REDD+ Activities in Laos Sithong Thongmanivong

Faculty of Forestry

National University of Laos

Workshop on Land Cover Land Use Change in South East Asia

Hanoi, 7-9 November 2011

21.02.2012

Outline of Presentation

1. Overview LULCC in Laos

2. Brief on REDD+ framework

3. FCPF and other related REDD+ project

4. Forest investment program

Overview on LULCC in Laos

Causes of deforestation and degradation of forest

The conversion of forest area to:

Agriculture land (including shifting cultivation)

Land concession for cash crop, industrial tree, rubber

plantation…..

Dams, mining

Infrastructure ( Road, electricity transmission line…)

Improper logging

Forest fire

Changing of Forest Management

Implementation of forest

strategies 2020

National land use zoning

Conservation forest 4.7 million ha

Protection forest 6.6 million ha

Production forest 3.6 million ha

Perspectives on REDD+

REDD+ will support the achievement of National Forest Strategy

Source of financial resources, contributing towards poverty alleviation and providing alternatives to shifting cultivators

Creating incentives for rural communities in the management of forest resources

REDD Activities in Laos Laos expressed its interest for REDD+

Submitted R-PIN to FCPF and approved

The implementation of REDD+ decided for nested approach

National strategies and institutional arrangement is being

developed

Related laws and regulations are being revised and plan to

make amendment soon

Components of a National REDD+ System

National REDD+

Institutions

Forest Law Enforcement

and

Management

Sub-National REDD+

Projects

REDD+

Readiness

Process

Complete

REDD+

System

1. Bilateral Projects

2. NGO Projects

3. Private Project Developers

Strengthen

Existing

Departments

Central REDD+

Framework Concept

Institutional Setup

Regulatory Setup

REL

Safeguards

Mitigation Activities

MRV

Registry

Payments & Markets

Benefit Sharing

National Framework Components

Roadmap for Core Concepts in REDD Policy

Flow of Major Processes

REDD+ Funding

Cycle

Emission Reductions

Measured Reductions below REL

Sale of Credits / Certificates of Performance

Mitigation Activities

Benefit Sharing

REL

Safeguards

Regulatory Setup

Institutional Setup

Payments & Markets

Registry

MRV

Roadmap for Core Concepts in REDD Policy

Provincial REDD+ Office

Regulatory Setup

Detailed of Processes

REL

Safeguards

Mitigation Activities

MRV

Registry

Payments & Markets

Benefit Sharing

REDD+ Office

(In Approval Process)

REDD+ Technical Working Groups (TWG)

TWG: Legal Framework

TWG: REL

TWG: Ethnic Group and Community Participation

TWG: Enforcement and Implementation of Mitigation

TWG: Land Use

TWG: Benefit Sharing

1

2

3

4

TORs

Input and Guidance

Technical Regulations

and Guidelines

National Framework Regulation

TWG: MRV

REDD+ Task Force National

Environment Council

Institutional Setup

(In Institutional Approval Process)

REDD+ Policy Development – Towards Building a Business Friendly REDD+ Regulatory Framework

21.02.2012

REDD+

Reference

Emission

Levels

Monitoring,

Reporting and

Verification

Benefit Sharing

Mechanisms

Financing National Carbon

Accounting

System

Lao P.D.R REDD+ Readiness Process

Avoiding

Deforestation

Avoiding

Degradation

Enhancement of

Forest Carbon

Stocks

Sustainable

Management of

Forests

Conserving

Forest Stocks

DOFI / DOF

DAFI / DAFO

POFI / PAFO Lao P.D.R. REDD+ System and Institutions

UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

REDD+ Projects on the ground

Forest Law Enforcement and

Management

REDD+ Policy Development – Towards Building a Business Friendly REDD+ Regulatory Framework

Institutional Arrangements

National Environment

Council

Minister/Vice Minister Level

Policy decision making body

REDD Task Force

DG/DDG level multi-sector

incl. Province, private sector

and CSO representatives

Co-ordination/consultation

REDD OFFICE Division Level Executive implementation

Technical

Working Group

Technical

Working Group

Technical

Working Group

Technical

Working Group

Technical

Working Group

MAF MONRE

National REDD+ Taskforce • Designated by Minister for

Agri. & For.

