Showing posts with label REDD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label REDD. Show all posts

National REDD+ Strategy (NRS) of Cambodia


The National REDD+ Strategy (NRS) 2017 – 2021 was officially endorsed by the Prime Minister on 08 December 2017. The Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries were the lead institutions in formulating the strategy with support from relevant line ministries and institutions to forest sector. More than 1000 stakeholders ranging from national government institutions, international partners and non-governmental organizations to sub-national institutions, local communities and indigenous groups were consulted on the development stage and inputs on the drafts of the National Strategy. The Royal Government of Cambodia considered the strategy as an integral mechanism to support Cambodia in combating climate change through improving the management of national resources and forest lands. The NRS aims to reduce annual deforestation by half compared to the rate during Forest Reference Level period of 2006-2014, which was approximately 1.5% per year. The strategy identifies key drivers of deforestation and forest degradation and outline three inter-connected strategic objectives and nineteen strategies to address those issues and to improve effective forest management. Download the National REDD+ Strategy click here and Khmer version.

Crossing the last hurdle to payments for REDD+ results: safeguards information systems in the Asia-Pacific region

Representatives from nine different Asia-Pacific countries – Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and Viet Nam – gathered in Hanoi in November to share experiences and lessons from meeting safeguards requirements for REDD+ at a South-South knowledge exchange hosted by the Viet Nam Forestry Administration. Guests representing the two other tropical forest regions where REDD+ is being pursued – Ghana for Africa, and Peru from Latin America – were also present.

Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, countries choosing to implement REDD+, and obtain payments for measured, reported and verified greenhouse gas emission reductions, are required to develop a national-level safeguards information system. This is to show how the ‘Cancun safeguards’ for REDD+ are being addressed and respected when implementing REDD+. A national safeguards information system is also an eligibility criterion for REDD+ result-based payments under the Green Climate Fund.
Source: UN-REDD Programm (Read more)



Cambodia Forest Cover 2014


The main objective of the assessment of the forest cover resources is to provide information on actual forest cover resource throughout Cambodia a source of fundamental information to contribute to the development of the management strategies and action plans as part under the National Forest Program (NFP) and for the production of activities data for the implementation of the Cambodia Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) Program. Download the report click here.

Cambodia: REDD + ANNUAL COUNTRY PROGRESS REPORTING

This progress report highlights overall results that were achieved from April 2016 to June 2017 that include the finalization and endorsement of the National REDD+ Strategy (NRS) by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). The NRS is under endorsement by the Ministry of Environment (MoE) and Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC). In addition the RGC also endorsed and submitted the Forest Reference Level to UNFCCC. The technical assessment of the FRL by the UNFCCC has been completed, and a report will be provided to Cambodia shortly. Cambodia plans to resubmit the FRL with revisions by September 2017. The mid-term review of the project to consolidate and increase effectiveness of REDD+ readiness process was completed and the implementation of REDD+ sub-national demonstration activities in five sites continue to progress.
Download the full report: Click Here.

Lost in translation? How project actors shape REDD+ policy and outcomes in Cambodia

  1. Maya Pasgaard
Forest protection policies to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) are currently being implemented by international donors, governments and conservation agencies across the developing world aiming for reduction of greenhouse gases while ensuring fair distribution of benefits. This paper draws on a case study in northern Cambodia to analyse how conservation practitioners and the local forest management committees engaged in implementing REDD+ actively translate and influence the policy and its implementation in accordance with their respective interests through particular communication strategies. When assessing project progress and outcomes, the conservation practitioners involved in implementing projects show an interest in emphasising positive project assessments by downplaying potential project complications, and by primarily communicating with pro-REDD+ members of the local communities. Powerful actors in the local forest management committees adopt the conservation rhetoric of these practitioners; at the same time, they can interpret and control local access to resources to their own advantage. By doing so, they can ensure continued support, while not necessarily representing all community members or sharing benefits equally. The processes and consequences of this policy translation in a REDD+ arena are discussed and compared with existing dominant trends in environment and development policies.

Participating in REDD+ Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (PMRV): Opportunities for Local People?

