WWF - News: Forests & Climate

Learning Session 11: Good Practices for Assessing Accuracy and Estimating Area of Remotely Sensed Change Maps

2013-05-23

When: Friday, June 7, 10am EDT/1600 CEST

What: REDD+ Monitoring Reporting and Verification (MRV) managers and policy makers often combine forest cover data from various remotely sensed sources to produce forest monitoring maps. However, it can be a challenge to keep track of accuracy estimates in these maps that have such diverse sources and conditions.

In this learning session, Dr. Pontus Olofsson, research assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Environment at Boston University, will addresses the fundamental protocols required to produce scientifically rigorous and transparent estimates of accuracy and area. The set of good practice recommendations provides guidelines to assist both scientists and practitioners in the design and implementation of accuracy assessment and area estimation methods applied to land change assessments using remote sensing.

A Q+A session will follow the presentation.

Register for this webinar

Learning Session 10: Tools for capturing and sharing REDD+ lessons learned

2013-04-25

This is an archive of this webinar that took place Tuesday, April 23, 2013.

In this learning session, WWF Forest and Climate Initiative's Learning and Knowledge Sharing Manager Maria Jose Pacha guides us through a number of new tools and resources available for REDD+ practitioners seeking to identify, capture and share lessons learned that promote successful REDD+ initiatives.

Participants learn about the newly launched REDDcommunity.org, a free, innovative platform that gives users the ability to connect with others working on REDD+, access technical information, share their experiences and learn from others around the globe.

Maria also discusses the new learning guide which provides tools and step-by-step guidelines for collecting and sharing REDD+ lessons learned.

A full Q+A session follows the presentation.

Join the REDD+ Community website today to access other free webinars and to connect with REDD+ practitioners from around the globe.

World's tropical forests breathe life on Earth Day

2013-04-22

Communities around the globe will pause today to celebrate Earth Day, a day set aside 43 years ago to highlight environmental conservation.

WWF's Forest and Climate Initiative has compiled these interesting forest and climate related Earth facts in honour of the day and WWF's commitment, today and every day of the year, to global conservation:

Forests cover one-third of Earth and breathe life into our world – literally.
Over 40 percent of the world's oxygen is produced by tropical forests, while forests contribute to the critical balance of oxygen, carbon dioxide and humidity in the air.
With more than 1.6 billion people – often the world's most impoverished – directly dependent on forests as a natural resource providing fuel wood, lumber for housing and nourishment, forests are under threat like never before.
Rates of deforestation remain alarmingly high. An astonishing 5.2 million hectares of forests are lost each year to deforestation and forest degradation – the equivalent of a football pitch/soccer field every second.
The impact is two-fold – this important resource vanishes and harmful carbon gases are released into the atmosphere. Deforestation and forest degradation account for up to 20% of the world's carbon gas emissions, more than the global transport industry – all the automobiles, trucks, trains, airplanes and ships in the world.
The carbon in forests exceeds the amount of carbon currently in the atmosphere. Estimates are that the world's forests store 289 gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon in their biomass alone.
Forests are home to over 80% of terrestrial biodiversity.
Deforestation of closed tropical rainforests could account for the loss of as many as 100 species a day.

Join WWF's campaign to conserve forests and fight climate change, connect with us via Twitter at www.twitter.com/wfforestcarbon and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/wwfforestclimate.

Learn more about how forests can help fight climate change at: www.panda.org/forestclimate.

New learning guide and toolkit help scale up forest and climate conservation efforts

2013-04-12

Washington, DC – 12 April 2013 – A new learning guide and toolkit for those working on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) has been release today by WWF's Forest and Climate Initiative, giving REDD+ practitioners around the globe more capacity to scale up REDD+ related activities and replicate successful ones.

The guide, From the Tree of Practices to the Forest of Knowledge: A guide to identifying, capturing, sharing and communicating REDD+ Inspiring Practices, is designed to provide REDD+ practitioners with the understanding and skills to identify, capture, share and communicate practices and lessons learned through a collaborative and participatory process. It was developed to support REDD+ practitioners, who are often learning by doing due to the evolving nature of REDD+, to reflect on their work in an innovative way – and to enable them to share their experiences and knowledge with others. The knowledge gathered represents practices that have been either successful or challenging -- inspiring practices.

"This guide helps identify, capture and share REDD+ inspiring practices so that these can be replicated and scaled up to realize valuable benefits to people and nature," said Maria Jose Pacha, WWF Forest and Climate Initiative Knowledge Sharing and Learning Manager, and co-author of the guide.

Part one of the guide outlines the model and steps to identify, collect, organize and share REDD+ practices and lessons learned. It provides clear, short definitions of main concepts, guidance and tools. Part two is a hands-on "toolbox" that provides detailed methods and activities for project managers and their team to use to reflect on their REDD+ work and to identify lessons learned. Each of the 15 "tools" includes guidance on the goals, process and participant roles for each activity.

The tools are both part of the guide, and available as individual PDFs, allowing them to be printed for easy use.

To learn more about WWF's other REDD+ learning tools, visit: bit.ly/REDDlearn

To learn more about WWF's REDD+ related work, visit: panda.org/forestclimate

Learning Session 10: REDD+ Lessons Learned and Best Practices: Tools and guidelines for effective knowledge sharing

2013-04-11

Tuesday, April 23 at 10:00 EDT/1600 CET

In this learning session, WWF Forest and Climate Initiative Knowledge Sharing Manager Maria Jose Pacha will guide us through a number of new tools and resources available for REDD+ practitioners seeking to identify, capture and share lessons learned that promote successful initiatives.

Participants will learn about the newly launched REDDcommunity.org, a free, innovative platform that gives users the ability to connect with others working on REDD+, access technical information, share their experiences and learn from others around the globe.

A new learning manual which provides tools and step-by-step guidelines for collecting and sharing REDD+ lessons learned, will also be introduced.

A Q+A session will follow the presentation.