• Housed in DoF – Chaired by DG, DoF

– DDG is representative of the chair

– Deputy of the Chair: DG, Department of Land Management

• Others members: – DDG of DoE, WREA

– DDG of DOFI, MAF

– DDG of NAFRI, MAF

– Director of Research Division, FoF, NUoL

– DDG of Mining Department

– DDG of Electricity Department

– DDG of Law Department,

– DDG of Planning Dep., MPI

– Director of Inter.nal, Finance Cooperation Division, MoF

– Representative from Lao Front for Construction

– Representative from Lao Women Union

– Representative from Lao national Chamber of Industry and Com.

REDD Projects

FCPF program of the World Bank

Pilot REDD+ projects have been initiated, supporting from

developed countries – Climate Protection through avoided Deforestation (CliPAD) initiating REDD

project in two National Conservation Areas

– Participatory Land and Forest Management Project for Reducing Deforestation in Lao PDR (PAREDD) aiming at protected forest areas in Luangprabang

– SUFORD at the Production forest

Some are under studies by different international organizations

Grassroot capacity building by NUOL, NAFES and RECOFTC

Research on I-REDD, NUoL with international partners

REDD + Pilot Projects

SNV

CliPad

PAREDD

WWF

SUFORD

WCS?

Forest Carbon Partnership Facility

Establish series workshops and consultation

Local level

National level

Expert consultation

Readiness Preparation Proposal submitted and approved

in late 2010

Still awaiting for financial support from WB for

implementation

Private Sector Companies Interested

The following companies expressed their interest in REDD+

1. Stora Enso – IFC : Feasibility stage

2. Oji Paper: Feasibility complete

3. Arcadia: Feasibility ongoing

4. New Chip Xeng: Pre-feasibility

5. Prime Invest: Pre-feasibility

6. Indochina Resort Group: Express Interest with Project Idea

7. Green Planet JSC: Expression of Interest

8. Vang Veuan Trading export-import: Express interest in REDD+ or CDM

9. Kyoto Energy: Expression of Interest

Forest Investment Program (FIP)

Laos is one of eight pilot countries

FIP investment plan is in progress – Granted of US$227,900 for development of IP

– Forming the team for IP development

– Final draft approved by government and submitted

Linking FIP and FS2020

The components of the FIP Lao

Investment Plan have been developed to dovetail with the FS2020 target to attain 70% forest

cover in the country

Linking FIP and FS2020

To be able to attain the 70% forest cover target of FS2020, existing forests of the

country must be protected from deforestation and degradation and the forest areas rehabilitated to increase

forest cover

REDD+ with FIP support

The rationale:

Linking FIP and FS2020

State forest areas

Production Forest Areas

(3.15 M ha)

Conservation Forest Areas

(2.64 M ha)

Protection Forest Areas

(4.41 M ha)

Forest areas outside state forest areas

Village Forests

(1.56 M ha)

Industrial Tree Plantations

(0.50 M ha)

Smallholder Woodlots

(<0.50 M ha)

Forest areas of Lao PDR

Components of FIP-LIP

1. Participatory, sustainable management of state forest areas

• Production Forest Areas

• Conservation Forest Areas

• (Watershed) Protection Forest Areas

2. Village forestry

3. Smallholder forestry including link to ITP development

4. Crosscutting themes

• Legal framework, especially for REDD+

• Forest governance, especially in DOF for forest management and DOFI for law enforcement

• Other aspects, e.g. MRV, benefit sharing, knowledge management, etc.

Issues

The development of REDD+ is slow processes and

still uncertainty

Knowledge and technical capacity of institutions is

diverse and highly rely up on external support

Demanding of remote sensing data to support REDD+

activities.

Conclusion

1. REDD+ in Laos still in the early stage

2. Redd, the new incentive mechanism will play important role

in forest management in Laos

3. Pilot project is implementing in advance the national REDD+

development

4. Roles and responsibilities of concern agencies is in the

process of developing and restructuring

5. Capacity building on remote sensing application is highly

demand

Thank You