Manuel Boissière, Guillaume Beaudoin, Carola Hofstee  and Serge Rafanoharana 

 Assessing forest changes is the baseline requirement for successful forest management. Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) are three essential components for achieving such assessments. Community participation in resource monitoring and management is increasingly seen as a scientifically efficient, cost-effective, and equitable way to employ such practices, particularly in the context of REDD+. We developed a multidisciplinary approach to study the feasibility of Participatory MRV (PMRV) across three sites along a forest degradation gradient in Indonesia. We looked at both the local and national level needs of MRV. Our approach combines: (1) social research focusing on the enabling conditions for local participation in MRV; (2) governance analyses of existing MRV systems in forestry and health; and (3) remote sensing work comparing overlaps and gaps between satellite imagery and local assessments of forest changes. We considered in our approach the possible multiple benefits of PMRV (carbon mitigation, biodiversity conservation, livelihood security). Our study helped to identify the multiple stakeholders (communities, NGOs and governments) and what the levels of governance should be to make PMRV design and implementation feasible and sustainable. 

 Download full paper: http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/5/8/1855/htm

Effectiveness of Community Forestry in Prey Long Forest, Cambodia

FRANCES H. LAMBRICK, NICK D. BROWN, ANNA LAWRENCE, AND DANIEL P. BEBBER


 Conservation Biology

Cambodia has 57% forest cover, the second highest in the Greater Mekong region, and a high deforestation rate (1.2%/year, 2005–2010). Community forestry (CF) has been proposed as a way to reduce deforestation and support livelihoods through local management of forests. CF is expanding rapidly in Cambodia. The National Forests Program aims to designate one million hectares of forest to CF by 2030. However, the effectiveness of CF in conservation is not clear due to a global lack of controlled comparisons, multiple meanings of CF, and the context-specific nature of CF implementation. We assessed the effectiveness of CF by comparing 9 CF sites with paired controls in state production forest in the area of Prey Long forest, Cambodia. We assessed forest condition in 18–20 randomly placed variable-radius plots and fixed-area regeneration plots. We surveyed 10% of households in each of the 9 CF villages to determine the proportion that used forest products, as a measure of household dependence on the forest. CF sites had fewer signs of anthropogenic damage (cut stems, stumps, and burned trees), higher aboveground biomass, more regenerating stems, and reduced canopy openness than control areas. Abundance of economically valuable species, however, was higher in control sites. We used survey results and geographic parameters to model factors affecting CF outcomes. Interaction between management type, CF or control, and forest dependence indicated that CF was more effective in cases where the community relied on forest products for subsistence use and income.
 Source: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cobi.12217/abstract 

Gender and REDD+: An Assessment in the Oddar Meanchey Community Forestry REDD+ Site, Cambodia

 Amanda Bradley, Abidah B. Setyowati, Jeannette Gurung, Donal Yeang, Channa Net, Samnang Khiev and Julien Brewster

There are numerous reasons for turning this situation around and making concerted efforts to address gender concerns in REDD+ including adherence to an internationally recognized human rights approach, arguments of increased efficiency, efficacy and sustainability, as well as simple good business sense. A number of barriers and challenges exist including a male-dominated forestry sector, high labor burden for women, and poor understanding of relationships and nuanced power dynamics within communities.Within this context, the Forestry Administration, the international development NGO Pact, and several other partners have been developing the Oddar Meanchey Community Forestry REDD+ project in an effort to access sustainable financing for forest protection through the international voluntary carbon market. Using the Harvard Analytical Framework as a conceptual methodology, Pact initiated a gender assessment of the project in order to identify ways in which gender could be effectively mainstreamed during the project’s implementation phase. In order to collect data, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted in four of the 13 community forestry sites in the project area in April, 2012. The assessment team discovered a number of interesting findings related to participation; decision making and leadership; knowledge, skills and capacity; equitable benefit sharing; and resource access, use, and control. With regards to participation, men are taking a primary role in community forestry and REDD+ activities, while women are “partly involved” in almost all activities. Women participate less actively in meetings, trainings, forest patrolling, and forest assessment work due to a number of constraints such as lower membership on elected committees, lack of confidence in speaking, lower literacy levels, childcare and household duties, security issues, and a perceived lower level of knowledge.
 

