Reducing Emissions from Deforestation

and Forest Degradation (REDD/ REDD+)-

Potential for Pakistan

Saadullah Ayaz
Climate Change Coordinator
IUCN- Pakistan
Email: saad.ayaz@iucn.org

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 Forests and Climate Change

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 Forests and Climate Change

Forests represent the most significant terrestrial carbon stock

They contain:

– 77% of all carbon stored in vegetation

– 39% of all carbon stored in soils
(Eliasch Review )

Forests sequester and store more carbon (per hectare) than any
other type of land cover

Accounted for 17.4% of global GHG emission in 2004,

Equivalent to 49 GtCO2 eqv./ yr.
(IPCC- FAR, 2007)

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 Forests in UNFCCC Negotiations

REDD-plus negotiations leading up to Copenhagen are widely regarded as one of

more positive developments

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 Concept of REDD/ REDD+

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 REDD

“Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation”

Attempts to recognize role of forests in climate change mitigation

– Forests are needed to achieve +2°C objective

– 15- 20% of the problem or 15- 20% of the solution?

Discussed in UNFCCC negotiations as part of ‘post 2012’ climate

regime

– Excluded from Clean Development Mechanism (KP- 2012)

– Allowed for Annex I countries and under Joint Implementation
– Not allowed EU Emissions Trading Scheme

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 Scope: Shift in thinking from
avoided deforestation to REDD+ (COP 15)
1. Reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation
Protecting existing forests from immediate and/or medium term threats
2. Conservation:
Protecting existing forests, especially primary forests, including those
that face no immediate threat from deforestation and degradation but
could in future
3. Sustainable management of forests:
Safeguarding, and as appropriate, expanding existing carbon stocks in
both community and industrial working forests against long-term
decline
4. Enhancement of forest carbon stocks:
Not only afforestation and reforestation but broader restoration of
Forests

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 REDD/ REDD+
Readiness Initiatives
REDD+ readiness relates to the efforts a country is undertaking,
with the support of multilateral or bilateral initiatives,
to build its capacity to be ready for a REDD+ mechanism

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 UN-REDD Programme

Collaborative initiative (UN, FAO, UNDP) UNEP), launched in September

2008. Aims to assist developing countries prepare and implement national
REDD+ strategies

The Programme currently supports REDD+ readiness activities in nine pilot

countries (Bolivia, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Indonesia, Panama,
Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, United Republic of Tanzania, Viet Nam and
Zambia)
13 others to be observers to its Policy Board, and has given them access to
many other benefits of the Programme (networking, participation in regional
workshops and knowledge sharing, facilitated by the Programme’s interactive
online workspace). They are; Argentina, Ecuador, Cambodia, Costa Rica,
Kenya, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Republic of Congo, Solomon
Islands, Sri Lanka, Sudan

UN-REDD Programme’s Policy Board has approved a total of US$42.6 million

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 Activities under
UN-REDD Programme

help develop analyses and guidelines on issues including; measurement,

reporting and verification (MRV) of carbon emissions and flows, ensuring
that forests continue to provide multiple benefits for livelihoods and the
environment, and supporting the engagement of Indigenous Peoples and
Civil Society at all stages of the design and implementation of REDD+
strategies

also seeks to build consensus and knowledge about REDD+, to ensure a

REDD+ mechanism is included in a post-2012 climate change agreement

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 Forest Carbon Partnership Facility

Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) (World Bank) assists developing

countries in their efforts to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest
degradation--called REDD+--by providing value to standing forests

builds the capacity of developing countries in tropical and subtropical regions

to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and to tap into
any future system of positive incentives for REDD+

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 REDD/ REDD+ and Pakistan

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 Forest Resources of Pakistan

1. Forest Cover (hectares): 1,902,000

2. Forest Cover (as % of total land area): 2.5

3. Other wooded land (hectares): 1,389,000

4. Total land area (hectares): 79,610,000

5. Deforestation (hectares)= 2700/ yr

(does not includes forest degradation)

Data for 1990-2005 (FAO)

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 Forest Trends in Pakistan

1990-2005 (FAO)

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 Potential for REDD in Pakistan
(avoided deforestation)

Forest+ Annual forest Above- Forest CO2/ Aggregate

wooded land cover ground ha CO2 Potential REDD earnings
change biomass emissions
(Forest+ (Forest+
wooded wooded from Assuming $3/ Assuming $3/
land) land) deforestation tCO2Assuming tCO2Assuming
(Forest+ $10/ $10/
tCO294.74315.8 tCO294.74315.8
wooded land)

