Incentivising forest conservation to tackle climate change
A model of better forest management and financing in Liberia and Myanmar.
Organization
Fauna & Flora International
With deforestation a critical issue in Liberia and Myanmar, and the significance of remaining forest areas as vital carbon sinks; this project will demonstrate that by building local capacity for good governance and enabling access to appropriate incentives, it is possible to significantly and sustainably reduce drivers of deforestation in key landscapes, and bring key learnings to regional and national processes.
Why: Deforestation is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emission.
Around 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from deforestation or forest degradation.
Liberia and Myanmar hold some of the largest remaining blocks of tropical forest in their respective regions, making them net carbon sinks. Yet, both countries are undergoing rapid processes of development, and agriculture is an increasingly potent driver of deforestation.
In Liberia, for example, the agriculture sector accounts for 31% of GHG emissions. Liberia and Myanmar have committed to reducing this deforestation, in an effort to meet internationally agreed targets for reducing the impact of climate change. Importantly, these efforts must be compatible with national poverty reduction targets, respecting the rights and improving the livelihoods of forest-dependent peoples, and protecting the biodiversity and ecosystem services that forests provide.
This project has been established to address the lack of proven models of how to achieve long-term reductions in deforestation on the ground, and the gaps in the policy frameworks to make them a reality at scale.
Budget
Norad intends to offer NOK 45 million in total for the period 2016-2020. (Liberia: NOK 45 million; Myanmar: NOK 5 000 000)
What: A model of better forest management and financing to bring about improved forest protection and inform associated policy development.
The project will be implemented by Fauna & Flora International, and will deliver models of better forest management and access to appropriate incentives to bring about improved forest protection in Liberia and Myanmar, and inform associated policy development.The project will achieve its objectives by empowering local communities with the skills, recognised rights, and resources to sustainably manage vulnerable forest areas. The objectives can be summarised as: (1) Improving Liberian participation in, and influence over, the development of forest-related international policy agreements; (2) Ensuring that Liberian forest-related policies are in place that enable the flow of climate finance, and are aligned with emerging frameworks for green growth; (3) Establishment of an operational climate finance pilot is protecting forests and supporting rural livelihoods in Wonegizi PPA, Liberia, whilst driving the realisation of national REDD+ policy frameworks; and (4) Facilitating Myanmar to make significant progress towards the recognition of community rights over forest lands and securing economic benefits. The project design is based on several years of in-country experience and research, and project interventions were co-created with local and national stakeholders.
Expected results: Demonstration of how REDD+ and community conservation enterprise can achieve climate and conservation benefits.
In Liberia, the results will be two-fold: A fully operational REDD+ pilot in a community-state co-managed Protected Area, supporting at least 6,000 smallholders to sustainably manage land and natural resources;and, nationally, Liberia has developed the policy frameworks necessary to replicate and scale-up forest protection at scale, driven by climate and ecosystem service finance. In Myanmar, legal recognition of ten community forest areas, with each community demonstrating measurable well-being benefits as a result of access to support for development of community conservation enterprises.
Partners:
- Liberia: Forest Development Authority (FDA); local NGO Skills & Agriculture Development Services (SADS); and the local communities around Wonegizi
- Myanmar: Local NGOs Dawei Research Association (Tanintharyi); Kachin Conservation Group; and Mohnyin/Indawgyi and Pauk Sa Community Forestry CSO networks