Register for this webinar

New video supports dialogue with forest communities on REDD+

2013-04-10

REDD+ practitioners around the globe have a new tool to use to dialogue with forest communities on REDD+, with the launch today of the video Engaging forest stewards in REDD+ dialogues. Produced by WWF's Forest and Climate Initiative (WWF-FCI) (bit.ly/REDDlearn), the video explores different practices and includes interviews with leading experts around the world.

This new social documentary video uses the power of stakeholder testimony to communicate the challenges and successes of engaging in REDD+ dialogues with indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) that are dependent on forests for their livelihood. It includes interviews with experts from a variety of organizations, providing different views and perspectives and giving the viewer insight into each. REDD+ practitioners who view the video can then gain knowledge and understanding to further their work.

"This REDD+ video is a wonderful tool to gain insight into the both the value of engaging in REDD+ dialogue with indigenous peoples and local communities, and the most effective ways to do this," said Maria Jose Pacha, producer of the film and WWF-FCI's Knowledge Sharing and Learning Manager. "By sharing the collective knowledge on this issue from key experts around the globe, we hope to create real impacts that benefit people and nature."

The WWF-FCI team considers knowledge sharing and learning to be key components of realizing a successful REDD+ mechanism that benefits people and nature. This video is part of a series of new REDD+ learning tools developed for REDD+ practitioners. To access all of these tools, please visit bit.ly/REDDlearn.

WWF's Conservation and Livelihoods program (WWF-US) contributed to the development and production of this video. Most of the people featured in the video participated in the REDD+ Based Approaches to Human Rights workshop organized by the Conservation Initiative on Human Rights in Lima, Peru, January 2012.

To learn more about WWF's REDD+ related work, visit: www.panda.org/forestclimate

Hands-on approach brings REDD+ technical capacities to local communities in DRC

2013-04-08

Local community members in the Mai Ndombe region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are learning new technical skills to help them manage their forest resources. Through a project run by WWF's Forest and Climate Initiative and WWF-DRC, with financial support from Norway's development agency Norad, 22 community members from the villages of Nkôo, Nkala, Mbanzi, Bodzuna, Embirima, Tshumbiri, Mpelu, Lewo and Ndua are being taught how to record local deforestation data on computers.

The 19 men and three women, ranging in ages from 18 to 40 years old, were selected by their respective village chiefs and receive the training at WWF's research station in Malebo, in the Mai Ndombe region. WWF-DRC Communications Manager, Jolly Sassa Kiuka, taught the participants on laptops belonging to WWF that were made available for the project. While none of the participants had ever used a computer before, they were quick to learn basic skills such as creating and saving Word files. They have since learned how to encode data and input it to spreadsheets, and to develop emailing skills. The later has enabled these communities, which have no cell phone access, to communicate outside of their communities – giving them valuable access to information otherwise unavailable to them.

Today their new computer skills are enabling them to learn how to monitor indicators of activities within the area's Community Development Plan and monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) data from their forests. The data that they collect and encode is then sent to Kinshasa, the nation's capital.

This initiative provides a win-win for stakeholders, as it both builds a local technical capacity and reduces the need for WWF to send staff from Kinshasa to carry out the work, which can be costly. Through this project, local community members have also gained a better understanding of the relevance of REDD+ to their local communities, as well as the knowledge to make important decisions related to REDD+. Involving village chiefs in the development of the project and having them identify participants also helped the community to have and ownership stake in the project.

Georges Kaba, a participant from Ebirima village, said of the project:

"We thank WWF for the opportunity that they have offered us with the computer learning. Beyond the work we are doing together, computers will open us to others. We had heard about computers – now it is a reality. We can not only touch but use the computers, it is a great joy. In addition we, ourselves, are now able to keep details about our communities. After we collect the information, we encode it and send it to Kinshasa. We are also now able to be sure of the veracity of information."

Once the project is complete, it is anticipated that participants will have gained the life-long skills necessary to work with other partners on future data collection and encoding projects.

With reporting by Jolly Sassa-Kiuka, WWF-DRC

Interview with Naikoa Aguilar-Amuchastegui, MRV Specialist

2013-04-08

Naikoa Aguilar-Amuchastegui leads the REDD+ related MRV work of WWF's Forest and Climate Initiative, and assists practitioners around the globe to increase their MRV capacity and knowledge.

Q: What is your role with WWF's Forest and Climate Initiative (FCI)?

As FCI's MRV Coordinator for Forest Carbon, I lead FCI's work on measuring, reporting and verifying (MRV) of REDD+ activities. I work on bridging the gap between relevant science and its practical application in the design, implementation and use of MRV systems. I also work on building MRV capacity and know-how in the field and with REDD+ partners. In short, my role is to help people share the MRV know-how they've acquired throughout the WWF Network, and more importantly, externally with our stakeholders.

Q: Where are you currently working on MRV?

My work has a global reach, as I collaborate in various capacities with all WWF offices currently working on REDD+. However, my main focus is in FCI's three priority regions – Madre de Dios in Peru, Mai Ndombe in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Kutai Barat in Indonesia.

Q: What are your work priorities?

My top priority is to make sure local (regional and national) MRV practitioners have access to the relevant information and capacities they need. I do this either through direct support or by facilitating dialogue amongst the MRV community. These dialogues are so important for sharing knowledge – that's why the MRV team that I lead and I travel to the field frequently. We also hold regular MRV team calls and act as facilitators for the MRV Community of Practice on the online REDD+ practitioners platform REDDcommunity.org. Another priority is to use MRV capacity building as a means for developing capacities for overall sustainable management of natural resources.

Q: What is the biggest challenge for countries that are currently working to develop monitoring systems?

It can be challenging to make sense of all of the information, technology packages and standards that are offered to countries working on REDD+. Each donor, multilateral or conservation organization offers something slightly different, and at the end of the day each country needs to select what works best based on its specific context. There is no "one size fits all" approach for setting up a monitoring system. It is also challenging to ensure there is long-term capacity to support an MRV system. Our MRV certificate program in Peru was a tremendous success in this regard, because it offered training to local individuals on MRV, and they are now equipped to manage the systems into the future.

