Topic: forests

Putting the Pieces Together for Good Governance of REDD+: An Analysis of 32 REDD+ Country Readiness Proposals

Sarah Parsons — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:05:45 -0400

Executive Summary

Developing countries are receiving new financial and technical support to design and implement programs that reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degrada¬tion (referred to as REDD+). Reducing emissions from forest cover change requires transparent, accountable, inclusive, and coordinated systems and institutions to govern REDD+ programs. Two multilateral initiatives— the World Bank-administered Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and the United Nations Collaborative Pro¬gramme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in developing countries (UN-REDD Programme)—are supporting REDD+ countries to become “ready” for REDD+ by preparing initial strategy proposals, developing institutions to manage REDD+ programs, and building capacity to implement REDD+ activities.

This paper reviews 32 REDD+ readiness proposals sub¬mitted to these initiatives to understand overall trends in how eight elements of readiness (referred to in this paper as readiness needs) are being understood and prioritized globally. Specifically, we assess whether the readiness proposals (i) identify the eight readiness needs as relevant for REDD+, (ii) discuss challenges and options for addressing each need, and (iii) identify next steps to be implemented in relation to each need. Our analysis found that the readiness proposals make important commit¬ments to developing effective, equitable, and well-governed REDD+ programs. However, in many of the proposals these general statements have not yet been translated into clear next steps.

Key Findings:

Discussions of stakeholder participation, non-carbon monitoring, and cross-sectoral coordination are the strongest in terms of the number of readiness proposals that identify issues as relevant for REDD+, discuss key challenges and options, and propose clear next steps (e.g., studies, processes, institutional support costs).
Few REDD+ countries consider specific design op¬tions or challenges related to REDD+ benefit sharing, conflict resolution, or revenue management systems, although most include plans to address these issues as readiness activities move forward.
Relatively few readiness proposals identify specific next steps to address land tenure challenges or estab¬lish mechanisms to coordinate with local institutions during REDD+ planning and implementation.
Cross-cutting issues such as vertical coordination of REDD+ programs and coherence of proposed new REDD+ bodies with existing forest sector institutions have not been explicitly considered in most readiness proposals to date.

Delivering on the commitments made in the readiness proposals will be crucial to building stakeholder confidence and scaling up financial support for REDD+ programs. We make three recommendations that can help countries make short-term progress on REDD+ objectives and ultimately develop effective and equitable REDD+ programs:

REDD+ countries, donors, and civil society stakehold¬ers should consider gaps identified by our analysis and work to ensure that readiness activities promote comprehensive and integrated approaches to designing REDD+ strategies, systems, and institutions.
REDD+ countries should improve efforts to prioritize and sequence readiness activities to enhance transpar¬ency on how readiness financing is allocated to differ¬ent readiness needs.
REDD+ countries should develop transparent and ac¬countable domestic systems for tracking progress on readiness activities to ensure that readiness proposal commitments to well-governed REDD+ programs are carried out in practice.

Tuning In: Tracking Wood from Honduran Forests to U.S. Guitars

Sarah Parsons — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 13:30:14 -0500

Executive Summary

This study focuses on two supply chains for mahogany that originate in remote biodiversity-rich forests in Honduras. These supply chains were selected because they involve small forest community cooperatives that, compared with industrial operations, have a lower capacity to respond to market requirements for legal wood, including the U.S. Lacey Act.

The study describes two approaches used to minimize the risk of sourcing illegal wood. The first approach was to establish strong relationships with the suppliers and the second was to prefer certified wood. The main lessons from this study are:

The Lacey Act requirements had little or no impact on the way the buyers managed risk for these specific supply chains, because the buyers established supply chain control systems prior to 2008 to (a) secure a long-term supply of the product, and (b) implement corporate environmental/ social responsibility policies.
Supply-chain control systems, such as barcode tracking and chain-of-custody certification, are useful tools for enhancing assurances of legality. Long-term relationships with suppliers and commitments from buyers have been important for the successful implementation of these approaches, and critical to minimizing the risk of illegal wood.
Intermediaries and facilitators play a key role in building and strengthening the technical and administrative capacity of the cooperatives to harvest and process timber.
The community cooperatives in these supply chains face various challenges: inadequate law enforcement, competing land-use pressures, drug trafficking, and competition with illegal logging. Yet the sustained demand for high-value species such as mahogany provides a powerful incentive to maintain and strengthen forest community operations.
The supply-chain control approaches highlighted in this study work, in part, because of the high value of the end product, and, because of the financial assistance of external donors that have invested in building the technical capacity and social development of the community cooperatives. In-depth analysis to understand the financial viability of the operations without such support is needed.
Although the long-term financial sustainability of the community cooperatives is unclear, the perceived community and biodiversity benefits, along with the buyers’ interest in securing a long-term supply of legal wood, are strong incentives for all stakeholders to ensure their continued viability.

