Benefits of forest ecosystems in Zambia and the role of REDD+ in a green economy transformationThis is the summary of a report launched in collaboration and consultation with the Government of the Republic of Zambia.

Key messages emerging from the study:

• ThemainobjectiveofthepresentstudywastoassesstheeconomicvalueofZambia’sforestecosystemser-vices.PreparationofthestudyformspartofarangeofactivitiesundertheUN-REDDNationalProgrammeof Zambia. The REDD+ financial mechanism is de-signed to rewarddevelopingcountries for theirver-ifiedreductionorremovalofforestcarbonemissionsmeasuredagainstaforestreference(emission) level

(FREL/FRL) that complieswith the safeguardsunderthe2010CancunAgreements.

• ForestsareanimportantcomponentofZambia’snat-uralcapitalandprovidebenefitscriticalforruralpop-ulations,urbanareas,thenationaleconomyandtheglobalcommunity.OutofZambia’stotallandareaof75.3millionha(hectares),estimatesoftheremainingforestedareasrangefrom39millionto50million–evenashighas53million–ha.

• Estimatesofdeforestationratesrangefrom250,000to 444,800 ha per year – some even set these atabove 850,000 ha per year. Zambia has the secondhighestpercapitadeforestationrateinAfricaandthefifthhighestintheworld.Themaindrivingforcesbe-hind this deforestation are charcoal production, ag-ricultural and human settlement expansion and theillegalexploitationoftimber.

• This study estimates that,when ecosystem servicesprovidedby forests are accounted for, forestsmakeadirectcontributiontothenationaleconomyequiv-alent toabout4.7%ofGDP, rising to6.3%with theapplicationofmultipliereffects.Datawerenotavail-able, however, formanygoods and services,mean-ingthattheactualfigurescouldbemuchhigherthanthoseestimated in this study.Forpurposesof com-parison,in2010,thefollowingsectorshadthelargestcontribution to Zambia’sGDP: agriculture, includingforestry(9.9%);construction(10.9%);mining(12.9%);andthewholesaleandretailtradesector(18.9%).

• According to this study, themost valuable benefitsprovidedbyforeststotheZambianeconomyconsistofcharcoal;sedimentretentionanderosioncontrol;non-woodforestproducts;andeco-tourismandoth-erservices,suchastheprovisionofindustrialround-wood,pollinationservices,andcarbonstorage.

Table 1:Overviewof the economic value of forest ecosystem services and the employment that forest ecosystemsgenerate.

Type of service or value Gross output or saving

Direct value added

Total value added

Employment

(US$ million per year) (‘000s people)

Industrialroundwood 35.8 21.5 32.0 10.1

Fuelwood(firewoodandcharcoal) 598.9 374.3 557.7 >500.0

Non-woodforestproducts 135.9 115.5 172.1 888.8

Subtotal provisioning services 770.6 511.3 761.8 1 398.9

Percentage of GDP 2010 2.5% 3.8%

Ecotourism* 197 110.2 179.4 16.1

Erosioncontrolandsedimentretention** 247 247 247 -

Pollinationservices** 74 74 74 -

Carbonstorage(damageavoided)** 15 15 15 -

Subtotal regulating, supporting and cultural services 533 446.2 515.4 16.1

Percentage of GDP 2010 2.2% 2.5%

Total 1 303.6 957.5 1 277.2 1 415.0

Percentage of GDP 2010 4.7% 6.3%

*Thelow-endestimatesareused.**Thesevaluesareshownwithoutdecimals,giventhehigherlevelofuncertainty

• Oneof themost important functions performedbyforests is their contribution to Zambian livelihoods.Forestssupportover1millionjobs,whichmeansthattheysupportover60%ofruralZambianhouseholds.

• The basic REDD mechanism, together with its en-hanced version, REDD+, aimed at enhancing forestcarbon stock and the conservation and sustainablemanagementofforests,hasasignificantroletoplayin catalysing the transition toagreeneconomyandcontributing to the country’s broader developmentandattainmentofitseconomicobjectives.