Governing the design of national REDD +: An analysis of the power of agency

Maria Brockhaus, Monica Di Gregorio and Sofi Mardiah
Forest Policy and Economics

This paper investigates how three aspects of governance systems, namely the policy context, the influence of key agents and their discursive practices, are affecting national-level processes of policy design aimed at REDD +, 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. We conducted analysis in six REDD + countries (Brazil, Cameroon, Indonesia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and Vietnam). The paper combines three methods: policy analysis, media-based discourse analysis and policy network analysis. The paper shows that policies both within and outside the forestry sector that support deforestation and forest degradation create path dependencies and entrenched interests that hamper policy change. In addition, most dominant policy coalitions do not challenge business-as-usual trajectories, reinforcing existing policy and political structures. No minority policy coalitions are directly tackling the root causes of deforestation and forest degradation, that is, the politico-economic conditions driving them. Instead they focus on environmental justice issues, such as calls for increased participation of indigenous people in decision-making. Only in two of the six countries are these transformational change coalitions vocal enough to be heard, yet to exercise their agency effectively and to support more substantial reforms, these coalitions would need the participation of more influential policy actors, particularly state agencies that have the authority to make binding decisions about policy. Furthermore, discourses supporting transformational change would need to be reflected in institutional practices and policy decisions.

Orientation workshop on Social and Environmental Safeguards for REDD+ in Cambodia









From 04-05 April 2013, the Civil Society Organizations REDD+ Network in Cambodia (CSO REDD+ Network in Cambodia) organized an orientation workshop on "Social and Environmental Safeguards for REDD+” in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The purpose of the workshop is to share information and filed experiences/challenges to CSOs/NGOs on the concept of REDD+ safeguards including the role of Free, Prior, Inform and Consent (FPIC).The concepts and guidelines on Social and Environmental Safeguards in REDD+ from global to regional levels were presented and in addition, experiences and lesson learned on how safeguards have been applied  in REDD+ pilot project in Cambodia were also shared in the workshop. A group discuss on the perspectives on national safeguard guidelines development and capacity building need  as well as their further engagement in REDD+ program of CSOs/NGOs were also held.   


Workshop backdrop (Credited: CSOs REDD+ Network)

Workshop Materials: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/i9mf6v7c0ivk1sk/rIVVbg2Oms








Factors Affecting Forest Area Changes in Cambodia: An Econometric Approach

Tetsuya Michinaka, Motoe Miyamoto, Yasuhiro Yokota, Heng Sokh, Sethaphal Lao, Vuthy Ma


Clarifying factors affecting forest area changes is critical to implementing REDD+ scheme properly. We analyzed some socio-economic factors and clarified their relationships with deforestation in Cambodia for the period of 2002 to 2010. A panel data analysis was conducted for 18 provinces, while six other provinces were deleted from the list because only a small amount of their land was forested. Time effects, cross-sectional dependence, serial correlation in idiosyncratic errors, and heteroskedasticity were tested, and robust variance matrix estimations were obtained to solve the problems of heteroskedasticity and serial correlation. The model estimation results showed that population, gross agricultural production and large-scale plantation development have negative impacts on forest area changes. On the other hand, the impacts of rice cultivation, gross industrial production, household income and house floor area by household were found not to be significant. Overall, however, the results indicated that forests in Cambodia still face pressure from the increases in population, agriculture production, and the enlargement of land development. As the increase in productivity of agriculture gives a better use of current agricultural land and lessens the pressure on forest, intensifying agriculture is important. It is also important to develop industry and other economic ventures to grow national economy while not imposing pressure on forest. This research reminds decision makers to use discretion when developing large-scale plantations.

Cambodia’s REDD+ Pilot Projects Contribute to Settlement of Forest Disputes

Credit: www.un-redd.org
In January, the UN-REDD National Programme in Cambodia hosted a field mission and associated meetings, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders, to identify preliminary options on how to strengthen consensus building mechanisms for forest disputes, based on international best practices and observations at  the two REDD+ pilot project sites. Participants included international experts in conflict resolution and stakeholder engagement, community forest network members, civil society and indigenous peoples representatives, as well as representatives from the provincial and national governments.The field mission and associated meetings have resulted in the assessment of the types of drivers of deforestation and forest degradation likely to lead to conflicts, identification of potential consensus building mechanisms and ways to
strengthen them to prevent and resolve forest sector disputes/grievances; and a preliminary analysis of relationships among different state and non-state actors.  These results will be used as inputs in designing an effective consensus building and conflict resolution system for REDD+ in Cambodia.