This issue brief is based on a review of relevant documents, visits to the field sites and processing facilities, and a series of interviews with stakeholders. A complementary video is available at the Forest Legality Alliance website.

Case Study: IKEA's Response to the Lacey Act--Due Care Systems for Composite Materials in China

Sarah Parsons — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 17:05:57 -0500

Executive Summary

This study focuses on IKEA and the company’s production of composite products (board materials such as particleboard, Medium Density Fiber Board (MDF), etc.) in China. The study describes the internal systems of IKEA and how they work to ensure that the material sourced can be shown to have been purchased with an adequate level of due care to help ensure legality. Specifically, the study looks at how composite products made up of a large percentage of waste material supplied by diverse small producers within a weak governance context can be imported into the USA while showing that a high level of due care was attained.

The study shows how IKEA is adapting its operations to meet the requirements of a challenging procurement situation and the company’s understanding of how they can show adequate levels of due care.

Four main lessons have been identified and are explored in this paper:

Lesson 1: The implementation of the Lacey Act means that responsible procurement is no longer voluntary but is now mandatory.
Lesson 2: Each company must understand the supplying country’s laws and associated risks so that it can define its own level of appropriate traceability.
Lesson 3: A risk assessment can help determine the level of traceability required to ensure confidence in any forest product supply and ensure that a reasonable level of due care can be shown.
Lesson 4: To be able to complete the declaration form, a company needs to understand its supply chain fully. Good information management is key, and a proactive approach to the management of the supply chains is required. It is no longer enough to just rely on trust: a company must now ask questions and back this up with on-the-ground audits.

Forest Atlas of the Democratic Republic of Congo/L’Atlas Forestier Interactif de la République Démocratique du Congo

Sarah Parsons — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 16:21:39 -0500

Interactive Map/Carte Interactive

Desktop Mapping Application/Application de Bureau

Coming Soon/À Venir

GIS Data/Données SIG

Download all spatial data in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Atlas (shapefile and raster format in zip archives).

Télécharger les données spatiales de l’Atlas de la République Démocratique du Congo (formats shapefiles et rasters dans les archives .zip)

Latest Version/Dernière Version

(Complete) (ZIP archive, 43.2 Mb)

Complete Atlases/Atlas Complets

Version 1 (ZIP archive, 1016.4 Mb)

Posters: Forest Land Allocation in Democratic Republic of Congo/Affection Forestière en République Démocratique du Congo

2011: French
2009: French
2008: French
2007: French

The Forest Atlas of the Democratic Republic of Congo is a living forest information system, which combines the use of remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and ground-truthing to monitor and sustainably manage forests. Through a combination of interactive mapping applications, posters, analytical reports, trainings, and outreach, the Atlas provides users with access to timely, accurate, and harmonized information about land-use allocation (forest concessions, protected areas, etc.) in the national forest estate through a user-friendly and publicly accessible format.

Through the Interactive Forest Atlas and capacity building of forest stakeholders in remote sensing, GIS, and forest information management, WRI and the Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Tourism (MECNT) are working together to improve the quality and availability of information in the forest sector to support transparent and participatory decision-making towards sustainable forest management in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

L’Atlas Forestier Interactif de la République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) est un système continu d’information forestière qui combine l’utilisation de la télédétection, les Systèmes d’Information Géographique (SIG) et les vérifications de terrain pour le suivi et la gestion durable des forêts. A travers ses produits constitués de cartes interactives, posters et rapports analytiques, l’Atlas donne aux utilisateurs l’accès à une information actualisée, précise et harmonisée sur l’allocation des terres (concessions forestières, aires protégées, etc.) dans le domaine forestier de l’Etat sous un format convivial et accessible au public.

A travers l’Atlas Forestier Interactif et le renforcement des capacités des acteurs du secteur forestier en télédétection, en Système d’Information Géographique (SIG) et en gestion de l’information forestière, WRI et le Ministère de l’Environnement, Conservation de la Nature et Tourisme (MECNT) travaillent de concert afin d’améliorer la qualité et la disponibilité de l’information dans le secteur forestier en appui à une prise de décision informée et participative pour une gestion durable des forêts en République Démocratique du Congo.

ADVISORY: WRI's Stories to Watch 2013

James Anderson — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 14:03:26 -0500

WRI will host its 10th annual Stories to Watch event on Tuesday, January 15, 2013, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Dr. Andrew Steer, WRI’s President & CEO, will present insights into the big environmental and international development trends and events that will affect people and the planet in 2013.