Q: Why does MRV play such an important part in REDD+ work?

MRV is really a matter of accounting and keeping track of the systems and the data. Another big part of MRV is about understanding how to make the decisions about how well you're keeping track, and how to know what you have achieved in terms of emissions reductions. Linking MRV to reference levels allows you to understand how well you're doing. This is what could bring credibility to the REDD mechanism. I use the word could because, as with any reporting system, there will always be caveats, which is why we have such a strong emphasis on the 'V' in MRV.

Q: Does adaptive management play a role in successful MRV systems?

Yes! While there is no "silver bullet" when it comes to MRV, having a robust, flexible system in place that can adapt to various situations is key. This way, if your system stops working, there is always a redundancy or a backup plan that allows you to continue working so you don't get stuck. This applies to both the technologies and the management teams.

Q: What is WWF's role in developing MRV standards?

WWF works to make sure that any group developing standards for MRV considers the REDD+ Five Guiding Principles (climate, biodiversity, livelihoods, rights and fair and effective funding). WWF also plays an important role ensuring that lessons learned from work in the field are incorporated into standards. It's so vital that the standards reflect the reality of what real REDD+ implementation looks like, and we can help with that by acting as a conduit between the field teams and the policy makers.

Q: What are some ways to build MRV capacity?

Building MRV capacity needs to focus on MRV know-how. Technological capacity building is circumstantial as technologies evolve so fast, but building effective know-how happens in two ways. The first is to make sure the MRV practitioners can share their expertise using a South/South approach, and a platform like REDDcommunity.org is a great way to do this. The second is to make sure that we, as a REDD+ community, can capture this knowledge and transmit it in an organized way to others who need it, such as policy makers, financial institutions and governments. The importance of capturing lessons learned is a vital part of MRV capacity building, but it also applies to REDD+ in general.

Q: What's the best way to bring all stakeholders to the table when developing an MRV system?

Bringing diverse stakeholders to the table can be a challenge, but key requirements for setting up MRV systems are transparency and a common strategy. As long as there is an agreement on transparency and an understanding about how MRV deliverables need to be used, stakeholders can work together. The most effective groups are those that can be honest when a tool or approach does not work and can collaborate to find alternative solutions or build synergies.

Q: How can linking community monitoring help with national MRV for REDD?

Linking community monitoring with national MRV for REDD+ is incredibly important. In any MRV work, information should flow both top down and also down up, and by working with communities, their knowledge of forest ecosystems can be integrated into the information systems. The other great result of working with communities is that it gets people thinking about why deforestation is happening and what the drivers may be. We can then use that conversation as a springboard to identify drivers, and to discuss ways to mitigate the impact of those drivers. One of the biggest successes we have seen in our DRC work came about when we worked with the community to show how the data that is being generated helps them better understand what's happening in the forest, and this in turn helps them make more informed decisions about how to manage the forest.

Q: What are you most excited about for the future of MRV?

I'm excited about the results from UNFCCC- COP18 in Doha that acknowledged the link between reference levels and MRV. The international community now sees the importance of having comparability between the data used for both MRV and reference levels, and in my mind, this will bring a new, more practical perspective to MRV implementation. The recent launch of LandSat 8 (an earth imaging and data gathering satellite launched in February 2013 by NASA and USGS) reinforces this link as it allows for continuous acquisition of data most countries are already using to build their reference levels. I'm looking forward to some big years ahead for MRV and REDD+.

With reporting by Breen Byrnes of the WWF Forest and Climate Initiative.

Norway Minister calls WWF REDD+ efforts in DRC "Environmental work at its best"

2013-04-08

WWF's efforts in DRC related to the reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) have been called "environmental work at its best" by Norway's Minister of the Environment, Bård Vegar Solhjell. The minister visited WWF projects in the Mai Ndombe region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in February 2013 during a trip to DRC to discuss cooperation on forest conservation and REDD+.The trip was also part of a USAID/CARPE program. Since 2009, Norway has contributed almost US$30 million to a range of forest conservation initiatives in the DRC.

"WWF's work here in the region is impressive," said Minister Solhjell. "There seems to be great ownership by the villages, and WWF is obviously building trust with local people. This is environmental work at its best."

During his two-day visit to the area with WWF, the Minister had the chance to see endangered bonobos in their natural habitat within the community forests of Nkala and Mpelu. He also met with local community leaders regarding their participation in monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) and participatory zoning of their village land.

The minister's visit also signaled the continued support of the Government of Norway for REDD+ efforts in DRC and globally.

Reporting by Mads Lie, WWF-Norway

Innovative REDD+ Online Community and Learning Platform Launches

2013-04-08

Washington, DC – 8 April 2013 – REDD+ practitioners around the world have a new free and open online community and learning platform, with the public launch today of REDDcommunity.org. This innovative platform gives users working on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) the ability to connect with others, access technical learning information, learn about upcoming REDD+ related events, sign up for free REDD+ related webinars, share their experiences and learn from others around the globe – enabling them to progress REDD+ and start harnessing its benefits to people and nature.

The platform was developed by WWF's Forest and Climate Initiative (WWF-FCI) as a capacity building tool for REDD+ practitioners – including representatives of governments, non-profits, community organizations, multi-national organizations, development organizations and businesses. The platform is designed to reflect a wide array of REDD+ perspectives and experiences, and not necessarily those of WWF. Community members with diverse interests, skills and from varying geographies are invited to post and share their own REDD+ lessons learned, event information, publications, technical tools, news, images, video, etc. Through this knowledge exchange process, practitioners can build their capacity to deliver successful REDD+ initiatives worldwide that create impact.

This online platform is also designed to complement and build on other online resources currently available to REDD+ practitioners – linking to and sharing with these. As the platform grows in scope, and representatives of a broad base of organizations working on REDD+ related issues become members, it is envisioned that the platform will be self-managed by the community itself.

