Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy MCT for IFS Officers- Phase IV

REDD+: National and International Dimensions

Dehradun 18 June 2013Jagdish KishwanChief Advisor, Policy Wildlife Trust of India

Member, Government of India, Planning Commission Expert Group on Low Carbon Strategy for Inclusive Growth

Former Director General, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education

All actions in forest management in a country impact mitigation and adaptation capability of forests.

REDD+ is an internationally agreed comprehensive approach under UNFCCC that epitomizes recognition and incentivization of mitigation service from forests.

Therefore REDD+ has National and International linkages and relevance.

REDD+

Concept developed and agreed in UNFCCC to reduce forest emissions at global level

Methodologies for MRV and safeguards of UNFCCC to be complied by Parties

Technical and financial support Ensure environmental integrity

REDD+: International Dimensions

Voluntary implementation, national forest monitoring system to be in place

UNFCCC guidance for REL/RL, MRV and safeguards compulsory

Policy, institutions, capacity for MRV to be created

Timely submission of forest carbon stocks accounts

REDD+: National Dimensions

OBJECTIVE OF PRESENTATION–Understand CC impact on forests» Natural and plantations

–Understand CC impact on other sectors– Contribution of forest sector to climate change» Adaptation and mitigation

Adaptation contribution of forest sectorSelf impactsContribution in adaptation in other sectors

REDD+ in UNFCCCMitigation potential of forest sector

REDD+: National and International Dimensions

Natural Forests– Vegetation » Change in composition» Shift» More vulnerable• Fires• Insect damage• Invasive species

Climate Change: Impacts on Forests

Natural Forests– Wild animals» Change in behaviour (hibernation)» Availability of food plants due to

impact on vegetation resulting from• Shift, change, invasive species,

fires, insect damage

Climate Change: Impacts on Forests

Natural Forests– Wild animals» More vulnerable, because• Availability of natural food impacted• Water availability affected• Human-wildlife conflict increased• Habitat shrunk due to migration of

humans from climate impacted areas like coasts, riversides, etc

Climate Change: Impacts on Forests

Plantations– Productivity » Positive or negative

– More vulnerable» Insect damage» Diseases» Invasive species

Climate Change: Impacts on Forests

Agriculture» Cropping seasons affected» Reduced rice production» Reduced fruit production in

temperate areas

Fisheries» Populations affected» Species impacted

Climate Change: Impacts on Other Sectors

Health ..contd..

» More heat strokes» Increase in vector borne diseases like

malaria, chickengunya

Water» Change in flow» Flooding and drought» Scarcity for human consumption

Climate Change: Impacts on Other Sectors

Habitations ..contd..

» Submergence, flooding» Migration» Extreme heat waves» Epidemics» Faulty energy supply» Water scarcity for domestic use» Social unrest

Climate Change: Impacts on Other Sectors

MitigationAdaptation

(Difficult to separate)

Response of Forest Sector

Natural forests and plantations• Change in composition/vegetation shift– Aided natural regeneration, species mix– Conservation of genetic diversity - in-situ and

ex-situ– Sustainable management of forest– Use of energy efficient wood fuel stoves

• Increased fire and pest damage– Improved, more intense fire management,

thinning and sanitation

Adaptation Options in Forest

Wildlife• Vulnerability due to decreased food/water

availability, conflict with humans, shrinking habitats– Increase PA areas– Increase connectivity amongst PAs to

facilitate migration– Ex-situ conservation of gene pool

Adaptation Options in Forest

• Food supplement• Medicines• Wind break against storms• Reducing severity of floods• Regulating water supply• Providing shelter and construction material to

affected humans• Climate amelioration by cooling through evapo-

transpiration, production of cloud forming aerosols

Forest Adaptation: Other Sectors

• How to reduce emissions– directly – indirectly

Forest Mitigation

How to reduce emissions in Forestry Sector?

•Reduce emissions (save carbon)– Reducing deforestation and degradation rates (Exmp: REDD)• Identify drivers- agriculture, fuelwood/timber extraction, grazing

•Increase removals (add carbon)– Conservation, sustainable management of forests, increase in

forest cover/A&R (Exmp: CDM A/R, REDD+, GIM)

– Wood products management• Replacement of cement concrete with lumber in house construction

• Replacement of metal furniture with wooden furniture

• Cancun (COP 16)– 5 REDD+ activities defined and agreed– RELs/RLs agreed as benchmarks– 3 progressives phases of

implementation- preparatory, demonstration, results-based actions

– Financing options wide open, no movement further

COP Decisions REDD+

• Durban (COP 17)– Safeguards for rights of IPs/LCs and

conservation of natural forests agreed– Agreement on construction of RELs/RLs– National Forest Monitoring Systems and

MRV to be discussed and agreed by COP 18 (Doha)- not accomplished

– Agreement to work on financial options including public, private, market, non-market, fund-based mechanisms

COP Decisions REDD+

• Doha (COP 18) SBSTA– Sought submissions by 25 March 2013 on

following for decision in COP 19» Technical assessment of forest REL/RL

original or updated» Issues related to co-benefits resulting

from REDD+ implementation (NCB)» National forest monitoring systems and

MRV for multiple functions of forests supported by non-market mechanism

COP Decisions REDD+

• Doha (COP 18) SBSTA ……contd– To resume in next SBSTA discussions on

following for decision in COP 19» Timing and frequency of submission of

information under SIS» Further guidance to ensure transparency,

consistency, comprehensiveness and effectiveness of summary of information on how safeguards addressed and respected

