengthen their commitment towardsREDD+. Additional operating funds shouldbe made available for on-going SFM activitiesthat help enhance carbon stocks and contributetowards continued delivery of the full range ofgoods and ecosystem services.

At the international level, the REDD+architecture should be responsive to thedifferential national circumstances of membercountries, their levels of development and varyingcapabilities for undertaking REDD+ activities.

It also has to be sensitive to the sovereign rightsof nations to design appropriate and nationallyacceptable policies and strategies, and must beflexible enough to allow for any mid-coursecorrections in its design as may be required.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the NorwegianMinistry of Foreign Affairs for funding this paperas a part of the project, Implementing REDD+in India: Potential impacts and response options.

For sharing their experiences and learnings, theauthors would like to express their gratitude to theparticipants of the following workshops, organizedjointly by TERI and MoEF: Preparedness of REDD+ Project in India

held on 23 March 2012, New Delhi. National Level Consultation on International

REDD+ architecture and its relevance forIndia held on 14 June 2012, New Delhi.


12/14


References

Angelsen, A. (Ed). 2009.Realising REDD+: National strategy and policy options. Bogor, Indonesia: CIFORFAO. 2009. Sustainable management of forests and REDD+: Negotiations need clear terminology,Information Note. Food and Agriculture Organization

ANSA. 2010. Social Accountability Practice in the Philippines: A Scoping Study. Quezon: ANSA-EAP. Detailsavailable at http://www.ansa-eap.net/assets/78/57-1-4_Philippines_Scoping_Study.pdf

Chhatre, A and A. Agrawal. 2009. Trade-off and Synergies between Carbon Storage andLivelihood Benefits from Forest Commons.PNAS106 (42): 1766717670

Davidar, P., S. Sahoo, P. C. Mammen, P. Acharya, J-P. Puyravaud, M. Arjunn, J. P. Garrigues, K. Roessingh.2010. Assessing the Extent and Causes of Forest Degradation in India: Where do westand? Biological Conservation 143: 29372944

Dooley, K. 2008.An Overview of Selected REDD Proposals, Brussels: FERN. Details availableat http://www.fern.org/sites/fern.org/files/media/documents/document_4314_4315.pdf last accessed on 15Jan 2012

Eliasch, J. 2008. The Eliasch Review Climate change: Financing global forests.Commissioned by the Office of Climate Change, Government of the United Kingdom. Details availableat:www.occ.gov.uk/activities/eliasch.htm

Estrada Porrra, M., Corbera, E. and Brown, K. 2007. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions fromdeforestation in developing countries: Revisiting the assumptions. Tyndall Centre forClimate Change Research Working Paper 115, Norwich: 47

Foody, G. M. 2002. Status of land-cover classification accuracy assessment.Remote Sensing ofEnvironment80 (1): 185201

FSI. 2009.India State of Forest Report 2009Forest Survey of India (FSI), Ministry of Environment, and Forests(MoEF), Government of India.

FSI. 2011.India State of Forest Report 2011 Forest Survey of India (FSI), Ministry of Environment, and Forests(MoEF), Government of India.

Ghazoul J, R. A. Butler, J. Mateo-Vega, L. Pin Koh. 2010. REDD: A Reckoning of Environmentand Development Implications.Trends on Ecology and Evolution 25: 396402

Hamilton, K., Sjardin, M., Marcello, T., and Xu, G. 2008.Forging a frontier: State of the voluntary carbonmarkets 2008.Washington, D.C. and London: Ecosystem Marketplace and New Carbon Finance

IPCC. 2007. The Fourth Assessment Report. Geneva, Switzerland: Intergovernmental Climate Change. Detailsavailable athttp://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr.pdf

Mahapatra, K., and Kant, S. 2005. Tropical Deforestation: A Multinomial Logistic Model andSome Country-Specific Policy Prescriptions.Forest Policy and Economics 7: 124

MoEF. (Undated).Indias Forests and REDD+. Ministry of Environment and Forests, Governmentof India

MoEF. 2009. Climate Change Negotiation; Indias submissions to the United Nations Framework Convention onClimate Change. Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India

Ravindranath, N. H., Chaturvedi, R. K., and Murthy, I. K. 2008. Forest conservation, afforestation,and reforestation in India: implications for forest carbon stocks. Curr. Sci. 216: 216222

Ravindranath, N. H., Srivastava N., Murthy I. K., Malaviya S., Munsi M., and Sharma N. 2012.Deforestation and forest degradation in India implications for REDD+. Curr. Sci.102 (8)


13/14

12


Sarkar, J. 2011. REDD, REDD+ and India. Current Science101 (3)Streck C., Echeverri L. et al. 2009. REDD+ Institutional Options Assessment: Developing

an Efficient, Effective, and Equitable Institutional Framework for REDD+under the UNFCCC. Meridian Institute. Details available at: www.REDD-OAR.org

UN. 2012. Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development; Agenda item 10, Outcomeof the Conference. A/CONF.216/L.1. The United Nations. Details available athttp://moef.nic.in/assets/rio22062012.pdf.Last Accessed on 10 July 2012

UNFCCC. 2011. Views on implementing COP decisions: Reducing emissions fromdeforestation and forest degradation in developing countries; and the role ofconservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forestcarbon stocks in developing countries. (REDD+). United Nations FrameworkConvention on Climate Change. FCCC/AWGLCA/2011/MISC.9. Details available athttp://unfccc.int/files/meetings/ad_hoc_working_groups/lca/application/pdf/india_submission_reddplus-strategy.pdf

WB. 2000.India: Alleviating Poverty through Forest Development.Washington D.C.: The World Bank.Details available at www.worldbank.org/html/oed

Wunder, S. 2001. Poverty Alleviation and Tropical Forests: What Scope for Synergies.World Development 29 (11): 18171833


14/14

The Energy and Resources Institute

Darbari Seth Block, IHC Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110 003

Tel. 2468 2100 or 2468 2111, Fax 2468 2144 or 2468 2145

India +91 Delhi (0)11

Website: www.teriin.org

international redd+ architecture and its relevance for india - naresh kadyan

Documents