Topics will likely include: What will the Obama Administration do to address climate and energy? How will China’s new leadership advance its goal of “ecological progress”? What countries will emerge on the forefront of sustainability? And, how will financial constraints impact businesses seeking to shift to a more sustainable pathway?

A continental breakfast will be served.

WHAT
World Resources Institute’s Stories to Watch 2013

WHO
Dr. Andrew Steer, President & CEO, World Resources Institute.

Dr. Steer is a leading expert on economic development and environmental issues. He has three decades of experience working on international development and on the front lines in Asia and Africa, and at a senior level in international policy roles.

WHERE
National Press Club
Holeman Lounge
529 14th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20045

CALL-IN INFO
USA (Toll Free): (866) 803-2143
International (Toll): + 1 (210) 795-1098

Access code: “WRI”

WHEN
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
9:00 - 10:30 a.m. ET

Use #STW2013 on Twitter.

RSVP required to press@wri.org

Forest Atlas of Central African Republic/L’Atlas Forestier de la République Centrafricaine

Sarah Parsons — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 20:06:13 -0500

Interactive Map/Carte Interactive

Carte Interactive/Interactive Map

Desktop Mapping Application

Coming Soon

GIS Data

Download all spatial data in the Congo Atlas (shapefile and raster format in zip archives).

Latest Version

2009 (Complete) (ZIP archive, 840.1 Mb)

Complete Atlas

Version 1, 2009 (ZIP archive, 1032.7 Mb)

Posters: L’Affectation Forestiere en Republique Centrafricaine

2009: French
2008: French

The Forest Atlas of Central African Republic is a living forest information system, which combines the use of remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and ground-truthing to monitor and manage forests. Through a combination of interactive mapping applications, posters, analytical reports, trainings, and outreach, the Atlas provides users with access to timely, accurate, and harmonized information about land use allocation (forest concessions, protected areas, etc.) in the national forest estate through a user-friendly and publicly accessible format.

Through the Interactive Forest Atlas and capacity-building of forest stakeholders in remote sensing, GIS, and forest information management, WRI and the Ministry of Waters, Forests, Hunting and Fishing (MEFCP) are working together to improve the quality and availability of information in the forest sector to support transparent and participatory decision-making towards sustainable forest management in Central African Republic.

L’Atlas Forestier Interactif de la République Centrafricaine est un système continu d’information forestière qui combine l’utilisation de la télédétection, les Systèmes d’Information Géographique (SIG) et les vérifications de terrain pour le suivi et la gestion des forêts. A travers ses produits constitués de cartes interactives, de posters, de rapports analytiques, l’Atlas donne aux utilisateurs un accès à une information actualisée, précise et harmonisée sur l’allocation des terres (concessions forestières, aires protégées, etc.) dans le domaine forestier de l’Etat sous un format convivial et accessible au public.

A travers l’Atlas Forestier Interactif et le renforcement des capacités des acteurs du secteur forestier en télédétection, en Système d’Information Géographique (SIG) et en gestion de l’information forestière, WRI et le Ministère des Eaux, Forêts, Chasse et Pêche (MEFCP) travaillent de concert afin d’améliorer la qualité et la disponibilité de l’information dans le secteur forestier en appui à une prise de décision informée et participative pour une gestion durable des forêts en République Centrafricaine.

Atlas Forestier Interactif du Congo - Interactive Forest Atlas of Congo (Version 3.0)

Sarah Parsons — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 20:19:07 -0500

À Propos de cette Publication

L’Atlas forestier interactif du Congo est un système d’information forestière hébergé par le Ministère de l’Économie Forestière et du Développement Durable de la République du Congo (MEFDD) et géré par une équipe conjointe composée des représentants du World Resources Institute (WRI) et du MEFDD. Organisé autour d’une plateforme SIG (Système d’information géographique), l’Atlas facilite l’accès à une information objective et actualisée du secteur forestier congolais. L’un de ses principaux objectifs est de renforcer la gestion forestière et l’aménagement du territoire en rapprochant et regroupant les différentes catégories d’utilisation du sol sur une plateforme unique et standardisée. L’équipe conjointe MEFDD-WRI actualise la base de données de l’Atlas forestier au fur et à mesure que de nouvelles informations deviennent disponibles et les publie périodiquement sous formes de rapport, posters et application cartographique en version DVD et en ligne.

