Co-benefits of REDD, sustainable forest management

and governance issues

Dr. Nguyen Quang Tan – RECOFTCDr. Peter Dart – Queensland

University

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Some Benefits from REDD

Restoration and rehabilitation of degraded forestsMaterial benefits: REDD credits, timber and non-timber products from sustainable forest managementPotentials for poverty alleviationCapacity building opportunities for local communities:

to learn new model of forest managementto come to collective decision making

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Some Costs from REDD

Opportunity cost: REDD credits vs. commercial logging of forest products and use of forest land forest cash croppingCosts for monitoring and assessment‘Costs’ for changes in forest governance

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Sustainable Forest Management

Requires understanding by all stakeholders of forest functions and multiple usesEnvironmental, Economic, SocialREDD outcome is sustainable forest management

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Forest Environment Functions

Biodiversity conservation Biomass production, carbon sequestration Regeneration capacity, vitality, healthWatershed functions, water cycleSoil formation and erosion controlMaintain ecological processes and not damage other ecosystems

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Short rotations and clear fell lead to erosion and land slip

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Acacia and rubber on steep slopes in Nam Dong

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Need for erosion control to preserve soil for future generations

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Economic Functions

Benefits from use of forest resources need to be equitably distributed to reduce “rent seeking” through illegal activitySustainable resource use needs inventory and monitoring of both timber and non timber resourcesForest dependent communities must be involved in management

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Social Functions

Community traditional cultural usesRecreationLaws and regulationsCommunity monitoring

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Sustainable Forest Management

Aims to at least maintain biomass production to match the rate of removal.This means making sure that harvest of trees and non timber forest products (NTFPs) follows an appropriate scheduleMontreal Process 9 indicators

150 countries

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Some Governance Issues

Forest tenure security:Forest land allocation to make sure local communities are not marginalizedRights are tradableLegal support to local people to protect their rights

Transparency:Necessary information is available, accessible and understandableClear decision-makingKnowledge sharing

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Some Governance Issues…

Empowerment and representation:Transfer of decision-making power Active participation of all stakeholder groupsNecessary back-up to local people

Accountability:Downward accountability of local (forest) officials

Flexibility:Advance financing for smallholders

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Some Governance Issues…

Equity:in access to information related to REDDin rights to forestsin distribution of REDD benefits