Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD+) is an effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored and enhanced in biomass and soil of standing forests, by offering incentives for demonstrated reduction in deforestation or for enhancing quality and expanse of forest cover.

• Though India had only 2% of the global forest area, it is faced with the demands of 16% of the world’s human and 18% of the world’s cattle population. 17% of global GHG emissions are from deforestation, second only to emissions from energy sector. Given this, REDD+ is considered to be a cost effective mitigation option, which emphasizes upon conservation of forests, enhancing their role as carbon pools and sustainable management of existing forests.

As long as REDD+ is not part of a binding post-2012 climate deal, it will be financed mainly through funds and the voluntary carbon market. Funds were made available through bilateral and multilateral arrangements such as the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and the UN-REDD Programme. The REDD+ partnership was formalized in May 2010 and has pledged over US$4 billion for early action on REDD+ as part of a “fast-start financing” proposed in the Copenhagen Accord. India advocates a mechanism outside the purview of CDM, with a national level accounting for REDD+. The phased approach to the issue shall eventually allow performance based REDD+ payments linked to compliance markets. The Indian approach on financing REDD+ activities has changed from strict fund based approach to a mix of market and fund based approach, a central funding should compensate for maintenance of forest carbon stocks whereas money for compensating change in carbon stocks (due to decrease in deforestation and degradation in forest cover) could be generated by selling carbon credits in the international markets.

The key parameters of assessing REDD + are an effective legal and policy framework, robust institutional arrangement for implantation, capacities for monitoring, reporting and verifications, and secure tenure and community rights. Also since the forest sector is deeply integrated with the rest of the economy, an effective cross sectoral linkage is also an important consideration.

While India had progressive policies and laws in place to address the issues of deforestation and degradation, a low awareness of the REDD Plus process warrants a broad sensitization and capacity building exercise for all stakeholders. Subsequently, a comprehensive REDD Plus implementation strategy at the country level should be developed with participation of various stakeholders. Individual and community rights on forest resources need to be recognized. Efforts are already on through FRA but process need to be strengthened and expedited. Communities need to be given secure tenure in JFM areas so that they have enough incentive to invent in sustainable management of forests. But more importantly, the issue of forest carbon rights needs to be clearly defined and incorporated in policy. /p[Also read Is India ready to implement REDD Plus? A preliminary assessment. TERI. 2009 http://www.teriin.org/events/docs/1_India%20REDD%20REady.pdf]