"As REDD+ continues to be defined, practitioners are often having to 'learn by doing'," said Maria José Pacha, REDDcommunity.org lead developer and WWF FCI Knowledge Sharing and Learning Manager. "For this reason, it is crucial to have a platform where practitioners can connect with each other and share experiences about what works and what doesn't."

It is anticipated that this sharing of knowledge will help to strengthen capacities across REDD+ countries, landscapes and topics – including finance, policy, climate, governance, rights, livelihoods, development, conservation, etc. This process is also expected to play an important role in linking on-the-ground REDD+ experiences with global policy debates and vice versa.

"REDDcommunity.org has the ability to create impacts for people, the planet and conservation by harnessing and developing the vast and diverse global knowledge and experiences of REDD+ via a single, open platform," said Bruce Cabarle, WWF FCI Leader.

The pillars of REDDcommunity.org are two key tools for practitioners – Communities of Practice and Inspiring Practices. A Community of Practice enables users to convene virtually and cost-effectively on a specific REDD+ area of work, post and answer relevant questions, access specific technical information and exchange lessons learned. A vibrant Community of Practice convened on Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) is being launched with the site.

Inspiring Practices are case studies of REDD+ experiences, which are created by users and shared to build capacity. They provide a roadmap for those seeking to apply REDD+ lessons learned to their own work – outlining what worked and what did not, stakeholder participation, challenges, successes, project timeline and key lessons learned, among other useful information. REDDcommunity.org is launching with three exciting Inspiring Practices related to REDD+ projects in Colombia and Peru, and the development of an Indigenous REDD+ proposal.

As the REDDcommunity.org grows, it will become an even greater resource for practitioners around the world and will help REDD+ reach its full potential. REDDcommunity.org is possible thanks to the expertise, advice and content shared by our collaborators. Please visit at REDDcommunity.org, become a member, and join the global REDD+ conversation.

To join the REDDcommunity.org, visit: http://reddcommunity.org

To learn more about WWF's REDD+ related work, visit: www.panda.org/forestclimate

Media contact:
Jennifer Ferguson-Mitchell
forestclimate@wwfus.org

WWF gratefully acknowledges the support of the Government of Norway for this initiative through a grant administered by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). The views expressed on REDDcommunity.org are not intended to reflect the policy views of either of these entities or their affiliates.

Carbon Fund activated with Costa Rica in "pipeline" for $63m

2013-03-27

Washington, DC -- 27 March 2013 – Costa Rica has become the first country to enter the "pipeline" for Carbon Fund support, triggering the much anticipated activation of the fund. Under a Carbon Fund Emissions Reduction Payment Agreement (ERPA), Costa Rica will receive a maximum of US$63 million for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 12 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. The announcement was made last week at a meeting of the Carbon Fund, at which Costa Rica's Emissions Reduction Program Idea Note (ER-PIN) was approved, progressing the country's REDD+ efforts from the readiness phase to the demonstration phase—and closer to benefiting from performance-based REDD+ payments.

The FCPF, a major multilateral partnership housed by the World Bank, administers the Readiness Fund and the Carbon Fund. The Readiness Fund supports forest countries' efforts to develop national REDD+ strategies and readiness, and has US$260 million in committed funds available. The Carbon Fund supports the implementation of REDD+ demonstration activities and has US$390 in committed funds available.

Also this month, during the 14^th meeting of the FCPF's Participants Committee, the REDD+ Readiness Preparation Proposals (R-PPs) of Chile, Papua New Guinea, Honduras, Thailand, Suriname and Vanuatu were reviewed and approved for funding awards of around US$3.6 million each from the Readiness Fund to advance REDD+ readiness activities.

WWF considers the FCPF as an important player in making REDD+ a reality, and values the role it plays in working with countries to progress through the phases of REDD+ readiness and implementation.

"The FCPF is realizing exciting milestones," said Josefina Braña-Varela, policy director of WWF's global Forest and Climate Initiative. "With Costa Rica accepted as the first country in the Carbon Fund negotiation pipeline, the Carbon Fund is now open for business and ready to provide scaled-up REDD+ finance for conservation activities resulting in quantifiable emission reductions."

Agreement was also realized at the meeting on an assessment framework for R-Packages. This significant decision clarifies how countries will report national readiness progress, and as such, guides countries to develop R-Packages that can meet eligibility requirements for Carbon Fund financing. Representatives of other donor countries and multilaterals are now also showing interest in using the R-Package process to assess progress and funding needs of initiatives under their own purview, signalling its potential broader use outside the FCPF.

For more information about the World Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, visit: bit.ly/FCPFnews.

For more information on the processes of the FCPF Readiness Fund and Carbon Fund, visit: http://www.forestcarbonpartnership.org/readiness-fund

Media Contact:
Jennifer Ferguson-Mitchell
jennifer.ferguson-mitchell@wwf.panda.org

FSC certification in Cameroon surpasses 1 million hectares

2013-03-27

Yaoundé, Cameroon – The total Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified area in Cameroon has exceeded 1 million hectares with the certification of new areas managed by the Société Forestière et Industrielle de la Doumé, a Rougier subsidiary and participant in WWF's Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN).

The newly certified areas, covering 285,667 ha, are located in the Mbang area of eastern Cameroon, home to the Baka community, considered among the oldest residents of Cameroon's rainforests. These forests are also rich in biodiversity. This award marks the first substantial increase of FSC certified area in the Congo Basin in several years.

"We congratulate Rougier on this achievement and salute their commitments to responsible forest management in the Congo Basin. It's also important Rougier and Cameroonian authorities work together to maintain elephant populations in these forests, considering the recent documented massacres in the Congo Basin," said Daniel Tiveau, Regional GFTN Manager for Central Africa.

FSC is the best forest management assurance system available, and is recognized as the top level of commitment by leading environmental groups operating within the tropical forest industry.

FSC certification ensures the forest management is 1) environmentally appropriate – protecting and maintaining natural communities and high conservation value forests 2) socially beneficial – respecting the rights of workers, communities and indigenous peoples and 3) economically viable – building markets, adding best value and creating equitable access to benefits.

