Research on REDD+ MRV and carbon stocks/emissions measurement

University British of Columbia Students Visit

4 May 2015

Arief WijayaForest and Environment Research

Center for International Forestry Research

CIFOR Global Comparative Study on REDD+

GCS Module 3: REDD+ MRV and Carbon Emissions measurement

– Assessment of major deforestation drivers

– Research on carbon stocks and emissions

– Setting forest reference emission levels (FRELs/FRLs)

– Participatory MRV

– Six case study countries: Brazil, Peru, Indonesia, Vietnam, Zambia and Cameroon

Further information: www.cifor.org/gcs/

Climate change – the evidence of what’s happening

Temperatures are rising worldwide

GHG emissions accelerate despite reduction efforts

Capacity gaps of non-annexes I countries

Consideration of factors for capacity assessment:

1.Requirements for monitoring forest carbon on national level (IPCC GPG)

2.Existing national capacities for national forest monitoring

3.Progress in national GHG inventory and engagement in REDD

4.REDD particular characteristics: importance of forest fires, soil carbon, deforestation rate

5.Specific technical challenges (remote sensing)

Notes on FREL/FRL terminology

In UNFCCC COP decisions the term forest reference emission levels and/or forest reference levels (FREL/FRLs) is used.

The most common understanding is that a FREL includes only emissions from deforestation and degradation

FRL includes both emissions by sources and removals by sink, thus it includes also enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

FRLs/FRELs is carbon emissions projection which will be compared against actual emissions in the future

FREL/FRL terminology

National FREL submission document used the combined estimates

Impacts to REDD+ incentives

Emissions reductions that can claim for REDD+ financial incentives should be additional of those resulted from national climate change mitigation program (i.e. based on self financed/national efforts)– Differentiate between REL as business as usual (BAU) and crediting baseline

(or financial incentive benchmark)

Source: redd-net.org

Indicative national REL estimate to 2020 (Indonesia)

Source: Indonesian REDD+ Agency, MRV working group

Stepwise approach of FRELs/FRLs

(Herold, et.al, 2011)

Land Use Types Following Forest Conversion

1990-2000

What about drivers of forest degradation?

CO2 Emissions from Deforestation, Peat Drainage and Peat Fires in Indonesia

Contributions of CO2 Emissions by Islands

Four Decades of Forests Persistence, clearance and logging in Borneo(1973-2010)

Source: Gaveau, et.al (2014)

76% of forest cover (1973) 46% of forest cover (2010)

http://gislab.cifor.cgiar.org/wm/borneo/

Extend period of observation

CIFOR Study(Subset of Borneo-wide Data 1973 – 2010)

Class labels Area (Mha)Intact Forest 2010 4.12Logged Forest 2010 4.04Deforestation from 1973 to 2010 3.86Non-Forest 1973 2.97Clouds 0.26Total 15.24

Courtesy: David Gaveau (CIFOR)

Detailed analysis at sub-national