Role of remote sensing and community forestry to manage forests for the effective implementation of REDD+ mechanism: a case study on Cambodia


In this study, we have shown the importance of remote sensing applications and community forestry for forest management, discussed as a case study on Cambodian forest management. Curbing deforestation is necessary for the effective implementation of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forests Degradation (REDD+) mechanism and management of forest resources to support sustainable forest management plans. The updated information of the forest cover and forest biomass using advanced remote sensing techniques can be useful for selecting the suitable sites for planned thinning, reforestation, community forestry, and concession land, which eventually will help in controlling the deforestation in Cambodia. To overcome the limitations of remote sensing, an integrated approach of remote sensing and community forestry to monitor forests from local to national level has also been discussed.


Local Community Engagement in an early stage of REDD+ project development: Lessons Learned from Siem Reap Community Forestry REDD+ project in Cambodia


Donal Yeang*, Samnang Khiev**, Channa Net**, Delux Chhun***, Julien Brewster** and Kirtiman Sherchan*
* Fauna & Flora International-Cambodia Programme, #19, Street 360, Phnom Penh, Cambodia 
** Pact Cambodia, Phnom Penh Center, Suite 300, Building A, Phnom Penh, Cambodia 
*** Forestry Administration, # 40, Preah Norodom Blvd., Phnom Penh, Cambodia 
Paper Presented at The Cambodian AgriNatura Research Workshop on:
Integrated Agriculture and Natural Resource Management for Sustainable Development
4 January 2013, Royal University of Agriculture, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD+) is a policy mechanism which aims to reduce carbon dioxide emission from developing countries through forest conservation, sustainable forest management and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. Even though the discussion on the precise design of the future REDD+ mechanism is still ongoing under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), REDD+ demonstration projects are being planned and implemented across the tropics, particularly in countries with high forest cover and high deforestation rates. Implementation challenges include measuring, reporting and verifying (MRV) forest area change, carbon stocks and the social and environmental impacts of REDD+ projects. Community based MRV can help to overcome some of these challenges. The author conducted interviews with local communities and key stakeholders in Siem Reap Community Forestry REDD+ project. The analysis was complemented by participant observation and a review of policy documents and secondary literature. The paper shows that local communities can help to measure forest carbon stock and gather social and environmental data for REDD+ project design and development. The local communities can only perform a basic measurement of biomass stock parameters in the sample plots such as circumference at breast height, standing and down deadwood, tree stump while the knowledge and skill of utilization of a Global Positioning System (GPS) and compass are still limited. The household survey to gather socioeconomic information regarding the use of natural resources of individual household could be conducted by the local community members who can read and write. In conclusion, engaging and empowering local communities in an early REDD+ project development could build a sense of trust and responsibility that local communities have towards the project. In addition, community based MRV could provide a rapid and cost-effective ways to gather relevant information for REDD+ project development.

Biomass Inventory in Bos Thom Community Forest

Community Tenure Rights and REDD: A Review of the Oddar Meanchey Community Forestry REDD Project in Cambodia

Donal Yeang  


ASEAS - Austrian Journal of South-East Asian Studies, 5(2), 263-274 


Tenure rights over land, forest, and carbon have become a contentious issue within REDD implementation across the tropics because local communities could be excluded from REDD benefits if land tenure or use and access rights are not clear. This study aims to understand and assess tenure arrangements under the fi rst REDD demonstration project in Cambodia, the Oddar Meanchey Community Forestry REDD Project. In particular, the study explores the following questions: (1) How are tenure rights arranged in the Oddar Meanchey REDD Project? (2) Does the tenure regime recognise the rights of local communities to their land and its associated resources? (3) What kind of institutions are put in place to support tenure rights of local communities in the project? The author conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and complemented the analysis by participant observation and a review of policy documents and secondary literature. The major finding of this study is that the local communities in the project are still given rights to use and access forest resources, although carbon rights belong to the government. While the government retains ownership over carbon credits, it agreed that at least 50 percent of the net revenue from the sale of carbon credits will flow to participating communities.