WWF/GFTN has supported Société Forestière et Industrielle de la Doumé since October 2009 in establishing an action plan to achieve FSC certification, supporting local and indigenous peoples on community development, building the capacity of the Local Consultation Framework (Comité Paysan Forêts), and has provided training on conflict resolution.

In working toward FSC certification, the company has improved its internal management procedures through better documentation of its work, and has undergone third party assessment.

"Many years ago, Rougier entered into a voluntary process of certification in which the group invested heavily to enhance its production on the international market. Through our efforts in matters of certification, we wish to consolidate our positions on the developing markets for certified products," said Rougier CEO Francis Rougier.

WWF is currently undertaking research to identify barriers for forest certification and is committed to helping companies overcome them.

"Managing forests responsibly is the best way to ensure a better future for people and biodiversity, and buying certified products from the Congo Basin is the best way markets can influence forest management in the region," Tiveau said.

APP suppliers pulping new bid for sustainability credentials in Kalimantan?

2013-03-27

Pontianak, West Kalimantan – NGO observers have claimed that pulp timber suppliers to controversial paper giant Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) are continuing to log tropical forest and dig drainage canals through peat soils in Kalimantan, regardless of the new Forest Conservation Policy (FCP) launched with much fanfare by APP and parent group Sinar Mas last month.

APP, noting that the suppliers have denied breaching requirements of the FCP, is investigating a complaint lodged by the Consortium of Kalimantan's Forest Monitoring NGOs (RPHK)

Over the same period that heavy machinery was apparently engaged in logging and dredging on the two concessions , representatives of both APP and the two supplier companies hosted a meeting 80 km away in provincial capital Pontianak to convince sceptical local NGOs that the FCP was not yet another company greenwashing stunt.

APP has previously announced an end to tropical forest pulping in 2004, 2007 and 2009. On February 5 it hosted a gala announcement that it had halted tropical forest clearing on its own and independent supplier concessions throughout Indonesia on January 31, with heavy equipment impounded pending independent assessment of conservation values and above ground carbon.

RPHK members, who were among those present at the February 26 meeting in Potianak, lodged a complaint on the basis of extensive photographic and video evidence of the work on concessions of PT Asia Tani Persada (ATP) and PT Daya Tani Kalbar (DTK), two of the four companies disclosed by APP as West Kalimantan suppliers to its mills in devastated Sumatra.

RPHK observers familiar with the areas of the two concessions said they contained orang-utan habitat. The promised assessments would have examined whether and where orang-utans are still present.

"We are really concerned to see how heavy equipment is still actively clearing natural forest, digging peat canals and clearing the land in the two supplier's concessions in West Kalimantan. This is a clear violation of the APP's FCP that APP socialized in Pontianak on 26 February," said Baruni Hendri, a spokesperson of the RPHK consortium.

"Our findings showed that APP is not taking their conservation policy seriously, thus making RPHK doubt APP's seriousness on the implementation of their commitment."

APP has issued a statement that "Our policy is clear - there would be no natural forest clearance anywhere in our supply chain and every supplier has been advised of he policy details."

"We contacted the suppliers and both have strongly indicated that they are not in breach of our policy and that the likely cause is concession boudaries that overlap with other industries."

WWF-Indonesia, a member of RPHK with local NGOs, has called on APP and its parent, the giant Sinar Mas Group, to quickly close a loophole allowing mills to continue accepting "stockpiled" mixed tropical hardwoods for an indefinite period, nominating May 5 as giving ample time to clear stockpiles. The evidence of current clearing vindicates concerns that freshly cleared timber will continue to be "laundered" into pulp mills.

"We call on global buyers of pulp and paper to remain skeptical and await independent verification by independent NGOs of the credible field implementation of APP's FCP before making any new purchasing decision," said Anton P. Wijaya, Director Executive of WALHI (Friends of Earth Indonesia) chapter West Kalimantan.

Member groups of the Consortium of Kalimantan Forest Monitoring Volunteers (RPHK) able to provide information in English are WWF-Indonesia (Contact : Ian Hilman, +6282121868624, ihilman@wwf.or.id), and TITIAN, an active biodiversity conservation institute for local community sustainable benefits in West Kalimantan (Contact Director, Sulhani +62561-6589198). Other member groups include AKAR, an illegal wildlife crime monitoring network in Borneo, actively raising public awareness about the importance of wildlife protection and their habitat; JPIK Kalimantan Barat, a civil society network that focuses on monitoring effort of the sustainable forest management for Forest Plantation Wood Production Permit; Link-AR Borneo (Lingkaran Advokasi dan Riset), a civil society organization focus on advocacy based on research or investigation related to land plunder and biodiversity degradation, as well as community empowerment ( www.linkarborneo.com); SAMPAN (Sahabat Masyarakat Pantai), a civil society organization focus on advocacy for costal and watershed communities (www.sampankalimantan.org) and LEMBAH, an active institute in Bengkayang District for social and economic empowerment based on environment.

Photos and videos of this issue can be accessed through:
www.linkarborneo.com and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o54C3jf6PLYRPHK.

"Hope" Tree becomes Earth Hour symbol for Forest Conservationists

2013-03-22

Washington, D.C. – 23 March 2013 – Forest conservation from Russia to Uganda will be highlighted this year during Earth Hour – the world's largest movement for the planet. Celebrated on Saturday, 23 March at 8:30pm, this year's Earth Hour asks the hundreds of millions of people participating from 152 countries to challenge each other with "I Will if You Will." Forest conservations have stepped up to the challenge with initiatives that seek to conserve the world's threatened forests and help our planet – including the planting of a tree called "Hope."

The world's forests are home to 80% of terrestrial biodiversity and more than 1.6 billion people directly dependent on them. Forests also play an important role in fighting climate change. Deforestation and forest degradation account for up to 20% of carbon gas emissions globally – more than all of the world's the automobiles, trucks, planes, trains and ships combined.

