TZ-REDD+ NEWSLETTER

TZ-REDD Newsletter                                                                       January, 2013
Issue 9
Go here to view the newsletter online or click here to download the entire newsletter as a pdf.

I. National REDDyness
NRTF Finalizes National REDD+ Strategy and Action Plan
The Tanzania National REDD+ Task Force (NRTF) has completed preparation of the National REDD+ Strategy (‘the Strategy’) and its Action Plan. The executive summary of the final version is available here, with the full documents forthcoming. Read more
CSOs piloting REDD+ comment on the 2nd draft (June 2012) National REDD+ Strategy

The NRTF released a second draft of the National REDD+ Strategy and an accompanying draft Action Plan in June 2012, and comments were accepted through the end of August 2012, as reported in our last newsletter. Read more

National REDD+ Task Force Leading Process to Establish National REDD+ Safeguards

Tanzania’s National REDD+ safeguards are set to be established by 30th July 2013. The government will spearhead the process, led by the National REDD+ Task Force (NRTF). A consultant has been selected to facilitate the NRTF in undertaking activities to put these REDD+ safeguard in place. Read more

Tanzania REDD+ Capacity Needs Assessment and Costs Study Released by GoT, UN-REDD Tanzania Programme and Partners

The Government of Tanzania, through the UN-REDD National Programme and in cooperation with UNDP, recently conducted a Capacity Needs Assessment (CNA) of government institutions for REDD+ at central, regional, district and local levels in Tanzania. Read more

Study on Costs of REDD+ in Tanzania

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT) and UNDP, through the UN-REDD National Programme, commissioned a study to get an answer to the question of what REDD+ costs in Tanzania. Read more 

Pilot Projects Share Experiences and Lessons on Equitable Benefit Sharing

A key component of getting REDD+ ready is understanding and establishing equitable and effective benefit sharing mechanisms. A recent joint report and related briefing on Equitable Benefit Sharing: Exploring Experiences and Lessons for REDD+ in Tanzania (here and here) explore the benefit sharing mechanisms that are being developed and tested within the national REDD+ pilot projects. Read more

II. Updates from the Field

Mid-Term Review of REDD+ Pilot Projects

Last year a mid-term review was carried out to assess the nine NGOs implementing REDD+ pilot projects in Tanzania. The main objectives of the review were to determine if the projects are meeting their targets and to provide recommendations for areas of improvement to help the projects achieve their deliverables. Read more

AWF

Project: Advancing REDD in the Kondoa Irangi Hills Forests (ARKFor)

Implementing organization: African Wildlife Foundation (AWF)

Submitted by Godlisten Matilya

To further establishment of project reference emission levels and compilation of the Project Document (PD) under the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS), AWF initiated project validation in July 2012. A leading certification organization, Scientific Certification Systems (SCS), was engaged to lead the project validation process using VM0006 Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) methodology. Read more

MCDI

Project: Combining REDD, PFM and FSC certification in South-Eastern Tanzania

Implementing organization: Mpingo Conservation and Development Initiative (MCDI)

Submitted by Glory Massao

(Updates also included in pilot projects lessons summary launched by NRTF at COP18)

Recent project achievements: MCDI has signed new REDD agreements with 3 of the 6 participating villages. The project is re-measuring stem mortality in the previously established permanent sample plots, as well as designing a method for monitoring large stem mortality. Read more

TFCG and MJUMITA

Project: Making REDD Work for Communities and Forest Conservation in Tanzania

Implementing organizations: Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG) and MJUMITA (Community Forest Conservation Network of Tanzania)

Submitted by TFCG/MJUMITA

The project has demonstrated a community-oriented REDD payment model that has brought benefits to communities in terms of direct payments; investment in community development projects; and more effective and sustainable management of the forests and other natural resources that underpin rural livelihoods in 17 villages. Read more

III. Highlights from COP18 at Doha! 

Progress on REDD at CoP18

A team of Tanzania civil society representatives followed all 14 days of the UNFCCC climate change conference in Doha. Despite the short-term uncertainty about REDD+, including as we emerge with little substantive progress from COP, we can identify some key issues for the long-term future of REDD+ based on the outcomes from Doha and on experience with piloting REDD+ in Tanzania. Read more

Government of Tanzania and REDD+ Pilot Projects Share their Experience at COP18

The Government of Tanzania, a Party to the UNFCCC, and national stakeholders including the CSOs facilitating REDD+ pilot projects shared their work and experiences with the international community at COP18. Read more

Documents and policy briefs from the Government of Tanzania showcased at COP18

The Government of Tanzania, particularly the NRTF working with its Secretariat, released several publications in November 2012 to showcase at COP18 (all available here). This included the Executive Summary of the final Tanzania National REDD+ Strategy. Read more

