International Climate Initiative Regional Project REDD+ - Forest Conservation in Pacific Island Countries II

REDD+ in Pacific Island Countries

Deforestation and forest degradation account for 17 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Although Pacific Island Countries (PICs) contribute marginally to these emissions, the larger forested PICs can significantly reduce their national emissions through improvements in forest management practices. This opens up opportunities for these countries to benefit financially from maintaining and establishing forest areas to mitigate climate change through a carbon financing mechanism under REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation).

The sustainable management and conservation of forest areas will also have ecological, social, cultural and economic benefits for smaller island countries. Thus the supported REDD+ mechanism is an important aspect of climate protection and includes conservation, sustainable forest management and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in addition to reducing deforestation and forest degradation.

A compilation comprising the most relevant results and achievements in form of studies and reports of the project phase 2011-2015 is now available for download as PDF file: Studies and Reports - Compilation 2011-2015

Deutsche Welle and their Global Ideas channel recently released a 7 minutes lasting report about the SPC/GIZ projects under the REDD+ mechanism in Fiji.  The video can be watched here: 'A precious forest in the Pacific' (a film by Carmen Meyer and Holger Ernst).

Context

The German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) supports the development of regional and national policies as well as institutional capacities for the implementation of REDD+ in Pacific Island Countries. The project ‘Climate Protection through Forest Conservation in Pacific Island Countries’ is funded by Germany’s International Climate Initiative (ICI) with 4.9 million EURO for the period from September 2010 until March 2015.

To develop regional and national policies as well as institutional capacities for the implementation of REDD+, the Land Resources Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC LRD) received support from Germany’s International Climate Initiative for that regional project. ICI is financing climate protection projects of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) in developing countries since 2008.

The project is implemented by GIZ and has 3 components:

1. Regional Policy Framework for REDD+

2. Regional REDD+ Information and Support

3. National REDD+ Readiness

The regional component covers all SPC member countries and territories, but national activities focus on four countries with large forest cover: Fiji, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

On national level, REDD+ policies and strategies are supported – including the establishment of national reference levels, institutional and legal infrastructures, and forest carbon monitoring systems.

State of Implementation / Results

In September 2012, the 3^rd regional conference of the Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry (MOAF) in Nadi, Fiji, approved and endorsed the joint Pacific Islands Regional Policy Framework for REDD+. A multi-sectorial and multi-stakeholder consultation process in the region also gave rise to an understanding of REDD+ among other partners outside the forestry sector for the first time.

In anticipation of the endorsed and operational 'Regional REDD+ Information and Support Platform', this preceding SPC LRD embedded project website 'Climate Protection through Forest Conservation in Pacific Island Countries' was created in July 2011.

To inform national policy and strategy development, SPC/GIZ has conducted studies in the four Melanesian countries during the period of 2011 – 2015 on different aspects of REDD+ Readiness prerequisites. Four pilot sites in the partner countries were selected following expressions of interest by land owners and forest users.

The current project activities will build upon the studies and deepen the knowledge and understanding on the development of REDD+ strategies in the four countries. Upcoming aspects such as Safeguard Information Systems, Benefit Distribution Systems, the setup of a carbon registry or the involvement of the private sector in REDD+ activities will be targeted by the project and have been discussed during regional (February 2016) and national (May to June 2016) meetings and workshops. The existing local pilot sites will be further supported and may be amended by additional suitable demonstration activities.