#theme:cc_forestry

The Asia and Pacific region has some of the largest and most diverse ecosystems on Earth. Despite its rich natural capital, this report by the Asian Development Bank and WWF shows that biodiversity is declining in the region in all types of ecosystems, including forests, rivers and oceans, with the rate of species loss about twice the global average. The report argues that maintaining natural capital is essential for making green economies a reality in the region. It examines the state of key ecosystems in Asia and the Pacific region and what can be done to sustain them. It highlights major initiatives in four large-scale regional ecosystems that demonstrate how cooperative strategies for investing in natural capital and natural resources management are being developed and applied: the Living Himalayas, the Heart of Borneo (HoB), the Coral Triangle (CTI) and the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).

This toolkit aims to strengthen the ability of community-based institutions to address REDD+ issues, with benefit sharing being a key feature in the design of equitable REDD+ policies and projects at both national and community levels. At present, the term benefit sharing is used in many different ways, making it difficult to identify what the key issues are and the best approaches to solving them. Further challenges arise in how local communities and indigenous peoples can access REDD+ benefits and how negotiation processes are managed. This generic toolkit assists practitioners, civil society actors and policy makers to assess benefit sharing and revenue schemes proposed as part of REDD+ projects. The process of preparing the toolkit involved a literature review, field visits to case study areas from the Mount Elgon Region Conservation Programme (MERECP) and consultations with practitioners and policy makers from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

The Forests and Climate Change Programme (FORCLIME) is a collaborative initiative undertaken by the German and Indonesian Governments. The project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the forestry sector and improve the livelihoods of Indonesia’s poor rural communities. This report outlines the results of a gender analysis of Indonesia’s forestry sector undertaken to inform the design of a gender strategy for FORCLIME. The report’s findings are derived from institutional analysis, based on literature reviews, focus groups and interviews, and participatory analysis, undertaken in a forest community in West-Kalimantan. The report concludes with a set of recommendations for gender mainstreaming and women empowerment and then outlines elements of a gender strategy for FORCLIME.

This document details Vietnam’s progress in relation to Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) Readiness; it was submitted to the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), a World Bank programme that aims to assist developing countries with REDD+, during March 2012. It sets out a timeline of Vietnamese REDD+ Readiness; national REDD+ readiness management arrangements; stakeholder consultations and communication; REDD+ strategy preparation; the development of a reference scenario and monitoring, reporting and verification.

This policy brief examines the role of forests for climate change adaptation in the region of Asia. It is organized into several sections. Firstly, anticipated changes to precipitation and temperature in Asia under a low and a high emissions scenario, between 2010 and 2039, are outlined. Following on from this, the key elements of Forest-Based Adaptation (FBA) are discussed and the current status of FBA in Asia is highlighted. Finally, recommendations aimed at moving forest-based adaptation forward are made. The following suggestions are made: FBA should be integrated into wider sustainable forest management, National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA) should include forestry, FBA should be built into mitigation projects, FBA should be built into national development and conservation policies and links between forestry and non-forestry sectors should be acknowledged.

This brief discusses research into awareness and information needs related to Ecosystem-Based Approaches (EBA) to climate change adaptation in the Asia and Pacific region. EBA refers to approaches that recognize the potential of ecosystem services to reduce the impact of climate change on people. This study was undertaken to inform the design of a decision-support tool for development, adaptation and disaster risk reduction stakeholders. It examines climate change impacts and adaptation options in the region. Research found that key stakeholder groups are generally aware of ecosystem-based adaptation and practical information on the potential and limitations of EBA is not readily available. Survey analysis highlighted a need for regional case studies and online how-to guidance. The brief concludes by asserting that a design-support tool would enable stakeholders to better identify opportunities, risks and cost-effectiveness of EBA strategies in different contexts.

This document presents analysis of key issues relating to Community Forest Management (CFM) in Vietnam. CFM has emerged as an important mechanism for realizing multiple development goals. The first section focuses on issues that relate to the transfer of forest rights to local people through Forest Land Allocation (FLA), including: an overview of FLA in Vietnam, a case study highlighting tensions that can arise between conservation and food security and a discussion of customary land rights of ethic minorities. The second section discusses CFM in relation to two existing policy frameworks in Vietnam, Payment for Environmental Forest services (PEFS) and Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). It is argued that PEFS must be organized around CFM and REDD+ must employ an inclusive community-based approach. The final section examines how CFM can be improved in Vietnam.

This policy brief examines the manner in which Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) pilot projects have been undertaken in Indonesia and Peru. The research data summarized within the brief was gathered using a method known as Fair and Efficient REDD Value Chain Allocation (FERVA). The FERVA analysis is used to capture the perceptions and expectations of REDD stakeholders at the preliminary stages of REDD initiatives; it also informs stakeholders of the different functions of the REDD value chain. The brief ends with a call for complementary research to focus on REDD value chain analysis; ideally, this would include an examination of the way in which time, cost, technical capacities and governance implications impact upon the different functions of the value chain. It is argued that research should also work towards establishing a minimum project threshold for local-level benefits, such as contributions to livelihoods.