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Murthy, M. S. R.; Gilani, H.; Karky, B. S.; Sharma, E.; Sandker, M.; Koju, U. A.; Sandker, M.; Koju, U. A.; Khanal, S.; Poudel, M.
Background The reliable monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of carbon emissions and removals from the forest sector is an important part of the efforts on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+)
. Forest-dependent local communities are engaged to contribute to MRV through community-based monitoring systems. The efficiency of such monitoring systems could be improved through the rational integration of the studies at permanent plots with the geospatial technologies. This article presents a case study of integrating community-based measurements at permanent plots at the foothills of central Nepal and biomass maps that were developed using GeoEye-1 and IKONS satellite images. Results The use of very-high-resolution satellite-based tree cover parameters, including crown projected area (CPA), crown density and crown size classes improves salience, reliability and legitimacy of the community-based survey of 0.04% intensity at the lower cost than increasing intensity of the community-based survey to 0.14% level (2.5 USD/ha vs. 7.5 USD/ha). Conclusion The proposed REDD+ MRV complementary system is the first of its kind and demonstrates the enhancement of information content, accuracy of reporting and reduction in cost. It also allows assessment of the efficacy of community-based forest management and extension to national scale.
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We examine the role of subnational institutions in carbon sequestration and assess whether community forest user groups can meet both existing forest needs and international carbon demand
. By conducting a qualitative evaluation of a pilot program in Nepal that made carbon payments to forest user groups, we examine if community forestry institutions can be effective, efficient, and equitable in implementing Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD)+. Our evaluation relies on focus group discussions, meetings, and community and program documents of forestry user groups that participated in the REDD+ pilot and matched groups that did not. Compared to control groups, REDD+ user groups appear to be more effective in carbon sequestration, perhaps because of increased prevention of forest fires and grazing, nursery establishment, and other forest management. REDD+ user groups report a larger number of forest conservation, forest utilization, and community development activities relative to control groups. Participating communities bear transaction costs of US$4.5/hectare and implementation costs of US$2.5/hectare on average (or NPR 50,000 (US$600) per year). The mean REDD+ rent per ton of additional carbon sequestered was US$1.3. Targeting of benefits improves partly because some marginalized groups, particularly women, participate more in the planning and management. In terms of equity, microcredit and capacity development activities were skewed to the poorest households, whereas alternate fuel and carbon monitoring were more advantageous to middle or high income households. Overall, our analyses suggest that REDD+ activities can be successfully executed, if communities receive technical and capacity building support for institutional strengthening, in addition to carbon payments
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This study illustrates how a private sector- Plantec Coffee Estate (P) Ltd was able to successfully bring a positive change in restoring degraded landscape through private investment
. Before establishment of agroforestry (1994), the land use was dominated by cultivated (73.2%), barren land (17.1%) and shrub/bushes (6.3%). Now 81.2% of area is covered by forest, out of which 52% has closed canopy. The total carbon stock of an area was found to be 6795 tons (equivalent to 24,939 tCO2), which cost would be USD 124,693 at the rate of 5 USD per tCO2. This finding also highlighted the fact that agroforestry in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region is a suitable biological mitigation intervention that contributes to NDC targets and REDD+ objectives
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Banikoi, H.; Thapa, S.; Bhattarai, N.; Kandel, R. C.; Chaudhary, S.; Chaudhary, S.; Timalsina, N.; Windhorst, K.; Karky, B. S.; Adhikari, M. D.; Pokheral, C. P.
Finding solutions to human-wildlife conflict (HWC) is one of the complex challenges conservationists and local communities have to contend with for an enduring period
. Biodiversity is crucial for enriching the forests including the existing flora and fauna species residing in the forest, which is a key element of the GIZ/ICIMOD REDD+ Himalaya Initiative. The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) has been selected by the Government of Nepal for developing the REDD+ programme. This area harbours numerous wildlife corridors, and with the enhancement of habitats through REDD+ conservation activities, the wildlife population will increase. This will further exacerbate existing human-wildlife conflict. Therefore, to ensure and address such challenges, REDD+ mechanisms need to incorporate human-wildlife mitigation measures. The study employed various methods including mapping of the fences, observation, focus group discussions, and key informant and official interviews with conservationists in the CNP and NTNC-BCC to collect data. A total of 57 fences were visited and mapped in 54 community forests which are made up of buffer zone community forests and community forests under the district forest office
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Karki, S.; Pforte, B.; Karky, B. S.; Statz, J.; Dangi, R. B.; Khanal, D. R.; Chand, N. B.; Poudel, M.; Maraseni, T.; Cadman, T.; Lopez, F.; Delma, S.; Wangchuk, S.; Norbu, L.; Oo, T. N.; Rawat, V. R. S.; Singh, T. P.; Sharma, J. V.; Windhorst, K.