In Uganda, nearly 2,700 hectares of degraded land has been identified by WWF and an Earth Hour initiative created to reforest it with at least 500,000 indigenous trees. The first tree, which the Earth Hour community named "Hope," will be planted on Saturday March 23 to celebrate Earth Hour.

"We cannot afford to ignore this critical environmental threat we are facing today. So, we are calling upon every individual, business, government agency, friends and family members to join us in planting this new landmark for Uganda's environment," said David Duli, WWF-Uganda Country Director. Read more at http://www.earthhour.org/uganda2013. Watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOsliz14ymA

In Russia, an Earth Hour initiative has met a goal of gathering 100,000 petition signatures from Russian citizens calling for amendments to current forest legislation. This could mean a return to stronger protection of Russian forest an area twice the size of France, and 18% of Russia's forests protected. More information at: http://www.earthhour.org/russiaforest

In Botswana, former president Festus Mogae has promised to raise awareness on climate change and plant one million indigenous trees over the next four years, as part of his "I Will If You Will" Earth Hour 2013 challenge. His One Million Trees – Plant for Life campaign urges others in his country to be good stewards of the environment by protecting the country's biodiversity against degradation and deforestation and has already inspired private companies and government institutions.

In Madagascar, 100 schools around the capital city of Antananarivo have made an Earth Hour commitment to plant 10,000 trees. More than 1,000 subsidized wood-saving cooking stoves will also be distributed to help curb deforestation.

Earth Hour 2013 tree planting programs are also taking place in Kazakhstan, Indonesia and elsewhere.

"It is exciting to see so many people around the world choosing to help conserve forests as part of their Earth Hour 2013 actions," said Bruce Cabarle, leader of WWF's Forest and Climate Initiative. "These actions raise awareness for the value of our Earth's forests for people and nature, and will help us reach our goal of zero net deforestation and forest degradation – to help fight climate change and protect forests as a natural resource for those that depend on them."

For more information about WWF's global REDD+ work, visit: www.panda.org/forestclimate. Connect with us via Twitter at www.twitter.com/wfforestcarbon and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/wwfforestclimate.

To learn more about Earth Hour, visit: www.earthhour.org.

Life-sustaining value of Earth's forests highlighted on International Day of Forests

2013-03-21

Washington, D.C. – 21 March 2013 – The world pauses today, International Day of Forests, to recognize the life-sustaining value of Earth's threatened forests. The livelihoods of more than 1.6 billion people around the globe directly depend on forests – as does the endurance of Earth itself. WWF's global Forest and Climate Initiative is joining in today's celebration working, as it does every day of the year, to conserve and value forests for the benefit of people and nature.

Forests cover one-third of Earth and breathe life into our world – literally. Over 40 percent of the world's oxygen is produced by tropical forests, while forests contribute to the critical balance of oxygen, carbon dioxide and humidity in the air. But with more than 1.6 billion people – often the world's most impoverished – directly dependent on forests as a natural resource providing fuel wood, lumber for housing and nourishment, forests are under threat like never before.

Rates of deforestation remain alarmingly high. An astonishing 5.2 million hectares of forests are lost each year to deforestation and forest degradation – the equivalent of a football pitch/soccer field every second. The impact is two-fold – this important resource vanishes and harmful carbon gases are released into the atmosphere. Deforestation and forest degradation account for up to 20% of the world's carbon gas emissions, more than the global transport industry – all the automobiles, trucks, trains, airplanes, ships in the world.

For these reasons, WWF's global Forest and Climate Initiative is working on the ground in key tropical forest countries and at the global policy level to conserve forests and to harness their value for people's livelihoods, development, biodiversity and the climate.

"Forests are life-sustaining to people and our planet," said Bruce Cabarle, leader of WWF's Forest and Climate Intiative. "They are an important natural resource for the millions of people that depend on them, and help to keep our fragile Earth in balance. Today, International Day of Forests, it is important to recognize this and for the global community to reaffirm its commitment to conserving forests."

Key forest facts¹ :

Forests and biodiversity

•Forests are home to over 80% of terrestrial biodiversity.

•In the Amazon basin alone, more than 1,300 species of forest plants are used for medicinal or cultural purposes.

•12% of the world's forests are designated for the conservation of biological diversity (FRA 2010).

•Deforestation of closed tropical rainforests could account for the loss of as many as 100 species a day.

Forests and air

•Over 40 percent of the world's oxygen is produced from rainforests.

•Forests contribute to the balance of oxygen, carbon dioxide and humidity in the air.

Forests are a key part of the climate change solution

•The carbon in forests exceeds the amount of carbon currently in the atmosphere. FRA 2010 estimates that the world's forests store 289 gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon in their biomass alone.

•Up to 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions are a result of deforestation and forest degradation.²

•Forests offer the quickest, most cost-effective and largest means of curbing global emissions. It would save the world approximately $3.7 trillion between 2010 and 2200 if we halve greenhouse gas emissions (The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, 2006).

Forests are our livelihoods

•1.6 billion people around the world depend on forests for their livelihoods and daily subsistence needs.

•The global gross value-added in the forestry sector is US$ 468 billion.

•The global trade in primary wood products is US$ 235 billion.

•Tropical forests provide pollination services to agriculture valued at US$12 billion per year.

•Given that more than 1 billion hectares of degraded areas throughout the world are suitable for forest landscape restoration, community-based forest management could be woven into other existing rural economic activities.

To learn more about the value of forests, watch this International Day of Forests video from FAO: http://youtu.be/1_kYSjnCsqY

[1] U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) -- http://www.fao.org/forestry/81980/en/

[2] WWF -- http://www.panda.org/forestclimate

Cameroon to receive US$3.6 to prepare for REDD+

2013-03-16

Yaoundé, Cameroon – 16 March 2013 – The World Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) has approved Cameroon's REDD+ Readiness Preparation Proposal (R-PP), paving the way for the nation to harness the development and conservation benefits of REDD+. Cameroon will receive a grant of US$3.6 million from the FCPF to implement the R-PP. This is a major step forward in the establishment of Cameroon's REDD+ national strategic plan. The process of developing the R-PP also demonstrated effective national multi-stakeholder participation.