• Several measures can help secure the long-termbenefits and values provided by forests throughmechanismssuchasREDD+:theseincludestrength-ening forestmanagement and enforcement of lawson illegal timber harvesting; supporting communityland-tenure and strengthening community-basedforeststewardship;improvingtheefficiencyandsus-tainabilityofagriculturalpractices;increasingaccessto incentives and income-generating activities thatdependuponforestconservation;andmanagingthedemandforcharcoalproduction.

Anoverviewof the economic valueof forest ecosystemservicesinZambiaandtheemploymentthattheygener-ateisprovidedinTable1.

Byrepresentingtheaggregateeconomicvalueofforesteco-systemservicesonaspatialscale(inUnitedStatesdollarsperhectareperyear),Figure1showsthattheNorth-east-ernandSoutherndistrictsofthecountryprovidethehigh-esteconomicvaluesperhectare.ThistypeofinformationwouldbeusefultotheGovernmentwhenprioritizinggeo-graphicalareasfortheimplementationofREDD+.

Policy recommendations and implications for investing in REDD+

Actionsof several typesare required tobringabout themoresustainableuseofforestsandslowtherateofforestlossinZambia,asoutlinedbelow.

Giventheimportanceofforeststotheeconomy,employ-ment, and livelihoods, it is important that cost-effectivemethods of conserving and sustainably managing for-ests are implemented to support green growth. Waysof doing this include strengthening and enhancing themanagementandgovernanceof forestsat the local lev-el; introducing measures to reduce urban demand forcharcoal; supporting the development of livelihood andincome-generating activities that support or rely uponforestconservationandmaintenance;andincreasingthesustainabilityandefficiencyofagriculturalpractices.Thepotentialandrelativesuccessofeachofthesestrategiesdependsontheecological,social,economicandpoliticalcontextinwhichtheyareimplementedinZambia.Whereappropriate,theseapproachesshouldbepursuedincon-certandcanformthepillarsofaNationalREDD+StrategyinZambia.ThecostsandbenefitsofimplementingREDD+inZambiawilldependheavilyonwheresuchimplemen-tation is going to take place and the strategies that areemployedtoreducedeforestation.Forforest-basediniti-atives, given the spatial variation in supplyanddemandforecosystemservices,projectsare likely tohavediffer-entobjectivesindifferentareas.It isrecommendedthatalargeproportionofREDD+investmentsareusedto:(a)addressoff-siteinterventionsthataffectthedrivingforcesbehinddeforestation;and(b)improveforestgovernance.

InZambia,therationaleforREDD+activitiesandthemeansbywhichtheyareundertakenmaydifferfromprovincetoprovinceanddistricttodistrict.InNorth-WestProvince,forinstance,whereforestsarelargelyintactandwherethepo-tentialfortimberextractionishighest,theREDD+prioritycouldbetodevelopandenforcesustainableforestry,butalsotoensurethattheenergyneedsofthelargenumbersofpeoplemigrating into theareaaremet sustainably. InthemoredenselypopulatedCentral,SouthernandEasternProvinces,whereforestcoverhasalreadybeensignificant-ly reducedanddegradedandthedemandforcharcoal isgreatest,REDD+activitiesmustaddresstheissueofchar-coaldemand.Intheseareas,whereforestecosystemser-vices contribute substantially to Zambia’s agriculture andhydropower production, REDD+ interventions will alsoneedtofocusoncurbingagriculturalexpansion.

The final report of this present summary is published by the United Na-tions Environment Programme (UNEP) in April 2015. This was written by Jane Turpie (Anchor Environmental Consultants), Benjamin Warr (Better-World Consultants), and Jane Carter Ingram (Wildlife Conservation Socie-ty) and edited by Sun Cho (UNEP) and Ivo Mulder (UNEP).

This publication was produced in partnership with the United Nations Col-laborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and For-est Degradation in Developing Countries (UN-REDD Programme), which harnesses the technical capacities of FAO, UNDP and UNEP to support the REDD+ readiness and implementation capacities of developing countries. More information available at www.un-redd.org.

The study was implemented by the Ecosystem Services Economics Unit, Division of Environmental Policy Implementation (DEPI), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Figure 1: Spatial distribution of the aggregate value offorestecosystemservices(US$perhaperyear)

Copyright©UnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme(UNEP),2015

Printing:UNON,PublishingServicesSection,Nairobi,ISO14001:2004-certified.