Demonstration activities

The Concept, Practice, Application, and Results of Locally Based Monitoring of the Environment

Locally based monitoring is typically undertaken in areas in which communities have a close attachment to their natural resource base. We present a summary of work to develop a theoretical and practical understanding of locally based monitoring and we outline tests of this approach in research and practice over the past 20 years. Our tests show that locally based monitoring delivers credible data at local scale independent of external experts and can be used to inform local and national decision making within a short timeframe. We believe that monitoring conducted by and anchored in communities will gain in importance where scientist-led monitoring is sparse or too expensive to sustain and for ecosystem attributes in cases in which remote sensing cannot provide credible data. The spread of smartphone technology and online portals will further enhance the importance and usefulness of this discipline.

Creating Synergies between Citizen Science and Indigenous and Local Knowledge

Citizen science (CS) is receiving increasing attention as a conduit for Indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) in ecosystem stewardship and conservation. Drawing on field experience and scientific literature, we explore the connection between CS and ILK and demonstrate approaches for how CS can generate useful knowledge while at the same time strengthening ILK systems. CS invites laypersons to contribute observations, perspectives, and interpretations feeding into scientific knowledge systems. In contrast, ILK can be understood as knowledge systems in its own right, with practices and institutions to craft legitimate and useful knowledge. Such fundamental differences in how knowledge is generated, interpreted, and applied need to be acknowledged and understood for successful outcomes. Engaging with complementary knowledge systems using a multiple evidence base approach can improve the legitimacy of CS initiatives, strengthen collaborations through ethical and reciprocal relationships with ILK holders, and contribute to better stewardship of ecosystems.

The Use of Digital Platforms for Community-Based Monitoring

Environmental observing programs that are based on Indigenous and local knowledge increasingly use digital technologies. Digital platforms may improve data management in community-based monitoring (CBM) programs, but little is known about how their use translates into tangible results. Drawing on published literature and a survey of 18 platforms, we examine why and how digital platforms are used in CBM programs and illuminate potential challenges and opportunities. Digital platforms make it easy to collect, archive, and share CBM data, facilitate data use, and support understanding larger-scale environmental patterns through interlinking with other platforms. Digital platforms, however, also introduce new challenges, with implications for the sustainability of CBM programs and communities’ abilities to maintain control of their own data. We expect that increased data access and strengthened technical capacity will create further demand within many communities for ethically developed platforms that aid in both local and larger-scale decision-making.

Community Monitoring of Carbon Stocks for REDD+: Does Accuracy and Cost Change over Time?

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries (REDD+) is a potentially powerful international policy mechanism that many tropical countries are working towards implementing. Thus far, limited practical consideration has been paid to local rights to forests and forest resources in REDD+ readiness programs, beyond noting the importance of these issues. Previous studies have shown that community members can reliably and cost-effectively monitor forest biomass. At the same time, this can improve local ownership and forge important links between monitoring activities and local decision-making. Existing studies have, however, been static assessments of biomass at one point in time. REDD+ programs will require repeated surveys of biomass over extended time frames. Here, we examine trends in accuracy and costs of local forest monitoring over time. We analyse repeated measurements by community members and professional foresters of 289 plots over two years in four countries in Southeast Asia. This shows, for the first time, that with repeated measurements community members’ biomass measurements become increasingly accurate and costs decline. These findings provide additional support to available evidence that community members can play a strong role in monitoring forest biomass in the local implementation of REDD+.

REDD+ Story Indonesia

Indonesia submitted its 1st forest reference emission level in 2016. Since then, Indonesia has taken concrete steps to halt deforestation and forest degradation, including the 1st submission of the REDD+ results in 2018, as well as the National Strategy and Safeguard Information Summary in 2019. As a result, Indonesia received results-based payments equating to the reduction of approximately 20 million tons of CO2. Indonesia's REDD+ story does not end here. In 2022, Indonesia successfully completed both the technical assessment process for its 2nd forest reference level and the technical analysis process for its 2nd REDD+ results. This article describes Indonesia’s REDD+ success story to date.

