Tag: deforestation

Transparent monitoring in practice: A guide to effective monitoring in the land sector. Book I – Background for understanding transparent monitoring approaches

Land management plays a crucial role in addressing climate change, which makes transparent monitoring essential. Countries have considerable flexibility in setting targets, defining the scope of the land sector, and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from it. They are, however, required to do this in a manner that promotes transparency and provides sufficient accuracy, completeness, comparability, and consistency.

An unprecedent amount of data is currently generated globally. It is available for assessing how land use and land management change over time and what the implications for greenhouse gas emissions and removals are. This data richness can serve as a solid foundation for generating high-quality products and services for tracking carbon stock changes. However, this large amount of information is also leading to confusion, with competing definitions and misinterpretation.

The Transparent Monitoring project identified a set of criteria designed to overcome such challenges and strengthen the effectiveness of monitoring greenhouse gas emissions from the land sector. These criteria are introduced in this Book I. Transparent monitoring approaches refer to datasets, tools, and portals that support countries’ needs in the land sector, by providing complementary data to what is mandated by their own monitoring systems.

By taking advantage of transparent monitoring approaches, countries can increase their capacities for monitoring and reporting GHG emissions and removals from the land sector and advance in the implementation of the Paris Agreement’s Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF). Book II includes a collection of case studies demonstrating successful implementation of transparent monitoring approaches.

Recognising local knowledge and giving farmers a voice in the policy development debate

One of the aspects of poverty as currently defined is the lack of voice or the lack of empowerment and the feeling of not being able to take events into one’s own hands. This aspect of poverty is difficult to quantify as yet, but it is an important element in the debate on the rural poor, deforestation and natural resource management. In this lecture note we will introduce: •methods to collect and appraise farmers’ ecological knowledge in a formal manner and analyse the way this knowledge and value system complements the more formalised science we have discussed in other Lecture Notes; •methods to get the views of local communities on the options they have and the constraints they face more explicitly represented, and •ways to get the farmer’s ‘voice’ heard in dialogues with local and national policymakers.

REDD+, transformational change and the promise of performance-based payments: a qualitative comparative analysis

Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) has emerged as a promising climate change mitigation mechanism in developing countries. This article examines the national political context in 13 REDD+ countries in order to identify the enabling conditions for achieving progress with the implementation of countries’ REDD+ policies and measures. The analysis builds on a qualitative comparative analysis of various countries’ progress with REDD+ conducted in 12 REDD+ countries in 2012, which highlighted the importance of factors such as already initiated policy change, and the presence of coalitions calling for broader policy change. A follow-up survey in 2014 was considered timely because the REDD+ policy arena, at the international and country levels, is highly dynamic and undergoes constant evolution, which affects progress with REDD+ policy-making and implementation. Furthermore, we will now examine whether the ‘promise’ of performance-based funds has played a role in enabling the establishment of REDD+. The results show a set of enabling conditions and characteristics of the policy process under which REDD+ policies can be established. The study finds that the existence of broader policy change, and availability of performance-based funding in combination with strong national ownership of the REDD+ policy process, may help guide other countries seeking to formulate REDD+ policies that are likely to deliver efficient, effective and equitable outcomes.

Rehabilitation of degraded tropical forest ecosystems: workshop proceedings, 2-4 November 1999, Bogor, Indonesia

This conference proceedings contains 26 papers based on the activities of partner institutions that the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) has facilitated. There are 4 sections: (i) evaluation of forest harvesting and fire impacts on forest ecosystems; (ii) development of methods to rehabilitate logged-over forests and degraded forest lands; (iii) development of silvicultural techniques on degraded forest lands; and (iv) network of the rehabilitation of degraded forest ecosystems.

CIFOR’s Global Comparative Study on REDD+: Factsheets on research findings and goals

