ghana climate change vulnerability and adaptation assessment

Source: LittleREDD Book, 2009Figure 4.1 TheReduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD)frameworkunder the UNFCC, showing the key questions to be answeredBecause the details of REDD+ have not been finalized, necessary activities and components have yet tobespecified. In the meantime, some have suggested that REDD+ provides a vehicle for a more comprehensiveapproach to carbon accounting and land use. The argument is that since in most of the tropics agriculturalexpansionn is the main proximate cause of deforestation, it should be considered in programs to addressdeforestation. Others have pointed tothe exclusionof some agroforestry practices from REDD+consideration because they occur on land that is not designated forest. These other approaches, termedAFOLU (Agriculture, Forestry, Other Land Uses) and REALU (Reduced Emissions All Land Uses, includestrees not in forests), areopposed by those groups wishing to maintain the focus on forests.Alternatively,there has been discussion of using the REDD mechanism to develop payments for other ecosystem services,in additionto carbon sequestration (Karsenty, Guéneau et al. 2008).Nevertheless, there is broad consensus on the key elements of a national REDD+ program: developing areference scenario, transparency, andMRV (measurement [sometimes referred to as monitoring], reporting,and verification). A reference scenarioinvolves defining what a forest is and setting a baseline for carbonemissions from deforestation or degradation. It is from this baseline that carbon accumulation or loss is to beevaluated. The choice of baseline rules can greatly affect the amount of emissions reductions claimed(Griscom,Shoch et al. 2009). Transparency requires adequate consultation with stakeholders and affectedparties, including what constitutes adequate notification of farmers and otherss living in andaround forests.Other aspects of transparency relate to forest law and governance, including forest management practices,policies and enforcement, illegal logging, etc. Indeed, REDD+ was attractive to many because of the potentialto support(or require) governance reform (Hansen, Lund et al. 2009; Sandker, Nyame et al. 2010). BecauseREDD has been envisioned and approached as a national-leveleffort, concern for social responsibility andeffects on local communities was notinitially addressed. Social responsibility includes protecting the rights of38 GHANA CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY AND ADAPTATION ASSESSMENT