Gender and Forests The role of women as local indigenous knowledge holders in sustainable management of forests

For Nigeria to contribute to climate change mitigation through improved forest conservation and enhancing sustainable community livelihoods, the REDD+ mechanism has been activated using Cross River State (CRS) as a demonstration model. One of the priorities of REDD+ readiness in Nigeria and CRS has been identified as gender equality and social inclusion and thus steps have been taken to address gender issues by promoting a gender approach within REDD+ projects programmes. This Information Note attempts to address this issue by acknowledging and recognizing women’s critical efforts around sustainable management of forests. In this process, it highlights women’s use of indigenous knowledge systems to address climate change and its effect on communities and the vital role women play in forest conservation.

UN-REDD Case for Support: Forest Solutions to the Climate Emergency

UN-REDD is the flagship UN knowledge and advisory partnership on forests and climate to reduce forest emissions and enhance forest carbon stocks. It is the largest international provider of REDD+ assistance, supporting its 65 partner countries to protect their forests and achieve their climate and sustainable development goals.

Sudan REDD+ Program REDD+ Readiness Phase Updated summary report covering the period 2014-2022

The Readiness Phase of the REDD+ program, which was funded by the World Bank's REDD+ Support Program (Forest Carbon Partnership Facility “FCPF”), which began in September2014, and completed in April 2022. Sudan has complied with all the requirements set by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, including studies, systems, information and in-depth analysis of the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Sudan. The procurement and financial management systems were followed in accordance with the World Bank's regulations, which were characterized by transparency and accuracy. The Auditor General reviewed the stage for each year throughout the preparation period.

Nota Informativa N°18 Restauración Hidrológica Forestal y Ambiental en el marco de la Estrategia Nacional de Cambio Climático y Recursos Vegetacionales (ENCCRV) (2017-2025) en las Regiones del Biobío y Los Ríos.

Documento que describe dos proyectos de de Restauración Hidrológica Forestal y Ambiental en el marco de la Estrategia Nacional de Cambio Climático y Recursos Vegetacionales (ENCCRV) (2017-2025) en las Regiones del Biobío y Los Ríos.

Nota Informativa 16. Diagnóstico de medios, estándares y actores involucrados en el proceso de comercialización de leña, en el marco de la Estrategia Nacional de Cambio Climático y Recursos Vegetacionales (ENCCRV)

Documento que describe el diagnóstico de medios, estándares y actores involucrados en el proceso de comercialización de leña, en el marco de la Estrategia Nacional de Cambio Climático y Recursos Vegetacionales (ENCCRV) por medio de un que permita favorecer la capacidad de detección de prácticas irregulares de producción y el control de canales de comercialización informal del producto, contribuyendo a dar cumplimiento a la medida de acción US.3 Fortalecimiento al programa de dendroenergía y a la matriz energética del país de la ENCCRV.

Informative Note N° 11. Chile-Mexico Binational Cooperation Project regarding forests and climate change

Summary of the activities developed during the Chile-Mexico Binational Cooperation Project regarding forests and climate change

Nota Informativa N°6. Colaboración entre la Agencia Suiza para el Desarrollo y la Cooperación (COSUDE) y la Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF) en el marco de la Estrategia Nacional de Cambio Climático y Recursos Vegetacionales (ENCCRV).

Colaboración entre la Agencia Suiza para el Desarrollo y la Cooperación (COSUDE) y la Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF) en el marco de la Estrategia Nacional de Cambio Climático y Recursos Vegetacionales (ENCCRV).

Conservação das Florestas para Combater as Mudanças Climáticas

Em dezembro de 2015, com a assinatura do Acordo de Paris, as nações do mundo chegaram a um acordo histórico, abrangente e coletivo para combater as mudanças climáticas. O objetivo principal do acordo no âmbito da Convenção-Quadro das Nações Unidas sobre Mudança do Clima – CQNUMC (em inglês, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – UNFCCC) é manter o aumento da temperatura média global abaixo de 2° C em relação aos níveis pré-industriais, buscando esforços para que este aumento não passe de 1,5° C. O referido acordo reconhece o papel fundamental das florestas, incluindo ações para deter e reverter as taxas de desmatamento e de degradação florestal nos países em desenvolvimento, que têm contribuído com até 20% das emissões anuais de gases de efeito estufa. Para ajudar os países nessas ações, o acordo inclui uma estrutura de políticas e de incentivos para reduzir o desmatamento e a degradação florestal e aumentar o armazenamento de carbono nas florestas por meio da conservação e da gestão sustentável, o que inclui ações relacionadas ao REDD+.

