African, Asian officials gain skills and knowledge on REDD+

African, Asian officials gain skills and knowledge on REDD+

NAIROBI—May 2, 2011 — Over 120 African and Asian government negotiators, land managers, representatives of non-government organizations and climate change scientists are meeting this month to enhance their skills and understanding of the REDD+ implementation process at regional workshops in Cameroon and Vietnam, hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development and the Alternatives to Slash and Burn Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins (ASB).

REDD+ is a climate change mitigation mechanism under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It goes beyond reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) to encompass sustainable management of forests, conservation and enhancement of carbon sinks in developing countries.

The 2010 Cancun agreements emphasized the need for nationally driven plans for effective implementation of REDD+. Given the complexity of the rapidly evolving subject, decision makers and key stakeholders need to be well equipped with the knowledge and skills required to formulate national strategies to ensure success of REDD+.

REDD+ after Cancun: moving from negotiation to implementation is the theme of the two-and-a-half day workshops to be held in Douala on May 10–12 and Hanoi on May 18–20 2011. They offer a series of expert presentations and in-depth discussions about the REDD+ process. Policy and technical topics will include:
Safeguards—how to ensure REDD+ projects are implemented without causing harm to the communities and existing biodiversity
Co-benefits—how countries can accrue other environmental and social benefits from REDD+ in addition to monetary value of projects
Measurement, Reporting and Verification—best approaches for systems that guarantee integrity and transparency in the REDD+ implementation process.

“REDD+ planning needs to be consistent with sustainable development goals, to ensure economic, environmental and social benefits are included,” said Deborah Murphy, senior associate with IISD’s climate change and energy program.

“This is a follow-up to the REDD+ task force meeting we had in Manila early this year, which identified policy needs for key research areas with the overarching goal of drawing on country experiences and lessons learned to inform REDD+ development,” said ASB global coordinator, Peter Minang.

http://www.iisd.org/media/press.aspx?id=195

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