Download Full Paper: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2194259

Training Workshop on “GHG Inventory Preparation for Forestry”

From 05-08 November 2012, the Forestry Administration (FA) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry (MAFF) and the General Department of Administration for Nature Conservation and Protection (GDANCP) of Ministry of Environment (MOE) under the Cambodia UN-REDD Programme organized the training workshop the on “GHG Inventory Preparation for Forestry” in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The workshop aims to build the capacity on GHG inventory under the UNFCCC guidelines of relevant stakeholders from government agencies (MAFF, MoE, and Ministry of Land Management), academic institutions (Royal University of Agriculture, Royal University of Phnom Penh and Preak Leap National School of Agriculture and non-governmental organizations (JICA, FFI and CI). The concepts of GHG inventory under the UNFCCC and the GHG inventory software were presented to the participants in the workshop. In addition, the status of the national forest inventory and biomass assessment which is the important part for Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) for the Cambodia UN-REDD Programme were also discussed in the workshop. 

Group Photo

Oddar Meanchey Quarterly: The REDD+ Update (April-June 2012)


Biomass Plot Re-measurement for Credit Verification Completed


Plot re-measurement is a key part of Monitoring Reporting and Verification (MRV) and the changes in biomass can be assessed to determine the number of credits earned since the project inception. Some 100 biomass plots have been re-measured with the collaboration of local Forestry Administration (FA) officers, Children Development Association (CDA) staff and Community Forestry (CF) members. By the end of May, 100 biomass plots in the project area were re-measured.


CF members use a compass to lay out a forest biomass plot in Sorng Rokavorn CF

Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and Planning for Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR)

The OM CF REDD+ project requires additional data and information from the community level in order to establish a solid baseline by which the impact of project interventions can be measured. Information obtained will also help to further define the project strategies.In June, Pact’s team with the collaboration of local FA officers and CDA staff, started to conduct PRAs in all 13 communities. The PRA covers a range of topics including wealth ranking, analysis of drivers of deforestation, trends in NTFPs, and local timber production. Under the verification requirements, the project team also needs to conduct planning for areas designated for Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR). In total approximately 5,000 hectares in the project area will be treated under ANR, which includes pruning, thinning, and enrichment planting. ANR will allow the project to increase its earnings of carbon credits through restoration of degraded areas.

Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) in Ratanak Ruka CF

Gender Assessment of the OM CF REDD+ Project

With financial support from the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI) of Japan, Pact with the technical support from Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture & Natural Resource Management (WOCAN) has completed a Gender and REDD+ Assessment for OM CF REDD+. The report will be available shortly and a workshop to disseminate the results of the study will be held in late July.

Focus group discussion on gender issues in Phaav CF

Click here to view the full version of the Oddar Meanchey Quarterly: The REDD+ Update (April - June 2012)

Oddar Meanchey Quarterly: The REDD+ Update (January-March 2012)

Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey Community Forestry REDD+ (OM CF REDD+) demonstration project is very close to validation under Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and Climate Community and Biodiversity (CCB) standards. At the same time, with support from UNDP, we are verifying credits earned since the project start date in February 2008.

Biomass Plot Re-measurement for Credit Verification























The objective of re-measuring plots is to assess changes in biomass since the project start and to determine the number of credits earned. Plot re-measurement is a key part of Monitoring Reporting and Verification (MRV), and provides evidence of the project's impact. Some 100 biomass plots are currently being re-measured with the collaboration of local Forestry Administration (FA) officers, Children Development Association (CDA) staff and Community Forestry (CF) members. By the end of March, 42 biomass plots in CFs were re-measured.

Rolling Out a New Patrol Monitoring System

The OM CF REDD+ project requires a comprehensive Monitoring Reporting & Verification (MRV) system. Between September and December 2011, Pact piloted Frontline SMS in three CFs (See the report). The system allows patrol leaders to send summaries by SMS to a hub computer, which is a more efficient way of communicating data. The data is compiled into a monthly feedback report and distributed among stakeholders so that progress in patrolling activities can be tracked over time. In March, the system was extended to the remaining 10 CFs.

Click here to view the full version of the Oddar Meanchey Quarterly: The REDD+ Update (January-March 2012)

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