Conservar los bosques para combatir el cambio climático

En diciembre del 2015, con la firma del Acuerdo de París, las naciones del mundo llegaron a un consenso sobre un enfoque histórico, colectivo y exhaustivo para combatir el cambio climático. El objetivo principal del acuerdo, conforme a la Convención Marco de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Cambio Climático (CMNUCC), es mantener el aumento de la temperatura media mundial muy por debajo de los 2 °C con respecto a los niveles preindustriales, e intentar limitar el aumento a 1.5 °C. El acuerdo reconoce el papel fundamental de los bosques y de las acciones para detener y revertir la tasa de deforestación y degradación forestal en los países en desarrollo, que han aportado hasta el 20 % de las emisiones anuales de gases de efecto invernadero. Con el fn de ayudar a los países a efectuar estas acciones, el acuerdo incluye un marco de políticas e incentivos para reducir la deforestación y la degradación forestal, y aumentar el almacenamiento de carbono en los bosques mediante la conservación y el manejo sostenible. Este marco se conoce como REDD+.

Conserver les forêts pour lutter contre le changement climatique

En décembre 2015, avec la signature de l’Accord de Paris, les pays du monde entier se sont accordés sur une approche historique, collective et complète pour lutter contre le changement climatique. Le principal objectif de l’accord, sous la Convention-cadre des Nations Unies sur le changement climatique (CCNUCC) est de maintenir la montée de la température moyenne de par le monde bien en-deçà de 2oC au-dessus des niveaux préindustriels et d’essayer de limiter l’augmentation à 1,5oC. Au sein de cet accord se trouve la reconnaissance du rôle essentiel des forêts, y compris des actions visant à arrêter la déforestation et la dégradation de la forêt et à inverser leur rythme dans les pays en développement. La déforestation et la dégradation de la forêt contribuent jusqu’à hauteur de 20% aux émissions de gaz à effet de serre. Pour accompagner les pays dans ces actions, l’accord inclut un cadre de politiques et d’incitations pour la réduction de la déforestation et de la dégradation de la forêt, ainsi que l’augmentation des stocks de carbone dans les forêts par le biais de la conservation et d’une gestion durable. C’est ce que l’on appelle la REDD+.

Letter Of Intent (LOI)

Document which set the obligations for both parties, namely DRC and CAFI, in terms of milestones to be complied with by DRC and the necessary funding CAFI will have to provide for the implementation of the DRC National REDD+ Investment Plan

Lettre d'Intention (LOI)

Document qui détermine les obligations des deux parties, à savoir la RDC et l'Initiative pour les Forêts de l'Afrique Centrale (CAFI), en terme de jalons à atteindre pour la RDC et des financements à assurer par CAFI pour la mise en oeuvre du Plan d'investissement National REDD+

National REDD+ Investment Plan

Programatic framework translating the National REDD+ Strategy into sectoral activities and key reforms, with project files related to the pilars identified in the National REDD+ Strategy

Plan National d'Investissement REDD+

Cadre de programmation qui décline la mise en oeuvre de la Stratégie Nationale REDD+, en terme d'activités sectorielles, des politiques et des réformes clés, notamment avec des fiches projets qui sont présentés correspondant aux piliers de la Stratégie.

Stratégie Nationale REDD+ Appendices

Annexes au Document de la Stratégie Nationale REDD+

Stratégie Nationale REDD+

Document de référence qui identifie les moteurs directs et indirects de la déforestation et de la dégradation forestière. Il précise la vision du Gouvernement pour un développement économique et social du pays à faible carbone, à l’horizon 2035, centrée sur 7 piliers d’intervention stratégique, dont 3 piliers sectoriels (agriculture, énergie e forêt) et 4 piliers habilitants (gouvernance, aménagement de territoire, reforme foncière et démographie)

Women’s Inclusion in REDD+ in Sri Lanka Lessons from Good Practices in Forest, Agriculture and Other Natural Resources Management Sectors

The study is a part of the Joint Initiative of WOCAN, the UN-REDD Programme and USAID-funded LEAF Project to investigate practical entry points for women’s inclusion in Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) policies and practices. It explores the current status of policies and practices related to gender integration in forestry and other natural resource management sectors in Sri Lanka, and their relation to REDD+ initiatives. It briefly analyses the current policies and practices, indicating the gaps between policies and practice. An effort is being made to identify the elements that prevent the inclusion of women in REDD+ in Sri Lanka, as well as the factors that enable their inclusion in policies and practices.

