Status of REDD.pdf - Sokoine University of Agriculture

Proceedings of the first Climate Change Impacts, Mitigation and Adaptation Programme Scientific Conference, 2012Before moving to Tier 3, Approach 2 foractivity data and a combination of Tier 1and 2 for emission factors could be used.This information can be provided througha National Forest Inventory (NFI). Asmore data will be generated during theREDD+ readiness process, higher tierlevels will be used in the monitoringsystem. Internationally acceptablemethods, guidelines, and standards such asthose of IPCC are used for the collectionof high quality data.2.2 ReportingReporting implies the compilation andavailability of national data and statisticsfor information in the format of a GHGinventory. Reporting requirements to theUNFCCC (National Communications)may cover issues other than just thosesubject to measurement. The core elementsof the national communications areinformation on emissions and removals ofGHGs and details of the activities acountry has undertaken to fulfill itscommitments under UNFCCC.2.3 VerificationVerification refers to the process ofindependently checking the accuracy andreliability of reported information or theprocedures used to generate information.This verification is done by a totallyindependent and external review. TheUNFCCC Secretariat through its expertswill verify the data reported. Theverification process concerns all thevariables that were reported underREDD+. All the data, including thesatellite and national forest inventory datawill have to be made available in order toallow the verification of the GHGinventory.3.0 Baseline/Reference level forREDD+ paymentsThe baseline/reference level is abenchmark against which theachievements on implementation ofREDD+ activities will be credited. Itentails historical trends and projectedbusiness as usual scenario against whichadditional carbon benefits as a result ofcarbon project can be determined. In theconstruction of baseline/reference level forREDD+ the following terminologies areused: Reference Emission Level (REL)and Reference Level (RL)3.1 Forest Reference Emission Level(REL)REL is the amount of gross emissionsfrom a geographical are estimated within areference time period. It covers onlyemissions from deforestation and forestdegradation (REDD) (Angelsen et al,2011).3.2 Forest Reference Level (RL)RL is the amount of emissions/removalfrom a geographical area estimated withina reference time period (Angelsen et al,2011). In addition to REDD, RL also coverremovals through sustainable managementof forests and enhancement of forestcarbon stocks.Data for setting up REL/RE usually comefrom National Forest Inventory that utiliseremote sensing technologies combinedwith ground measurements to provideactivity data and emission factors. Remotesensing is used for the estimation ofhistorical emissions while degradation isassessed using ground measurements.4.0 Setting up national baseline forREDD+ in TanzaniaTanzania envisages participating in theimplementation of REDD+ and has startedsetting up her MRV system for thedetermination of REL/RL. Online with themethodological guidance for activitiesrelated to REDD+ under discussion byUNFCCC, Tanzania is undertaking hernational forest resources inventory,estimating historical deforestation andforest degradation and or growth rates.However as also suggested by theguidance, there is flexibility in51

Proceedings of the first Climate Change Impacts, Mitigation and Adaptation Programme Scientific Conference, 2012determining REL/RL to enable countriesto progressively include more REDD+ asdata becomes available.4.1 National Forest ResourcesMonitoring and Assessment(NAFORMA)Tanzania did not have carried out nationalforest inventory in the past. Therefore thestarting point was to initiate a NationalForest Resources Monitoring andAssessment (NAFORMA).NAFORMA is:– building the capacity on national forestinventories and remote sensing,– determining the current land usecover/forest extent,– determining the current forest growingstock,– identifying drivers of deforestation andforest degradation, and– designing a forest monitoring systemusing permanent sample plots (PSPs).NAFORMA will therefore produce mostof the essential inputs to the REL/RLestablishment. The first phase ofNAFORMA will be completed inDecember 2012, the construction of theREL/RE will therefore start as the databecomes available.4.2 Estimation of the historicalnational deforestationFAO Forest Resources AssessmentRemote Sensing Survey (FRA-RSS)approach will be adopted. FRA-RSS is acontinuous process of assessing the globalforest condition over a 5 to 10 yearsinterval. This assessment is done by meansofRemote Sensing Survey (RSS) samplingtiles all over the globe and produces dataat continental level – not national level.There are 79 RSS tiles that fall in theterritory of Tanzania this is however toolittle to measure national forest coverchange with any degree of accuracy. Withassistance from the Joint Research Centre(JRC) of the European Union the FAOFRA-RSS tiles will be relocated over the850 NAFORMA PSPs clusters. The forestcover change will be assessed at twoperiods of 1990-2000 and 2000-2010.The continuous assessment in the PSPslinked up with the continuous FRA-RSSprocess will also ensure continuity of theMRV process in Tanzania. TheNAFORMA PSPs will be re-measured inyear 2 or 3 after NAFORMA field work.The ground data will then be used with thenational RSS system to detect forestchanges and provide a robust and efficientmonitoring process for the REDDimplementation. This work is currentlydone under the support of the UNREDDTanzania programme in collaboration withNAFORMA.4.3 Estimation of forest degradationThe remote sensing community hasproposed several ways to measuredeforestation accurately and reasonablycheap. Measuring forest degradation (lossof biomass within a forest) remotely ismuch more problematic. An alternativeway to measure changes on standingcarbon is carrying out a ground inventorybasing on PSPs.Tanzania like other developing countrieshas very little reliable data on forest stockchanges. The absence of forest data is theoutcome of the fact that continuous foreststock monitoring in PSPs is not adequatelycarried out. While NAFORMA providesfuture solution to this problem, existingPSPs from previous research with remeasurementswithin the present time canbe utilised for the current uses. UNREDDTanzania programme is commissioninginstitutions with PSPs to assessdegradation/carbon sequestration indifferent vegetation types across thecountry.5.0 ExpectationsIt is anticipated that most of the data forthe establishment of national REL/RL for52

Proceedings of the first Climate Change Impacts, Mitigation and Adaptation Programme Scientific Conference, 2012Tanzania will be available towards the endof 2012. With this information the nationalREL/RL will be constructed based onactivity data following IPCC approach 2 or3 and tier 2 for emission factors.ReferencesAngelsen, A., Boucher, D., Brown, S., Merckx, V.,Streck, C., Zarin, D. Guidelines forREDD+ Reference Levels: Principles andRecommendations. Meridian Institute,Washington DC.p 16.UNFCCC, 2011. Decision 1/CP 17, Guidance onsystems for providing information on howsafeguards are addressed and respectedand modalities relating to forest referenceemission levels and forest reference levelsas referred to in decision 1/CP.16.unfccc.int/files/meetings/durban_nov.../decisions/.../cop17_safeguards.pdf.IPCC, 2003. Good Practice Guidance for LandUse, Land-Use Changes and Forestry.Institute of Global EnvironmentalStrategies, Kanagawa, Japan. p 386FAO (2011). Global Forest Resources Assessment2010 Report. Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations,Rome, 320 p.53