Le présent rapport fait partie intégrante de la troisième version (Atlas V3) de la série d’Atlas forestiers interactifs du Congo. Il fournit au lecteur des informations sur l’affectation des terres et les types d’occupation des sols dans le Domaine Forestier National au 31 décembre 2011. Il donne également un aperçu de l’évolution des forêts de production, ainsi que des données actualisées sur les aires protégées et les infrastructures forestières (routes et pistes d’exploitation). En fin, il met en évidence les zones de conflits d’usage potentiels émanant des chevauchements entre le domaine forestier (concessions forestières et aires protégées) et les zones d’exploitation minière, ainsi que les orientations et applications futures de l’Atlas.

About this Publication

The Interactive forest Atlas of Congo is a living forest information system hosted in the Ministry of Forest Economy and Sustainable Development of the Republic of Congo (MEFDD), and managed by a joint team including members from MEFDD and the World Resources Institute (WRI). Built on a geographic information system (GIS) platform, the Atlas provides unbiased and up-to-date information on the Congolese forest sector. One of its main objectives is to strengthen forest management and land use planning by bringing all major land use categories onto the same standardized platform. While the underlying forest Atlas database is kept up-to-date as new information becomes available, periodic publications of the data and database are made publicly available through the Atlas report, poster, and online and CD/DVD mapping applications.

This report is companion to the third version (Atlas V3) of a series of Interactive Forest Atlases of Congo. It provides the reader with the land use allocation and land cover types in the National Forest Estate as of December 31st, 2011. It also gives an overview of the evolution of production forests, as well as updated information about protected areas and forest infrastructure (logging roads). Finally, it highlights areas of potential conflicts from overlapping between the forest domain (forest concessions and protected areas) and mining concessions, and outlines future directions and applications of the Atlas.

RELEASE: Guide for Business Drives Better Decisions on Forest Products

James Anderson — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 23:06:40 -0500

The World Resources Institute (WRI) and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) today released the third edition of Sustainable Procurement of Wood and Paper-based Products to help businesses buy products from sustainably managed forests and improve forest management.

The full guide resource kit is available online here or at www.SustainableForestProducts.org.

With the third edition of the sustainable procurement guide, WRI and WBCSD continue to support better business decisions by providing information to help them understand the origin, legality, ecological and social dimensions of the wood and paper-based products they purchase and use. The new edition incorporates the most up-to-date developments on the legality of forest products and new technological developments to control wood and paper supply chains and increase their transparency. It includes an expanded chapter on the social implications of forest products.

The guide provides an overview of the 10 key issues underpinning procurement, including forest management; provides an overview of a selection of tools, initiatives and additional resources; and clarifies and explains the maze of terminology around sustainable forest products.

James Griffiths, Managing Director, Forest Solutions at the WBCSD said: “Every single business uses wood and paper-based products on a daily basis, be that paper for printing and packaging or wood in construction, or as office furniture. As demand for wood increases, and the competition for forest-based products intensifies, business needs to make better decisions on sourcing in order to support and incentivize sustainable forest- management. Our guide will help them do just that.”

Ruth Noguerón, Associate with the World Resources Institute, said, “Forests are important for the global environment, the economy, and the estimated 500 million people that depend on them for their livelihoods. We need to maintain forests for the future, and a key element of that is ensuring that forest products are sustainably produced. If we increase the demand for sustainable forest products, producers are encouraged to improve their management practices to meet that demand.”

José Luciano Penido, Chairman, Fibria and Co-Chair of the WBCSD Forest Solutions Group, said: “Decisions about the purchase and use of wood and paper-based products can have extensive and long-term consequences on ecological, social and economic values of forests and forest plantations. Being able to make informed choices is imperative for all businesses in building and retaining consumer confidence in their product offerings, including the use of paper packaging or timber components.”

Joseph Lawson, Global Director of Sustainable Forests and Forest Products for MWV said: “Since its first release in 2008, the guide has been used by a diverse group of stakeholders and together with them we have been revising and enhancing it on a regular basis. For this edition, the focus was on updating the content, including government procurement and legality verification developments and improving ease of navigation, design and format.”

Riikka Joukio, Senior Vice President, Sustainability and Corporate Affairs at Metsä Group and Co-Chair of the WBCSD Forest Solutions Group, said: “Sustainable forest management means managing our forest resources to meet society’s needs today, without interfering with our future generations’ needs. Forests need to be managed in a way that they retain their growth and vitality, ecological functions and biodiversity. The WBCSD and WRI guide cuts through any confusion about how all business can contribute to using sustainable forest products and maintaining this crucial natural resource.”

To access the guide Sustainable Procurement of Wood and Paper-based Products, please visit www.SustainableForestProducts.org.