Pilot projects endorse Key Messages for COP18

The eight CSOs currently facilitating implementation of REDD+ pilot projects in Tanzania endorsed key messages for the consideration of Parties at COP 18. Read more

Pilot projects highlight their joint work and related lessons learned

The national Tanzania REDD+ pilot projects cover different regions, and have diverse aims and approaches. Nonetheless, the pilots have been working collaboratively on a number of fronts, to exchange lessons learned across projects, and to advance learning, action and appropriate REDD+ policy in Tanzania and internationally. Read more

Government of Tanzania shares experience on REDD+ readiness

The United Republic of Tanzania, with the Clinton Climate Initiative, hosted a side event on REDD+ Readiness: Lessons Learnt and Way Forward on Saturday 1 December. Read more

IIED, TNRF and GBM look at global and local lessons on making REDD+ pro-poor

On Monday 5 December, TNRF co-hosted a side event with the International Institute of Environment and Development (IIED) and the Green Belt Movement (GBM) entitled, “What’s needed to make REDD+ pro-poor? A local and Global perspective.” The event, attended by over 60 participants at COP 18, was aimed at sharing lessons and exploring a variety of options on how to make REDD+ pro-poor. Read more

Some Other REDD+ Relevant Side Events

On 29 November IIED held a workshop entitled, ‘What does it take to achieve pro-poor REDD+?’

On 28 November, CIFOR and GOFC-GOLD co-hosted a side event entitled, “REDD+ stepwise progress in national forest monitoring, MRV, reference levels and assessing drivers”.

Read more

IV. Resources

PARTICIPATORY FOREST CARBON ASSESSMENT AND REDD+

Participatory Forest Carbon Assessment and REDD+: Learning from Tanzania

Abstract

Research initiatives and practical experiences have demonstrated that forest-related data collected by local communities can play an essential role in the development of national REDD+ programs and its' measurement, reporting, verification (MRV) systems. In Tanzania, the national REDD+ Strategy aims to reward local communities participating in forest management under Participatory Forest Management (PFM). Accessing carbon finances requires among other things, accurate measurements of carbon stock changes through conventional forest inventories, something which is rarely done in PFM forests due to its high cost and limited resources. The main objective of this paper is to discuss experiences of Participatory Forest Carbon Assessment (PFCA) in Tanzania. The study revealed that villagers who participated in PFCA were able to perform most steps for carbon assessment in the field. A key challenge in future is how to finance PFCA and ensure the technical capacity at local level.

Read more at: http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijfr/2012/126454/

REDD+: HIMA Project: Conserving Zanzibar’s Natural Forests

Conserving Zanzibar’s Natural Forests

The forests of Unguja and Pemba Islands in the Zanzibar archipelago lie less than 40 kilometers from the Tanzanian mainland and form an important part of the East Africa Coastal Forests Eco-region. The area is considered one of the world’s top 200 “hotspots” for biodiversity. Today, natural forests are mostly found on rocky land or areas left behind during the establishment of coconut and clove plantations. Despite their global biodiversity and climate-regulating values, these forests are rapidly disappearing due to local people’s dependence on forest goods (especially wood for fuel) and an absence of ready alternatives to logging or clearing land for

agricultural fields and infrastructure. This pressure is exacerbated by insecure land tenure and forest rights, which reduce people’s motivation for sustainable use. For these island forests to survive, incentives for sustainable forest management and mechanisms for their fair and effective governance must be quickly put in place. This is the purpose of Hifadhi ya Misitu ya Asili (Conservation of Natural Forests), or HIMA. The four-year (2010-2013) project, which is supported by the Governments of Zanzibar and Norway will explore how carbon finance can be used to tackle the underlying causes of deforestation and create an enabling environment for the sustainable management of forest goods and  services.

Read more: http://www.theredddesk.org/sites/default/files/care_hima_2011.pdf

REDD+ and Equitable Benefit Sharing

Report Explores Experiences and Lessons for Equitable Benefit Sharing and REDD+ in Tanzania

Posted December 3rd, 2012 by Web Master

• TNRF-related

A new report entitled, "Equitable Benefit Sharing: Exploring Experiences and Lessons for REDD+ in Tanzania" has just been published.  The report and an accompanying information summary were developed in collaboration with the nine NGOs that are implementing REDD+ pilot projects in Tanzania. 

The purpose of the report is to facilitate documentation of emerging examples and lessons on benefit sharing from REDD+ pilot projects; enhance Tanzanian stakeholders' understanding of equitable REDD+ benefit sharing; and identify practical benefit sharing options for the consideration of REDD+ implementers in Tanzania.

"Equitable benefit sharing is imperative if REDD+ is to result in sustainable emissions reductions, realize substantial benefits for forest communities, and avoid making vulnerable people worse off," the report states. "Benefit sharing is, in other words, an ethical obligation that helps make REDD+ effective, equitable, sustainable, and accepted."