REDD+ is of major importance to Cameroon, as it is recognized as a tool to achieve the country's national development goals. Specifically, REDD+ is anticipated to help Cameroon achieve the sustainable development objective established by the government in the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper (GESP) for its 2035 vision.

"The approval of the R-PP is a milestone for Cameroon to move ahead in developing its national REDD+ strategy which will allow for fair, equitable and transparent payments that address deforestation, forest degradation and major causes for climate change globally. WWF congratulates the Cameroonian government in its endeavor to use REDD+ as a development tool that intends to primarily benefit the most vulnerable groups-local communities, indigenous people and women – while also conserving nature," said Dr. Hanson Njiforti, Country Director, WWF-Cameroon.

"Developing our R-PP has been a great learning process. The Government of Cameroon is extremely grateful to all the partners who contributed to the process. As we enter a new phase to build a national strategy that will guide the REDD+ process in Cameroon, the financial and technical support of international partners is needed more than ever before," said Dr. Wassouni Amadou, National REDD+ Coordinator for Cameroon.

Cameroon is a forest-rich country in west Central Africa, with about 42% of the total land area (20 million hectares) covered by forest, of which 75% is dense forest. Cameroon also has one of the highest rates of deforestation in Africa's Congo Basin. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the annual average deforestation rate in Cameroon is around 1%, equivalent to a loss of about 200,000 hectares per year.

WWF's global Forest and Climate Initiative is working in the Congo Basin to support the region in harnessing the development and conservation benefits of REDD+.

For more information about WWF's global REDD+ work, visit: www.panda.org/forestclimate.

For more information about the World Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, visit: bit.ly/FCPFnews.

Contact:

Kalame Fobissie

Regional Forest and Climate Coordinator

WWF – CARPO

BFobissie@wwfcarpo.org

Jennifer Ferguson-Mitchell

WWF Forest and Climate Initiative

Jennifer.ferguson-mitchell@wwf.panda.org

Learning Session 9: Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) and REDD+

2013-03-15

WWF Forest and Climate Initiative's online Learning Sessions are free and designed to leverage and share REDD+ knowledge and expertise. Every month, we invite a REDD+ expert to present a webinar on a key issue, so that REDD+ practitioners around the globe can have access to the latest information related to REDD+.

Please join us at our next online REDD+ Learning Session on Wednesday, March 27 at 10am EDT/1500 CET.

National and jurisdictional REDD+ strategies often include payments to land owners and local communities for reducing emissions. Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) has been in existence for the last 15 years and can provide many valuable lessons for REDD+, not only regarding the payment allocation, but also in terms of monitoring systems, institutional arrangements and contract options.

This webinar will start with a presentation by Pablo Gutman, Senior Director, Environmental Economics at WWF US, on PES, and the pros, cons and major issues of translating PES to REDD+. Josefina Braña, Policy Lead for WWF's Forest and Climate Initiative, will then share lessons learned from PES in Mexico that can be applied to REDD+.

A Q+A session will follow the presentation.

Agreement reached to proceed with largest forest carbon program in Congo Basin

2013-03-13

Kinshasa – 8 March 2013 – A diverse partnership of forest stakeholders has come together in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to submit a design for the largest ever carbon project in the Congo rainforests. In a three-day forum last week, forest stakeholders and government officials met to finalise DRC's Emissions Reductions Program Idea Note (ER-PIN). This highly participative process paves the way for DRC to harness important REDD+ conservation and financial opportunities, with the potential for up to US$60-70 million in REDD+ funds from the Carbon Fund of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF). The forum was organized under the authority of the Minister of Environment, Nature Conservation and Tourism (MECNT) with the support of the global conservation organization WWF and the National REDD+ Coordination agency (CN-REDD), and funding from the government of Norway's development agency Norad.

Forum participants included a wide cross section of REDD+ stakeholders including community, forest concession holders, cattle ranchers, UN implementing agencies, civil society, indigenous peoples, business leaders; representatives of local, national and international non-profit organizations; and local, provincial and national level government officials. The group released an official statement, the Kinshasa ER-PIN Communiqué, mapping out the commitment and steps necessary to submit DRC's ER-PIN to the Carbon Fund of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) in the first half of 2013.

Key participants made the following statements in support of the initiative:

DRC MECNT Minister Bavon N'sa Mputu Elima

"This experience will contribute to the improvement of socio-economic conditions of our people through economic alternative investments associated with REDD+."

Vice-Governor of Bandundu Province, Alexis Kiala

"The Provincial Government supports the forum's outputs...The province is working effectively to strengthen existing mechanisms to monitor exploitation of forest resources and to fight against deforestation and forest degradation, to increase forest carbon stocks and gradually build a province where our daughters and sons live in harmony with nature."

Bosulu Keddy, deputy secretary general of REPALEF, a network of indigenous and local communities for sustainable management of DRC's forest ecosystems

"Indigenous peoples NGOs represented by REPALEF support this initiative as a way to further strengthen the sustainable management of our forests while reinforcing our traditional rights to inhabited land and forest resources. This will also contribute to our communities' development through sectoral programs that are participatory and adapted to our local contexts; based on the concepts of payment for environmental services and benefit-sharing, and carried out in accordance with the approach of free, prior and informed consent."

Erick Kassongo, Groupe de Travail Climat REDD (GTCR)"Congolese civil society supports the finalization of the ER-PIN and endorses its conclusions, while maintaining that social safeguards be implemented at all stages of implementation, particularly with sectoral activities that enable the rights of local communities and indigenous peoples and benefit sharing activities. Civil society also hopes to be involved in all technical discussions and exchanges as related to finalizing the ER-PIN for submission to the FCPF."

Raymond Lumbuenamo, director of WWF-DRC, and Bruce Cabarle, leader of WWF's global Forest and Climate Initiative

"WWF shares DRC's vision that REDD+ has the opportunity to deliver transformational impacts that benefit people and nature. We have pledged to continue to provide technical and scientific support to our partners here in DRC to help them harness REDD+'s full potential."