REDD+ Initiative has prepared a UNFCCC submission report “The Development of REDD+ Safeguards in the Hindu Kush Himalaya: Recent Experiences and Processes” to demonstrate that the participating HKH countries are committed to developing REDD+ safeguards
. This document illustrates the ongoing progress made on integrating safeguard in REDD+ programme in the HKH countries that are in their REDD readiness phase. This report synthesizes the overall progress of National Safeguard System, by analyzing gaps and common challenges to implement REDD+ safeguards in Bhutan, India, Myanmar and Nepal and recommends the way forward. This report, prepared through series of regional level South-South learning workshops in 2015 and 2016, is a testament of how the HKH countries are trying to comply with the UNFCCC guidelines by engaging in the development of National Safeguard System
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In 2010, forests accounted for 40 percent (5
.96 million ha) and other types of woodland made up 4 percent (0.65 million ha ) of the land area of Nepal (DFRS 2015c). Of the total forest area, 38 percent was in the mid-hills, 32 percent in the high mountains, 23 percent in the Siwaliks, and 7 percent in the Terai. The Terai comprises the plains of Nepal and the Siwaliks are a low range of hills between the Terai and the mid-hills. The Terai and the Siwaliks have witnessed steady deforestation with the gradual conversion of forest to agricultural land and the growth of infrastructure development. In the mid-hills and high mountains, however, forest cover has been increasing since 1995 (DFRS, 2014a, 2014b, 2015a, 2015b). The annual deforestation rate is 0.44 percent (1,648 ha/yr.) in the Terai and 0.18 percent (2,537 ha/yr.) in the Siwaliks. The average carbon stock in Nepal’s forests is 177 tC/ha, with the lowest amount (117 tC/ha) in the Siwaliks and the highest amount (272 tC/ha) in the mountains (DFRS, 2014a, 2015a, 2015c)
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REDD+, agroforestry systems have the potential to reduce deforestation and forest degradation directly and indirectly
. They supply timber and fuel wood that would otherwise be sourced from adjacent forests. In fact, agroforestry has been used in several protected area landscape buffer zones and in conservation programmes as a way of reducing pressure on forests. However, enabling market infrastructure, policies on tree rights and ownership and safeguards would be necessary for agroforestry to effectively contribute to the goals of REDD+
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This report is intended to explain timber value chain focusing on material flow, governance mechanism, the flow of revenues and value chain issues to be considered for REDD+ implementation in Nepal
. The results of the value chain analysis captured the value chain dynamics of Sal (Shorea robusta) timber taking two major supply channels into consideration; subsidized local market and open market channel, which are found to be functioning in timber market
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Forests store about 80% of all aboveground and 40% of all belowground terrestrial organic carbon, making forest ecosystems crucial to maintaining the global carbon balance and mitigating climate change (IPCC 2001)
. Forest carbon sequestration is a measure that can be taken up to mitigate climate change. But the amount of carbon stored in forests differs according to spatial and temporal factors such as forest type, size, age, stand structure, associated vegetation, and ecological zonation, among other things. Forest management and associated silviculture treatments are key determinants of forest carbon dynamics. Vegetation, along with associated soil types, are viable sinks and are making significant contributions to sequestering atmospheric carbon, thus mitigating the impacts of climate change. To quantify the amount of carbon sequestered in a forest ecosystem, temporal stocks of carbon within various forest strata need to be assessed. This study presents the results of carbon assessment of protected forests at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) Knowledge Park at Godavari. In addition to updating the baseline carbon stock measured in 2012, this 2014 carbon stock assessment provided hands-on training to local resource persons. This will be helpful in the future when additional data has to be collected and for showcasing carbon monitoring techniques and sequestration rates to visitors to the Knowledge Park
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Paying communities to preserve and manage their local forest resources using the internationally recognized REDD+ approach can be a practical and effective way to combat climate change
. A ‘before-and-after’ and ‘with-and-without’ evaluation of a pilot program in Nepal indicates that REDD+ can contribute to carbon sequestration and improve forest management without hurting local livelihoods. Thus, policy makers should begin the process of scaling up REDD+ with a strong emphasis on supporting communities to shift to bio-gas as an alternative to fuelwood
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