Deforestation and forest degradation account for around 10% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing these emissions through the conservation and restoration of forests is therefore critical for efforts to mitigate climate change. REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation plus enhancing forest carbon stocks) was introduced as a fresh, new approach to forest protection: it set out to create a system whereby forest users would receive financial incentives to conserve, restore and sustainably manage forest resources. REDD+ has evolved considerably since it was introduced, in response to how it is understood in different contexts and by different actors, the absence of a new international agreement on climate change, and the numerous technical, political and economic challenges that have arisen in its design and implementation. Many countries are getting involved in REDD+, even while international negotiations are ongoing. Governments are developing national REDD+ strategies and setting up institutions to coordinate activities and manage funding. At subnational levels (i.e., in provinces, districts and villages), organizations are running pilot or demonstration projects. In 2009, CIFOR and its partners launched the Global Comparative Study on REDD+, which looks at national and subnational REDD+ activities in 13 countries. The aim is to identify the challenges and enabling conditions for achieving REDD+ policies and projects whose outcomes are effective, efficient and equitable. The results are being used to guide policy makers, governments and project proponents in designing and implementing REDD+. Phase I of the Global Comparative Study on REDD+ ran from 2009 to 2013. The research generated a wealth of outputs, including peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, conference papers, guidelines, policy briefs, working papers and manuals. The main findings are synthesized in the book Analysing REDD+: Challenges and Choices. Phase II of the Global Comparative Study on REDD+ got underway in 2013. It builds on the findings from the first phase and comprises four research modules: REDD+ Policies, REDD+ Subnational Initiatives, Measuring Carbon Emissions, Mitigation-Adaptation Synergies, and Multilevel Governance, Carbon Management and Land-Use Decisions. A fifth module is focusing on knowledge sharing, a key component of the Global Comparative Study on REDD+.

Effects of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Tree Plantation on Indigenous Trees and Soil Properties in North Western Ethiopia

Widespread deforestation demanded proportional restoration initiative either through an active plantation of fast-growing tree species or passive restoration, which depend on natural regeneration of the land. This study aimed at characterizing the impacts of Eucalyptus plantation on woody plant species and selected soil physicochemical properties, the adjacent natural forest was considered as a reference. Data was collected by using plots established on transect lines inside the plantation and adjacent forests. Diversity indices were used for the analysis of vegetation data. Seventy-one woody plant species (33 Eucalyptus and 63 natural forests) were determined with a density of 404/ha in plantation and 635/ha in the natural forests. The basal area was 4.9 m2 /ha in plantation and 24.5 m2 /ha in natural. The regeneration status in the plantation was 699 seedlings and 344 saplings/ha while the natural forest had 1117 seedlings and 390 saplings/ha. Fourteen plant species were recovered from the soil seed bank, 12 in natural and 7 in plantation. Soil seed bank was not similar in the two forests with Sorenson’s similarity values of 0.208. There were 11,022 seeds/m2 in natural forest and 10,667 seeds/m2 in plantation forests in the soil seed bank. The soil carbon, nitrogen, and potassium were significantly higher in natural forests as compared to plantation. The Cation exchange capacity and soil available phosphorus were found to be statistically similar. The pH of plantation forest was significantly lower than the natural forest. Furthermore, fostering effect of Eucalyptus plantation on native woody species and increase the biodiversity in northwestern Ethiopia.

Native coffee agroforestry in the Western Ghats of India maintains higher carbon storage and tree diversity compared to exotic agroforestry

The ongoing introduction of the exotic Grevillea robusta tree species into agroforestry systems (AFS) of the Indian Western Ghats could become a threat to both climate change mitigation and tree diversity conservation.

Here, we quantified carbon (C) storage and shade tree diversity in native forests and coffee AFS under contrasted management (native versus exotic shade trees, Robusta versus Arabica systems) at 67 plots along a 3500 mm precipitation gradient in the Cauvery watershed, India.

Despite a substantial reduction of shade tree cover in native AFS compared to forest (from 90% to 32% in the high precipitation area), native AFS and forests displayed high and comparable C stocks (max. 228 MgC ha−1 and 234 MgC ha-1, respectively) and tree diversity (max. 44 and 45 species, respectively). Both variables were negatively impacted by the introduction of G. robusta, especially in Robusta coffee systems (max. 158 MgC ha−1, 12 species).

The current trend toward the introduction of G. robusta in coffee AFS of the study area (exotic agroforestry) negatively affects C storage and tree diversity, especially in Robusta coffee systems. Policy makers should take advantage of the carbon-tree diversity positive correlation found in the agroforestry landscape of the Wester

Resilient Landscapes is powered by CIFOR-ICRAF. Our mission is to connect private and public actors in co-beneficial landscapes; provide evidence-based business cases for nature-based solutions and green economy investments; leverage and de-risk performance-driven investments with combined financial, social and environmental returns.

Learn more about Resilient Landscapes Luxembourg

2026 All rights reserved    Privacy notice