Development of MRV for the REDD+ Implementation in

Vietnam: Progress and challenges

Presented at the IISD and ASB Regional Workshop

Hanoi, 19th May 2011

Importance and requirements of development of MRV for REDD+It is a must to meet both national and

international requirements

Requirements:- Transparency- Completeness- Consistency - Comparability- Accuracy

Key terms:

Measurement: The process of data collection over time, providing basic datasets, including associated accuracy and precision, for the range of relevant variables. Possible data sources are field measurements, field observations, detection through remote sensing and interviews.

Reporting: The process of formal reporting of assessment results to the UNFCCC, according to predetermined formats and according to established standards, especially the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines and GPG

Verification: The process of formal verification of reports, for example, the established approach to verify national communications and national inventory reports to the UNFCCC.

Challenges of development of MRV for REDD+However, many issues are still in debate/not

available:- Scope of REDD+- Definitional issue on “forest”- Classification of Land-Use Categories: forest

land, crop land, grassland, wetland, settlement, and other land

- Modalities for activities (b) and (c), guidance on safeguards

- Modalities for measuring, R and V-linkages with MRV for NAMA

- IPCC GPG 2003 (2006): applicability

UNFCC RoadmapWhat will be discussed in SBSTA for consideration at

COP17 (2011)?• Developing modalities relating to (b); reducing

emissions from forest degradation and (c) conservation of forest carbon stocks; and guidance relating to an information of safeguards;

• Developing modalities for measuring, reporting and verifying anthropogenic forest-related emissions by sources and removals by sinks, forest carbon stocks, and forest carbon stock and forest-area changes resulting from the implementation of the activities, consistent with any guidance on measuring, reporting and verifying nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMA) by developing country Parties agreed by the COP

UNFCC Roadmap What will be discussed in SBSTA for

consideration at COP18 (2012)?• Identifying land use, land-use change and

forestry activities in developing countries, in particular those that are linked to the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, identifying the associated methodological issues related to estimating emissions and removals resulting from these activities, and assessing the potential contribution of these activities to the mitigation of climate change, and reporting on the findings and outcomes of this work to the COP18

Progress of MRV development for REDD+ in Vietnam:Principles:

Who takes the lead? MONRE (National GHG-I), Forest land (MARD)

Who are the main partners? UN-REDD Prog (FAO)

How are stakeholders to be involved in the designing process? MRV sub-technical working group

This presentation will focus on the C component

National ownership Consistent with international negotiation

Meet the UNFCCC requirements

Fit with National circumstances, capabilities, priorities

Consistent with process of REDD+ implementation in Vietnam

Progress of MRV development for REDD+ in Vietnam:

Phased approach consistent with the phase of the REDD+ implementation

First phase: - Designing an interim national MRV

framework (preliminary institutional arrangement and technical specifications): on-going

- National Forest Information System: FORMIS, NFI (with NFA))

- Development of interim national REL/RL: Finland and Japan (JICA)

1. Designing an interim national MRV framework

Use of the IPCC basic equation: Emission estimate = Activity Data x Emission

Factors How to collect the needed data?- Activity Data (AD): Land Monitoring System

(LMS)- Emission factors (EF): NFI

Preliminary design of National MRV

REDD+

Coordination(VN REDD+ Office)

Land

Monitoring System

( GDLA/MONRE)

National Forest

Inventory

(FIPI/MARD)

GHG National

Inventory(VNCCO / MONRE)

Quality Control

National

Communication (VNCCO / MONRE)

VerificationInternal

independent evaluation

Quality

Assurance

General

Statistics Office(GSO)

National REDD+

Information

System(VN REDD+ Office)

2) Designing a National Forest Information System

National Forest Inventory (NFI) Program started in 1991, and every five years following; strengths and weaknesses

New (5th cycle) of NFI(2011-2015): additional items and revised methodologies

Forest Information System: FORMIS

2) Development of INTERIM National REL

Forest maps and field survey data: 1991, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010

Data validation processConsidered REDD+ activities: deforestation

and degradationSupporters: Finland (a modest TA) and Japan

(a JICA Study)

Next steps:

Phased approach consistent with the phase of the REDD+ implementation

First phase: - Designing an interim national MRV

framework (preliminary institutional arrangement and technical specifications): on-going

- National Forest Information System: FORMIS, NFI (with NFA))

- Development of interim national REL/RL: Finland and Japan (JICA)