REDD+ Finance Flows 2009-2014: Trends and Lessons Learned in REDDX Countries

The study follows the money trail in 13 countries that account for 65 percent of the globe’s tropical forest cover under the U.N.’s REDD+ initiative. The research by Forest Trends’ REDDX (REDD eXpenditures) initiative covers six years from 2009 to 2014. It tracks more than $6 billion of the nearly $10 billion that has been committed or pledged to REDD+ programs globally. Key findings of the new report show that of the $3.7 billion committed, 60 percent or $2.2 billion came directly from individual donor countries. Norway, the largest donor by far, has contributed nearly half of all those funds; Germany, Japan and the United States committed a combined total of $730 million; and the U.K., Australia and France contributed most of the remainder. The private sector contributed 10 percent of all REDD+ finance commitments tracked in these 13 countries. Brazil and Indonesia together received nearly two-thirds of all funding pledged or committed. The big winner that has received the most money thus far is Brazil’s Amazon Fund, which had received $867 million from Norway by the end of 2014. Payments of promised funds have grown steadily, with 62 percent of all committed funds paid out by the end of 2014. Most of the money has gone directly to government agencies, with small amounts supporting the work of international organizations. The percentage of payments paid out to participating countries varies dramatically, from Brazil, which has received 91 percent of its promised funding, to Mexico, which has gotten only 5 percent of the money pledged to it.

Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF)

The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), which became operational in June 2008, is a global partnership focused on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, forest carbon stock conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+). The FCPF complements the UNFCCC negotiations on REDD+ by demonstrating how REDD+ can be applied at the country level and by learning lessons from this early implementation phase. The FCPF has created a framework and processes for REDD+ readiness, which helps countries get ready for future systems of financial incentives for REDD+. Using this framework, each participating country develops an understanding of what it means to become ready for REDD+, in particular by developing reference scenarios, adopting a REDD+ strategy, designing monitoring systems and setting up REDD+ national management arrangements, in ways that are inclusive of the key national stakeholders.

Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF)

The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), which became operational in June 2008, is a global partnership focused on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, forest carbon stock conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+). The FCPF complements the UNFCCC negotiations on REDD+ by demonstrating how REDD+ can be applied at the country level and by learning lessons from this early implementation phase. The FCPF has created a framework and processes for REDD+ readiness, which helps countries get ready for future systems of financial incentives for REDD+. Using this framework, each participating country develops an understanding of what it means to become ready for REDD+, in particular by developing reference scenarios, adopting a REDD+ strategy, designing monitoring systems and setting up REDD+ national management arrangements, in ways that are inclusive of the key national stakeholders.

Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF)

The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), which became operational in June 2008, is a global partnership focused on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, forest carbon stock conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+). The FCPF complements the UNFCCC negotiations on REDD+ by demonstrating how REDD+ can be applied at the country level and by learning lessons from this early implementation phase. The FCPF has created a framework and processes for REDD+ readiness, which helps countries get ready for future systems of financial incentives for REDD+. Using this framework, each participating country develops an understanding of what it means to become ready for REDD+, in particular by developing reference scenarios, adopting a REDD+ strategy, designing monitoring systems and setting up REDD+ national management arrangements, in ways that are inclusive of the key national stakeholders.

Policy Brief 10 Innovative Approaches to Land in the Climate Change Solution

International Forest Carbon Initiative (IFCI)

The international community agreed in Bali that action must be taken now to address deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries and to establish the necessary systems and financial mechanisms to ensure long term emission reductions. The International Forest Carbon Initiative is Australia's contribution to this global effort. The International Forest Carbon Initiative is a key part of Australia\'s international leadership on reducing emissions from deforestation. The Initiative will support international efforts to reduce deforestation through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It aims to demonstrate that reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation can be part of an equitable and effective international agreement on climate change. A central element of the Initiative is its focus on developing practical demonstration activities in our region, particularly in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Australia has signed Forest Carbon Partnerships with both Indonesia and Papua New Guinea under the Initiative.