For more information please contact:

James Anderson, Press Officer
World Resources Institute
Janderson@wri.org
t: +1 202-729-7608
m: +1 507-301-2385

Sustainable Procurement of Wood and Paper-Based Products: Version 3

Sarah Parsons — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 21:03:53 -0500

Find out more at http://www.SustainableForestProducts.org.

Version 3 of this guide incorporates the most up-to-date developments on the legality of forest products, new technological developments to control wood and paper supply chains and increase their transparency, and an expanded chapter on the social implications of forest products.

Decisions regarding the purchase and use of wood and paper-based products can have far-reaching, long-term impacts on the forests where they are harvested and the people and industries that depend on those forests for their livelihoods and raw materials.

This joint WRI/WBCSD publication provides information about 10 key issues procurement managers might address as they develop and implement their procurement policies:

Origin: Where do the products come from?
Information accuracy: Is information about the products credible?
Legality: Have the products been legally produced?
Sustainability: Have forests been sustainably managed?
Special forests: Have special forests been protected?
Climate change: Have climate issues been addressed?
Environmental protection: Have appropriate environmental controls been applied?
Recycled fiber: Has recycled fiber been used appropriately?
Other resources: Have other resources been used appropriately?
Local communities and indigenous peoples: Have the needs of local communities or indigenous peoples been addressed?

The guide also characterizes a selection of helpful tools and explains the maze of terminology around sustainable forest products.

Coming Soon: Global Forest Watch 2.0

James Anderson — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 08:03:32 -0500

Welcome to the home of Global Forest Watch 2.0, a powerful near real-time forest monitoring system that unites satellite technology, data sharing, and human networks around the world to fight deforestation.

GFW 2.0 is currently under development, and will launch in late 2013.

Read more below, and email gfw2@wri.org to participate in the pilot testing period or be notified when GFW 2.0 launches. Please note that as we prepare for the launch, the original Global Forest Watch website has been redirected to this page.

Watch a Short Preview of Global Forest Watch 2.0 at the UN Forum on Forests 10, in Istanbul.

Watch the full version here

Speakers:

Zulkifli Hasan, Minister of Forestry, Indonesia
Kerri-Ann Jones, Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General, United Nations
Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility
Tim Christophersen, Senior Program Officer, Forests and Climate Change, UNEP
Nigel Sizer, Director, Global Forests Initiative, World Resources Institute

Photo by David Gilbert

WHY FORESTS, WHY NOW?

Forests provide food jobs, raw materials, climate benefits and more. But without clear, up-to-date information, governments, companies and communities lack the tools to monitor and manage these resources.

We can track a company’s financial information daily, but information about forests is often years out of date.

Deforestation continues today in part because by the time satellite images are available, analyzed, and shared, the forest clearing is long done. The illegal loggers have moved on; cattle are already grazing amidst stumps; the oil palm plantation has been established. We simply find out too late.

New technologies can overcome these challenges

Fortunately, a convergence of technologies and human networks offers the ability to address these challenges for the first time:

Advances in satellite and remote sensing technology, including the launch of NASA’s Landsat 8 in early 2013, and new private systems, enable higher spatial resolution analysis and much more rapid updates of information. This has enabled the development of near-real-time forest cover change detection.
Brazilian partner IMAZON, is making its Amazon Alert System available through GFW 2.0, and also the DETER system which is innovating in detection of forest degradation. Brazil has seen a remarkable drop in deforestation in the Amazon of almost 80 percent partly due to improved linked to more effective use of satellite imagery.
Cloud computing and open source software can now be used to rapidly process and interpret large volumes of satellite data at low cost by utilizing clusters of servers scattered around the world. Google Earth Engine’s team is partnered with Global Forest Watch 2.0 to optimize easy access to cloud computing-based forest cover information.
High speed internet connectivity enables sending data and forest maps processed in North America, Europe, or Singapore to laptops and mobile phones in Jakarta, Kinshasa, Lima, Vladivostok, and other corners of the globe.
Smartphones are more common than ever and can be used by anyone in the field to download maps and satellite images, as well as upload GPS coordinates and photographs from the ground.
Crowdsourcing using simple web interfaces can empower thousands if not millions of people to gather and share information, participate in forest monitoring, and hold decision-makers accountable. • Social media outlets are creating a flat, networked world in which information travels fast, communities self-organize, and people get mobilized.

ABOUT GLOBAL FOREST WATCH 2.0

These enhanced technologies and social movements are the foundation for Global Forest Watch 2.0. GFW 2.0 will unite a near-real-time deforestation alert system, complementary satellite imagery and monitoring systems, WRI’s data-rich collection of maps, mobile technology, and a networked world to create never-before-possible transparency for faraway forests.

