THINKING beyond the canopy

Implementing REDD+ and adaptation to climate change in

the Congo Basin

Anne Marie Tiani, Charlotte Pavageau

Our Common Future under Climate Change. Paris, 7 – 10 July 2015

Review of projects, initiatives and opportunities for synergies

Context

Definitions

Methods

REDD+ and adaptation initiatives and activities

International initiatives for adaptation and mitigation

REDD+ initiatives, activities and projects in the Congo Basin

Adaptation initiatives and projects

Potential for synergies between adaptation and mitigation

Based on a working paper published by CIFOR (Pavageau and Tiani, 2014)

Plan

Two main types of strategies — mitigation and adaptation

In the CB, adaptation policies and projects are having difficulties emerging. Moreover, in debates on national adaptation policy, forests and forest communities are rarely taken into consideration (Bele et al. 2011).

Few experience on REDD+; However, subnational governments and local stakeholders (municipalities, private property owners, indigenous groups, NGOs, etc.) have high expectations regarding the potential of REDD+ to promote forest conservation and bring sustainable development activities to communities (Peach Brown et al. 2011).

In the other side, many authors argue the importance of mainstreaming adaptation–mitigation links into forest or climate change policies (e.g. Klein et al. 2005; Locatelli et al. 2011) to optimize co-benefits, create new opportunities and design more efficient projects.

Reason why many adaptation and especially REDD+ activities are going on at various levels, from national to local. Time to assess.

Context of the Congo basin

This report provides an overview of ongoing REDD+ and adaptation activities in 6 countries of the Congo Basin. It aims to address the following questions:

1. What is the current progress of REDD+ and adaptation processes

in the Congo Basin?

2. What is the structure of actual climate change responses?

3. What are the potential synergies between the two processes?

4. Particularly among REDD+ projects and initiatives, what are the potential opportunities and challenges for implementing adaptation?

Research questions and methods

Methods: Comparative analysis

REDD+ activities = those with explicit carbon goal in their objectives

REDD+ readiness activities = measures and mechanisms that are necessary to establish an enabling framework for REDD+ deals: land tenure reforms, MRV, research, awareness raising, capacity building,

governance, institutions, community rights, livelihoods, participation and financing REDD+ (Wertz-Kanounnikoff and Kongphan-apirak 2009).

REDD+/carbon forest demonstration activities. These activities aim to reduce the deforestation and forest degradation trends in a limited area. They have explicit carbon targets and should be valorized through a compensation mechanism based on results

Preparation activities for future REDD+ projects that could enter in a global carbon deal (IUCN, 2009)

Adaptation activities broadly; when references to climate are made in the project objectives.

Adaptation initiatives =initiatives that support national adaptation strategies and policies. Ex: impacts and vulnerability assessments, identification of country priorities, planning for adaptation, implementing large adaptation programs, monitoring and evaluating adaptation interventions, and capacity building.

Activities for demonstration of adaptation. These activities aim to reduce the vulnerability of local populations to climate change and variability, and to set up concrete adaptation strategies.

Methods and Definitions

Cameroon

Congo, Rep

Equatorial Guinea

Gabon

CAR

DRC

Adaptation

Equatorial Guinea

Gabon

Cameroon

CAR

Congo, Rep

DRC

Mitigation

R-PIN R-PP REDD Strategy

Equatorial Guinea

Cameroon

CAR

Congo, Rep

DRC

Gabon

National Communications

NC1 NC2 NC3 NC4

NAPA National Adaptation

Strategy

REDD+ and adaptation initiatives and activities

UNFCCC related initiatives

National communication. Each non-Annex I Party of the Kyoto Protocol shall submit its initial communication (GEF).

NAPAs, the LDCs identify and communicate their most urgent adaptation needs, and prioritize actions to respond to them” (Pramova et al. 2012

R-PIN and R-PP. In addition to the UNFCCC framework, countries participating in the FCPF Readiness Mechanism are encouraged to submit strategy documents known as R-Pin and R-PP = synthesis of current policies, governance context, studies and preparatory activities, and modalities of implementation of activities.

46 REDD+ projects on the ground

REDD+initiatives and projects

48 Mitigation and REDD+ readiness activities

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Nu

mb

er

of

read

ine

ss a

ctiv

itie

s

0

5

10

15

20

25

REDD+projects

PotentialREDD+

projects

REDD+projects in

preparation

Othermitigationprojects

Nu

mb

er

of

pro

ject

s Regional

Eq. Guinea

Congo

Gabon

DRC

CAR

Cameroon

Large scale mitigation initiatives 1)FCPF, 2) REDD+ Partnership, 3) UN-REDD Program; 4) CBFF; 5) FIP

4 National initiatives * Implementation of NAPAs (GEF); only DRC and CAR

* Africa adaptation programme (AAP) .UNDP in Cameroon, Congo and Gabon ;

* CCAA Cameroon, CAR and DRC

* National adaptation initiatives target agriculture, costal zone management, energy and water management ; Few are related to forest (Congo and EG)

Adaptation initiatives and projects

Demonstration of adaptation activities and political priorities Fores

try

En

erg

y

Coa

stal

He

alth

Agric

.

FS

Wa

ter

Fish

erie

s

Wast

e

mngt

URB

AN

DRC P P P P A P P P

CAR P P P A P

Cmr A A P A P A A P P

Cong

o

A P A A P P P

Gab A P P

EG A P A P A P A P A P A P A P

A= National adaptation activities P =adaptation priority sectors identified in national official documents

Potential for synergies adaptation - mitigation

Synergies in global frameworks and policy processes

Expected benefits from REDD+ projects

Rational and links with adaptation goals

Watershed protection

The protection of the forests will secure vital watersheds

Environmental benefits

REDD+ activities will reduce soil erosion, mitigate water loss from runoff, avoide bush fires …

Local capacities and alternative incomes

Alternative employments (forest management staff, tree nurseries; introduce long-term income enhancement mechanisms Support to local communities so they can manage the forest in a sustainable way

Improved agricultural productivitiy and resilience

Integrated management system at the farm scale, improved farming techniques and agroforestry plantation

Adoption of good practices

by local administration and land management (agricultural, forestry, governance). This allow a better planification.

Infrastructure and roads

Improved access of villages and new opportunities through better access to market, improved access to water sources

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

% o

f in

itia

tive

s

National or regional programs of adaptation REDD+ readiness initiatives

Set of similar interventions in adaptation and REDD+ projects :

Based on historical approaches (Integrated conservation and development projects (Sunderlin and Sills, 2012))

No definitive framework for REDD+ and adaptation activities

Benefits

+ Reduce uncertainties and risks

+ Diversify fund raising

+ Potentials for synergies between A&M

Challenges

Funds diverted into more general conservation and development activities

Fail to realize adaptation and mitigation goals

No planned integration of adaptation and mitigation

Specific to adaptation:

No long term financial mechanism for adaptation

No integrative approach for reducing societal vulnerabilities

Emergence of hybrid approaches

94 REDD+ related activities against 11 adaptation (2011 – 2013)

While Forestry sector neglected in national adaptation activities, it has been set as priority sector

Synergy A – M possible but not clear at the policy level, already implemented in the site level, demonstration activities should inform policy, but need to be well planned and documented

NBC as an additional opportunity

Conclusion

Thank you

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