The key messages, highlighted in the information brief, are as follows:

• If effectively implemented, equitable benefit sharing can help ensure REDD+ reduces emissions, realizessubstantial benefits for forest communities and does not make vulnerable people worse off.
• REDD+ financial incentives and other benefits will need to be shared among many actors at multiple levels, but substantial benefits should go to forest communities.
• Establishing effective and equitable benefit sharing is challenging; therefore, mechanisms should be designed, implemented and monitored in accordance with social and environmental safeguards.
• Lessons learned from REDD+ projects and other community based natural resource management initiatives should help inform benefit sharing mechanisms, so that they are equitable, realistic and effective.

The Tanzania Natural Resource Forum facilitated the production of the report and information brief, and participating institutions include, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), CARE Tanzania, Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), Mpingo Conservation and DevelopmentInitiative (MCDI), Tanzania Community Forest Network (MJUMITA), Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG), Tanzania Traditional Energy Development Organization (TaTEDO), Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania (WCST).

The report will be shared at a side event today at the UNFCCC COP 18 in Doha, Qatar.

The report can be accessed at: http://www.tnrf.org/files/ERBS_report.pdf

The information brief can be accessed at: http://www.tnrf.org/files/ERBS_brief.pdf

Tanzania REDD+ Initiative

This is the National REDD+ blog, it was established by the National REDD+ Task Force. It is maintained to support processes of establishing and implementing REDD+ programs in Tanzania. It also transmits official documents, reports and announcements, and assists on raising awareness on REDD+ to relevant stakeholders and the public at large.

The blog targets a wider audience including government officials who have policy or technical responsibilities related to REDD+ Initiatives in the country. Furthermore, Members of non-governmental organizations, international organizations, researchers, academicians, journalists and the public will find this website an important source of information with regard to development of REDD+ Initiative in Tanzania.

What are the costs of REDD+ in Tanzania?

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT) and UNDP, through the UN-REDD National Programme, commissioned a study to get an answer to this question. The final report has now been completed and will be released during the 14^th session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), which will be held in Arusha, Tanzania, from 7 – 14 September.

The study distinguishes four different kinds of costs that REDD+ projects incur: opportunity costs, implementation costs, transaction costs and institutional costs.

Forest economists and other experts from two firms, LTS International and Germany-based UNIQUE forestry and land use, worked closely with several of the REDD+ pilot projects in Tanzania as well as representatives from government and academia and other stakeholders in the REDD+ process to establish the above costs at the project level. Results show that all cost elements have wide variations depending on the location of a project, the surrounding land-uses and the general economic conditions. Project-specific opportunity costsrange from USD -7.8 to USD 28.8 per tonne of CO₂. Combined implementation, transaction and institutional costs range from USD 3.9 to USD 8.9 per ha and per year with the largest share, up to 95%, being consumed by implementation costs. 

Figure 1: Opportunity cost curve for three REDD+ pilot projects in Tanzania:

The project results emphasised the need for establishing project- and region-specific costs for the development of REDD+ projects in order to identify the most cost-efficient project locations. Results were presented, for example, in the form of REDD+ opportunity cost curves (see above). An opportunity cost curve provides a comparison of the opportunity costs of different types of land use change. Figure 1 presents this information from the three pilot projects used in this study, covering a total of around 328,000 hectares of woodland and forests in western, central and southern Tanzania over a ten-year period. The vertical axis represents the opportunity cost of the emissions reduction option (in monetary units per tonne of CO2 equivalent), while the horizontal axis shows the corresponding quantity of reduction (expressed in million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year). A wide bar indicates significant potential emission reductions, while a narrow bar indicates the opposite.

Opportunity cost curves allow project developers and governments to determine a carbon price that would be required to meet the opportunity cost of selected land uses in a project location and the total amount of emission reductions that could be obtained for each land use type.

The project also highlighted the need for REDD+ initiatives to be integrated with other sectoral investment plans such as in agriculture and energy to ensure harmonization of activities and to offset high implementation costs. In the long term, the study concluded, investments in REDD+ need to result in more sustainable land use systems that address the underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation.

The complete study as well as a Policy Brief is now available at the following location:

A scientific article based on the project findings was published in the journal Carbon Balance and Management and can be downloaded at the following link: http://www.cbmjournal.com/content/7/1/9/abstract

A further output of the project was a software tool that REDD+ project developers as well as any other interested stakeholder can use to monitor and control the cost of a REDD+ project. During the project, training was provided to REDD+ pilot project staff and other interested parties in the use and application of this tool. The tool can be downloaded at:http://reddtz.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=cat_view&gid=60&Itemid=99