The platform is currently under development, and will be launched in late 2013.

This powerful new platform will enable responsible companies, NGOs, the media, and progressive government leaders to hold those responsible accountable for forest management.

GFW 2.0 can be useful to multiple groups of users involved with the sustainable management of forests:

Buyers of sustainable commodities. GFW 2.0 will enable buyers of sustainably sourced commodities―such as certified timber, palm oil, soya, and beef―to confirm adherence to or violations of supplier commitments to “no deforestation,” “no clearing of high conservation value forest,” and related criteria.
Suppliers of sustainable commodities. GFW 2.0 will help suppliers of sustainable commodities prove to buyers, investors, governments, and NGOs that their commodities are adhering to best forest management practices, national laws, criteria of the relevant commodity roundtables, or investor lending conditions.
Governments. GFW 2.0 is designed to help progressive elements in governments better enforce sustainable forest management and forest protection laws. GFW 2.0 is also designed to be a trusted, independent, and user-friendly way to help investors in REDD+ and other forest conservation projects monitor performance and hold countries accountable to their commitments on greenhouse gas emission reductions and forest conservation.
Conservation and community organizations. GFW 2.0 will enable NGOs dedicated to forest conservation, indigenous rights, and forest communities to identify deforestation hotspots as they arise and quickly mobilize action to curtail further clearing.
The media. GFW 2.0 will enable local, national, and international media to ring the alarm bell on deforestation hotspots around the globe at a pace never-before-possible, and thereby put pressure on governments, companies, and others to curtail forest conversion and illegal logging in time

Applying new technology

GFW 2.0 combines satellites, new algorithms, cloud computing, mobile phone technologies, and WRI databases to connect images, maps, photos, and data with forest clearing alerts ultimately within two weeks of significant deforestation occurring.

Because GFW 2.0 will be powered by Google Earth Engine and Earth Builder, it will bring to target users a seamless experience of the best technology offered by WRI, Google, and their partners, as Bloomberg does for the world’s vast, complex array of financial information.

Mobilizing human networks

GFW 2.0 will mobilize networks of people to ensure sustainable management of forests and greater forest conservation. Global Forest Watch “anchor” NGOs in each priority country or region, will actively use and contribute content in an open-source, network model.

These groups will include ScanEx and its non-profit affiliate Transparent World in Russia, Imazon in Brazil and their Amazon-wide network of partners across the seven neighboring countries, the Observatoire Satellital des Forêts d’Afrique Centrale (OSFAC) which covers the Central Africa region. More partners in Canada, China, Europe, and the United States are joining every day.

Watch a Sneak Peek of GFW 2.0 presented at Rio+20

Video streaming by Ustream

Speakers:

Carlos Souza Jr., Senior Researcher, IMAZON
Charles Barber, Forest Division Chief, Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science, U.S. Department of State
Rebecca Moore, Google
Nigel Sizer, Director, Global Forest Initiative, World Resources Institute

Watch UNEP’s press conference featuring GFW 2.0 at COP18 in Doha

Speakers:

Mr. Heru Prasetyo, Deputy I, Presidential Delivery Unit on Development Monitoring and Oversight, Government of Indonesia
Tim Christophersen, Senior Programme Officer, Forests and Climate Change, UNEP
Jane Feehan, Natural Resources Specialist, European Investment Bank
Nigel Sizer, Director, Global Forest Initiative, World Resources Institute

Watch a Sneak Peek of Global Forest Watch 2.0 at the U.S. Pavilion, COP18 in Doha

Video streaming by Ustream

Speakers:

Nigel Sizer, Director, Forests Initiative, World Resources Institute
Nirarta “Koni” Samadhi, Head of REDD+ Task Force Working Group on Moratorium Monitoring, Presidential Work Unit on Monitoring and Development Oversight (UKP4), Government of Indonesia
Per Fredrik Ilsaas Pharo, Director, International Climate and Forest Initiative, Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, Government of Norway
Tim Christophersen, Senior Program Officer, Forests and Climate Change, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Read more about WRI’s forest work here.

Safeguarding Forests and People: A Framework for Designing a National System to Implement REDD+ Safeguards

Sarah Parsons — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 13:41:12 -0500

Executive Summary

Background

Around the world, members of governments, civil society, and the private sector are grappling with how to design and implement initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions by slowing, halting, and reversing forest loss. These efforts have been spurred at least in part by the agreements onlong-term cooperative action (LCA) that Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have made since 2007 in Bali, Cancun, and Durban. In these agreements, Parties stated that reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks, and sustainable management of forests in developing countries should be recognized as mitigation actions. Parties also agreed that these actions should be at least partially supported by Annex 1 countries. This series of actions, and the related global mechanism for recognizing and supporting them, comprise the global initiative known as REDD+.