Mike Korchinsky, CEO of Wildlife Works

"ERA and Wildlife Works were very pleased at the progress that was made in this workshop towards a jurisdictional REDD program, and we are enthusiastic about continuing to support the Ministry of Environment Conservation of Nature and Tourism in developing this incredibly important program for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We would like to thank CN-REDD, WWF and Norad for hosting the workshop."

Martin McLaughlin, Acting USAID-CARPE Director

"The diversity of participants and organizations including the Government of DRC, the private sector, local communities, research institutions, and NGOs at the workshop illustrates the range of partners that will be necessary to implement low emissions development in an economically and environmentally sustainable fashion. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE) has supported the development of a variety of tools that helped create the foundation for the Mai Ndombe project. For example, USAID/CARPE funded the Observatoire Satellital des Forest d'Afrique Central (OSFAC) to develop accessible information on forest cover change. Additionally, USAID/CARPE has supported WWF in the development of extensive village-based land use planning that was implemented by a diverse array of local and international partners and the identification of sensitive zones for globally significant biodiversity conservation within the Mai Ndombe project area. Ultimately, these efforts will benefit both local residents and the global community through actions that contribute to mitigating the risks of global warming."

Jostein Lindland, Counsellor - Forest and Climate Change, Embassy of Norway, Kinshasa

"The jurisdictional approach has huge potential for reducing deforestation and promoting development at the local and provincial levels in Bandundu. It is hoped that all the partners can work together to realize this potential."

During the three-day forum, participants agreed on key issues, including:

Program area: The area will encompass the future province of Mai Ndombe, including the current Districts of Plateau and Mai Ndombe, for a total of 12.5 million hectares of land, including approximately 9.2 million hectares of forest – and 3 million hectares of a mosaic of agricultural lands including savannah. This landscape includes the Kinshasa firewood deforestation frontlines, the world's largest Ramsar site, and critical habitat of the endangered bonobo – a great ape that only exists in DRC.

Program implementation: The project will be led by the Government of the DRC, as sole owner of the carbon, which may delegate the project management and coordination to one or more organizations for rapid implementation, in accordance with principles of transparency and good governance. Stakeholders will be integrated into the strategy and decision-making process. The project will take a jurisdictional approach – meaning that it will be developed using consistent baselines and crediting approaches at the level of the proposed province of Mai Ndombe, and thereby reducing the risk of displacement of the drivers of deforestation and degradation (known as "leakage"), double accounting between independent activities, and enabling the scaling up of REDD+ beyond that which is possible solely at the project level.

Reference Levels: The baseline will be developed for the program as a whole, using the political boundaries of the future province of Mai Ndombe.

Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV): Implemented in accordance with the FCPF, which calls for maintaining strong synergies with the national level. In principle, there should be consistent methods and information sharing. In the short-term to make the program quickly operational, these will be developed at the national level – to provide a framework for implementation of similar systems at the provincial and project levels with the direct participation of communities.

Payment for performance and benefit sharing: Payment for performance must be distributed to all stakeholders through an agreed upon mechanism, while the social and environmental impacts of the program will be monitored by a process that is accurate and in compliance with environmental and social safeguards.

Budget and Funding: Budget has to be consolidated according to the Carbon Fund/ FCPF requirements and stakeholders are requested to channel information at their disposal, relating to the cost of implementation of sectoral activities, in order to finalise the budget.

The full official forum statement, the Kinshasa ER-PIN Communiqué, is available at: http://bit.ly/ERPINcommunique

For more information on DRC's national REDD+ strategy, visit : http://www.mecnt.cd/

For more information on WWF's REDD+ conservation efforts, visit: www.panda.org/forestclimate

Contact:

Jose Booto, MECNT Communications

bootojose@yahoo.fr

Jolly Sassa-Kiuka, WWF-DRC Communications

jsassakiuka@wwfcarpo.org

Jennifer Ferguson-Mitchell, WWF Forest and Climate Initiative

Communications Director

Jennifer.ferguson-mitchell@wwf.panda.org

WWF promueve el desarrollo de iniciativas REDD+ a nivel nacional

2013-03-12

WWF Paraguay realizó la presentación de la iniciativa REDD+ "Protegiendo los Bosques para el beneficio del clima, las personas y la naturaleza en Paraguay con un enfoque multinivel". La presentación se dio lugar el miércoles 6 de marzo en el Salón Escenario del Gran Hotel del Paraguay de 09:00 a 16:00hs.

El objetivo del proyecto es apoyar el desarrollo de iniciativas para reducir la deforestación y las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero (REDD+) en Paraguay, junto con organizaciones de la sociedad civil, instituciones públicas y otros.

Estuvieron presentes representantes de la Secretaria del Ambiente, Instituto Forestal Nacional, la Federación para la Autodeterminación de los Pueblos Indígenas, las Naciones Unidas, la Carrera de Ingeniería Forestal, Organizaciones de la Sociedad Civil, y gremios de la producción.

En el mencionado evento se realizaron presentaciones que expusieron las experiencias tanto a nivel nacional como a nivel local para el desarrollo de estrategias REDD+. Finalmente se realizó un trabajo grupal con los asistentes para identificar las sinergias entre la iniciativa de WWF Paraguay y las iniciativas REDD+ que se implementan tanto a nivel nacional como a nivel local.

Para mayor información:

Ángel Parra - Gerente Senior Cambio Climático
Stefan Knapps - Asistente de Comunicación - (0971) 19 60 10
(021) 303 100 - aparra@wwf.org.py – sknapps@wwf.org.py

COMMUNIQUÉ DE KINSHASA EN CONCLUSION DE L'ATELIER DE FINALISATION DE L'ER-PIN

2013-03-11

Official statement from participants of the Kinshasa workshop to progress the Emissions Reductions Programme Idea Note (ER-PIN) of the Democratic Republic of Congo.