» Issues relating to drivers of deforestation and forest degradation

COP Decisions REDD+

– Further progress on agenda items from Doha (COP 18)» Submission of information under SIS to be part

of national communications and follow same frequency

» Recognizes linkage of drivers of deforestation and forest degradation with local livelihoods (economic cost and implications for domestic resources); urges developing countries and private sector to address these

» Modalities for national forest monitoring systems agreed; to follow IPCC guidance

» MRV- no agreement

SBSTA 38, June 2013

• Doha (COP 18) LCA– COP President to appoint 2 cochairs to initiate work

programme on results-based finance in 2013 through 2 workshops

– Cochairs to report on workshops to COP 19 – Sought submissions by 25 March 2013 on following

for consideration in COP 19» Technical and financial support for REDD+

implementation» Joint session of SBSTA and SBI to recommend

body/board/committee for administering REDD+

COP Decisions REDD+ Finance

– 2 Cochairs appointed by COP President (Norway, Indonesia)

– 1 workshop out of 2 held 10 June in Bonn-» No discussion on sources of UNFCCC

finance» Developing countries asked to spell out

barriers and challenges for REDD+ implementation

» Possibility of bilateral, multilateral funding discussed

REDD+ Finance: SBSTA 38 June 2013

Options for India post SBSTA 38» Mobilize resources other than from

UNFCCC» External • Multilateral- WB, GEF, ADB, EU • Bilateral- JICA, USAID, GTZ, Norway• Project level- USAID, FCPF, UN-REDD

» Internal• Finance Commission Awards, ACA (PC)

REDD+ Finance

• REL relevant for countries committing to reduce emissions by reducing deforestation and forest degradation

• RL relevant to countries with control on deforestation and confident of increasing forest carbon

• Many argue possibility of a country giving numbers for both-REL and RL

REL/RL: Option for India

…..contd...

• India: checked deforestation, efforts on to improve quality and extent of forest and tree cover (NAP, GIM, Haryali, Watershed Programmes)

• Recording small but consistent improvement in forest and tree cover

• Forest carbon stocks increasing• RL suits Indian situation

REL/RL: Option for India

Way forward for India as follow-up of Cancun/Durban/Doha COP decisions•Develop National REDD strategy or action plan for REDD plus implementation•MoEF constituted 12 Member Expert Committee on 20 February 2013 to prepare Reference Document on REDD+ to guide implementation of REDD+ in country including all States and UTS•Prof Ravindranath, Dr Rekha Pai, Dr TP Singh, ICFRE, Mr. VRS Rawat, ICFRE, Dr Rajesh Kumar, FSI, Dr Ruchi Badola, WII, Prof Madhu Verma, IIFM, Dr JV Sharma, TERI, Dr Rajiv Pandey, HNB University, Dr A Duraisamy, MoEF, Mr. Subhash Chandra (Convener), Dr Jagdish Kishwan (Chair)

Progress: Preparation of REDD+ Reference Document•2 Meetings held•Chapters in RD

Introduction and OverviewNational REDD+ PolicyDefinitions, MRV, Capacity Building, ResearchCurrent Forest Management Regime and Gap AnalysisNational Forest Reference Level

REDD+ Governance including safeguards, roles and responsibilities, financial arrangements

•Document to be ready by 30 June 2013

Mitigation In Forest Sector

Forestry Mitigation Potential:

Possible Action in India(A few slides)

National Mission for a “Green India”GIM

Goals include afforestation of additional 10 million hectares of

degraded forest lands and expanding forest cover from 23% to

33% of India’s landmass

1995 : 6245 mt C (43%b) 2005 : 6622 mt C (43%b)

37.7 mt C=138 mt CO2e neutralized every year

Source: Kishwan, et al. 2009 (ICFRE Technical Paper)

Mitigation Service by India’s Forests

Forest Mitigation Options

Add forest carbon• Increase FTC• Create forest in FFVs• Improve forest cover

Save forest carbon• Use improved wood-burning cookstoves• HWPs to replace part building hardware made

of cement and metals• Part replacement of plastic and metal furniture

Add Forest Carbon

• Increase FTC – 1 mha every year (remote forests+nfl in 400,000 villages)

• Create forest in FFVs- 100 ha forest in each of 170,000 FFVs (forest+nfl)- 2 mha every year

• Improve forest cover- 1 mha of open forest to MDF and 1 mha MDF to VDF every year

Save Forest Carbon

• Improved wood-burning cookstoves- 11 m every year to cover 11 m families

• HWPs to replace part use of cement and metals- 1 m cub m every year

• Replacement of plastic and metal furniture- 50% replaced= 1.5 m cub m every year

Quantum of Mitigation

Expand and improve forest and tree cover= 32.3 mt CO2eq

Promote more efficient use of fuelwood, and gradual replacement of energy intensive metal and plastic products= 31.4 mt CO2eq

Total= 63.7 mt CO2eq every year (could be more)

Cost of Actions

Addition of FTC+forest in FFVs+ improvement in FC= Rs. 11,000 crores every year

Improved cookstoves+wood products as substitutes= Rs. 630 crores every year

Total= Rs. 11,630 crores every year

Value of Mitigation Service

2023 onwards

Rs. 12,102 crores every year

Resource Mobilization

Principle of ‘Emitter Pays’• Private sector= Rs. 8,350 crores• Government = Rs. 3,280 crores• REDD+ funds = ??

Impact on Emission Intensity

5.2 % Reduction 2023 onwards

Thanks for your attention