REDD+ has attracted significant attention from governments, the private sector, and civil society, with particular interest in its potential for increasing the resources available for protecting forest ecosystems and promoting sustainable development.

However, to contribute to the sustainable management of forests, REDD+ actions will need to be implemented effectively, equitably, and sustainably. In a 2010 UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) in Cancun, Parties recognized the importance of good governance to successful implementation of REDD+ actions. The Parties agreed on seven UNFCCC REDD+ safeguards, among them transparency, participation, protection of biodiversity, and protection of the rights of local people. If implemented correctly, the UNFCCC REDD+ safeguards can help ensure that REDD+ does not inadvertently harm communities and ecosystems by exacerbating existing inequalities.

The UNFCCC REDD+ safeguards provide broad guiding principles. It is now up to those designing, funding, and implementing REDD+ initiatives to determine how those principles should be put into practice. One option is to put in place a system at the national level. A national system to implement the UNFCCC REDD+ safeguards brings opportunities to strengthen the rules and institutions that currently govern forested lands. These opportunities, however, come with challenges and will require balancing of different costs and benefits. This report lays out a framework to help REDD+ countries develop a national system to implement the UNFCCC REDD+ safeguards. The framework presented here does not provide a ready-made solution, but it does provide a roadmap for navigating some of the choices that can arise during the design and implementation of national systems. The report also provides examples of how Brazil, Indonesia, and Mexico are progressing along this path.

A Framework for Designing a National System

The framework laid out in this report comprises four components: goals, functions, rules, and institutions. Safeguard goals define what the safeguards are meant to achieve. Safeguard functions are the processes by which those goals are achieved. A complete safeguard system supports each goal by:

anticipating potential risks and opportunities associated with national and/or subnational REDD+ actions, such as REDD+ strategies, activities, and projects;
planning to avoid harm and produce benefits to ecosystems and people by addressing social and environmental considerations in the design of REDD+ actions;
managing REDD+ actions by implementing safeguard plans and procedures that will help ensure desired social and environmental goals;
monitoring REDD+ processes and outcomes to demonstrate the achievement of goals, make course corrections, and deal with unanticipated impacts; and
responding to problems and grievances related to the social and/or environmental effects of REDD+ actions.

Safeguard rules and institutions ensure that safeguards are put into practice. A safeguard system’s rules outline the parameters of the system by defining what should or should not occur. In addition to ensuring that the parameters are designed in a transparent and participatory manner, the system’s institutions also ensure that they are thoroughly followed.

Creating a National REDD+ Safeguard System

If a REDD+ country chooses to develop a national system, the UNFCCC REDD+ safeguards provide an initial set of goals for that system. Governments, in collaboration with stakeholders, can add to these goals to meet national needs. They will then need to define how their established goals should be implemented. This task will necessitate defining the rules and institutions responsible for ensuring that all functions of the system are met, including everything from anticipating risks to responding if something needs to be changed.

Before putting in place new rules and institutions for a national system, a government should, together with stakeholders, (a) assess the degree to which existing rules and institutions already provide for the goals and functions of a REDD+ safeguard system and (b) assess risks to achieving safeguard goals given current gaps. After gaining an understanding of existing rules and institutions, a government and stakeholders can determine how to best fill those gaps. As part of any initial assessment, it may also be beneficial to consider the safeguard policies of potential funders in order to enhance coordination and coherence.

Many options are available to fill any gaps identified—in some cases, assessments may show that reforming existing rules, or empowering and strengthening existing institutions, may be the best solution. Alternately, new rules and institutions may need to be developed. Under that scenario, new national laws or policies could be created, new regulations put in place, or new procedures instituted by government agencies. Rules can be specific to REDD+ or apply more broadly. In terms of institutions, new government agencies or new positions within existing agencies could be created, or new responsibilities could be given to nongovernmental or private actors. Responsibility for implementing several of the functions of the safeguard system can be consolidated with one body, or spread out across multiple institutions.

Choices related to rules and institutions come with different sets of costs and benefits. For example, putting in place a new law may provide more long-term stability and greater buy-in from multiple sectors. However, new laws can take time to be approved or require a level of political support in the legislature that does not exist. Consolidating responsibility with one agency can help ensure effectiveness by reducing the need for coordination between agencies, but it may place too heavy a burden on one player and reduce the political buy-in often obtained by having multiple government agencies involved.