3.291 m ha. 0.208 m ha. 381 Mt 734 t -31.58 Assuming Assuming

Mt CO2 $3/ tCO2 $10/ tCO2

$94.74 m $315.8 m

Assuming 100% reduction in deforestation, fully compensated, using FAO carbon

estimates for above ground biomass.

data used for year 2005 and derived from the ‘Forest Resources Assessment’ and
the State of the ‘World's Forests’ published by the U.N. Food and Agriculture
Organization

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 REDD+ for Pakistan? A Complex Cycle

Total Registered project with CDM- EB (UNFCCC)= 2399 (as of June 2010)

CDM- AR Registered Projects= 8

REDD/ REDD+ = None

Is Pakistan prepared to take up the challenge??

UN Criteria to support REDD initiatives:

• An expressed willingness to work with the UN-REDD Programme
• Existing collaboration between the country, the UN partners and other relevant actors in
related areas that will help ensure rapid progress
• Emission avoidance potential
• Degree of REDD readiness potential
• Regional, biome and socio-economic representation
• Coordination with international REDD initiatives
• Potential to provide leadership in sub-regional sharing of experience
• Ability to contribute experiences to UNFCCC negotiations and development of REDD
mechanisms

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 Risks associated with Carbon business

1. Natural/ climatic risks: (disease, growth lower than prediction drought,

floods, damaging winds, land slides etc.)

2. Anthropogenic factors: encroachment, poaching, fire

3. Political risks: policy changes, unstable governments

4. Economic risks: exchange rates, interest rates, lower than expected CER
prices, changes in opportunity cost of land

5. Risks associated with CER purchaser (willing to pay upfront?)

6. Future of Kyoto??

7. Crediting Period (5 years for forestry)

8. Investment in forestry (is it viable business??)

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

9. Management/ ownership issues (influence of black market/
feudalism)

10. Baseline data/ methodology development/ monitoring (huge

investments)- will it still be viable?

11. Leakages in carbon budget (if not forests, where shall we cater for
needs? Any alternates?)

12. Long- term involvement of stakes~ easy at it sounds?

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 Is it Practical for Pakistan?

Though the REDD policy has been finalized~ modalities and procedures yet
to be Clearfield

Not eligible for Kyoto first Commitment Period (2012)

REDD mechanism suitable for Pakistan….

- high rate of deforestation- an opportunity!
but can it be reduced…? If yes, how and how much??
- How much time we nee to be prepared??
- Is it cost effective??
- Is it socio- politically applicable? If yes, how??
- Administrative and technical capacities?

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 REDD/ REDD+ and IUCN

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 REDD+ and IUCN

REDD+ is important for IUCN

– Our mission: To influence, encourage and assist societies
throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature
and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and
ecologically sustainable
– Members’ decisions

IUCN’s work on REDD+

– Supporting the readiness phase – good forest governance
– Poverty – REDD+
– Forest Landscape Restoration – REDD+
– Advocacy and Technical Advice
– Ecosystem based Adaptation (EbA)

(http://www.iucn.org/what/tpas/climate)
IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE
 IUCN for REDD+ (Post COP 15)
IUCN’ Position Paper for 10th Session of AWG- LCA, May- June 2010, Bonn

IUCN urged Parties to reach an agreement on a REDD-plus mechanism

that recognizes that avoiding greenhouse gas emissions from
deforestation and forest degradation is a necessary component of
achieving deep cuts in all sources of anthropogenic emissions in order to
mitigate climate change

IUCN urged Parties to ensure that the full scope of REDD-plus is

respected and supported in the establishment of the mechanism, including
through the provision of financial resources and investment

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 Concluding….
REDD/ REDD-plus will only achieve results if it is able to be
adapted to the individual circumstances of countries

AND

if countries have the political will to adapt policies and

methods to meet the needs of REDD/ REDD-plus
implementation

The Forests Dialogue's initiative- IUCN CMS (2010)

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE
 IUCN- TV VIDEO:
“Nature-our trusted ally in climate change fight”
Duration 5 (mins), 18 (Secs.)

http://www.iucn.org/knowledge/multimedia/video/

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

 Thanks
:
For more information, please contact:

Saadullah Ayaz
Climate Change Coordinator
IUCN Pakistan

Tel: +92 (51) 2271028- 30

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE Email: saad.ayaz@iucn.org