The right choice of rules and institutions for implementing the UNFCCC REDD+ safeguards will depend on a nation’s circumstances and may change over time. Evaluating options strategically in a transparent and participatory manner can help actors better utilize resources and plan for the future.

Conclusion

A national system for implementing the REDD+ safeguards can help ensure that all REDD+ activities within a country are covered by adequate safeguard policies. It can be more sensitive to unique national circumstances. It can help national governments coordinate REDD+ activities and their associated safeguard policies. While there will be many, sometimes difficult, decisions to be made by governments and stakeholders about how to design and implement a system that builds trust between all the actors involved in REDD+, the value of undertaking such a process will have benefits well beyond REDD+. This is perhaps the most important reason to invest the time and energy in designing a national system to implement the REDD+ safeguards. Many governments and stakeholders have already expressed the intent to go down this path, supporting them is the intent of this document and hopefully will lead to further enthusiasm and interest in exploring the options for developing national systems.

RELEASE: Two New Online Mapping Applications Launched to Support Sustainable Palm Oil in Indonesia

James Anderson — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 11:08:26 -0400

Forest Cover Analyzer and Suitability Mapper to be used by business and government to reduce deforestation

The World Resources Institute (WRI) is launching two powerful online mapping applications that offer unprecedented capabilities to support industry and government efforts to achieve more sustainable palm oil production in Indonesia. WRI developed these web tools in consultation with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and many of its members.

The Suitability Mapper empowers companies and government planners to use a standard, easily replicable method to find potential sites for sustainable palm oil production and plan field assessments for further investigation. The Forest Cover Analyzer provides a unique set of monitoring tools to help buyers, investors, and governments strengthen incentives for avoiding deforestation when developing new plantations.

“Palm oil holds tremendous opportunities for people and business in Indonesia—and should be produced in a way that avoids destruction of vibrant lands and forests,” said Andrew Steer, President of WRI. “These dynamic new online tools will enable companies to better identify the best places for palm oil production and assess deforestation and other factors that are critical for long-term sustainability of this industry.”

Palm oil is the world’s most traded vegetable oil and a major agricultural product of Indonesia, the world’s leading producer. Last year, Indonesia exported 23.5 million tons of crude palm oil, worth about US$19.7 billion. The rapid expansion of oil palm plantations has contributed in places to the loss of Indonesia’s biodiversity and carbon-rich natural forests. At the same time, Indonesia has become the world’s leading producer of RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil, which is produced according to a set of principles and criteria that include avoiding forest loss.

The RSPO was formed in 2004 with the objective of promoting the growth and use of sustainable palm oil products through credible global standards and engagement of stakeholders. The RSPO aims to transform markets to make sustainable palm oil the norm.

“Development of technology and tools such as WRI’s Suitability Mapper and the Forest Cover Analyzer enables RSPO members to practice sustainable oil palm production in a more credible way by identifying the land areas with the least impact to the environment,” said Darrel Webber, Secretary General of the RSPO.

“These two websites make it quick and easy to answer questions that we hear over and over again from industry and government officials” said Beth Gingold, POTICO Research Lead, WRI.

The Suitability Mapper helps users find potential sites for sustainable palm oil production, using a customizable map. The Forest Cover Analyzer allows users to view change in forest cover over time in areas of their choice, using up-to-date satellite data.

Both applications currently cover Kalimantan, the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, and will expand to other areas in the months to come.

The following are examples of data derived from the new applications:

There are more than 14 million hectares of potentially suitable land for sustainable palm oil in Kalimantan.
Kalimantan experienced more than 2 million hectares of forest cover loss from 2005 (the RSPO cut-off date for primary forest clearing) to 2010.
There are more than 33 million hectares of high conservation value forest and wetland in Kalimantan with high likelihood of containing high carbon stocks and levels of biodiversity.

The applications were developed in partnership with Sekala, Rainforest Alliance, SarVision, University of Maryland, South Dakota State University, and Puter Foundation. They were designed with Blue Raster and are powered by ESRI.

This project has received generous support from: The United Kingdom Climate Change Unit Indonesia, Johnson & Johnson Family of Consumer Companies, NewPage Corporation, Walmart, The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, and the International Finance Corporation - Biodiversity and Agricultural Commodities Program. (The International Finance Corporation is not responsible for the implementation or administration of this project).

Visit the website http://www.wri.org/project/potico for more information and to access the web tools.

Watch a video preview of the two tools here.

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Cameroon Forest Land Allocation 2009

Kevin Lustig — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:12:51 -0400

Cameroon Forest Land Allocation 2007

Kevin Lustig — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:10:23 -0400

Cameroon Forest Land Allocation 2006

Kevin Lustig — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:08:36 -0400