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Draft Report

Opportunities for UNDP Support to REDD+ Readiness in Bangladesh UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

July, 2011

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BACKGROUND 1. As part of its commitment to REDD+, Bangladesh requested admission to the UN-REDD Programme (for all acronyms, see Annex 1) in May 2010, and were formally accepted into the Programme in August 2010. Beyond its role in the UN-REDD Programme, UNDP is also committed to supporting the Government of Bangladesh on a range of environmental issues, including REDD+. Consequently, at the request of the Government, the UNDP/UN-REDD Regional Coordinator undertook a mission to Bangladesh from June 26-30, 2011, to meet with government and other stakeholders. The ToR for the mission, including mission schedule, are provided in Annex 2. 2. Activities undertaken during the mission included: Meet and discuss with the UNDP Country Office current support from UNDP to

Bangladesh, and identify current and planned UNDP-supported initiatives of actual or potential relevance to REDD+ readiness

Meet and discuss with the Forest Department, Ministry of Environment and Forests, and other government agencies, the legislative context, and past current and planned policies and activities affecting the forest sector and sustainable management of forest resources

Meet with NGO/CSOs working on forest/natural resources/climate change/rural development topics, to gain an understanding of NGO/CSO perspectives and to review current and planned NGO/CSO initiatives of relevance to REDD+

Meet with other development partners to discuss current and planned programmes of relevance to REDD+1

Compile and analyze all information into a report focusing on possible targeted support to the Government of Bangladesh to be delivered through assistance of UNDP.

See Annex 3 for list of people met. STATUS OF FOREST RESOURCES IN BANGLADESH See Annex 4. FOREST POLICIES AND LEGISLATION See Annex 5. STATUS OF REDD+ READINESS

3. Bangladesh began taking steps towards REDD+ readiness in 2010, with the request to join the UN-REDD Programme, and subsequently with the establishment of three committees. These are:

1 List of people met is provided in Annex 2

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The REDD+ Technical Committee (RTC), which includes 17 members, drawn from various government agencies, academia, and civil society, and with two representatives of development partners, UNDP and USAID. The RTC is chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and the Chief Conservator of Forests is the Member Secretary. To date, the RTC has organized two workshops on REDD+, the first in 2010, under the auspices of the IPAC, and the second in May 2011, which was for awareness raising of Forestry Department officials;

The National REDD+ Steering Committee (NRSC), formed in May 2011, also chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, with the National REDD+ Focal Point as the Member Secretary. Membership of the NRSC is similar to that of the RTC, except excluding development partners.

The REDD+ Strategy Drafting Committee, whose role is initially to produce an outline of the future National REDD+ Strategy.

4. Substantial progress is also being made in the area of carbon assessments, mainly through USAID funding, lead by the IPAC project, and with the technical support of the United States Forest Service. This initiative seeks to build in-country capacity for measuring, monitoring, and reporting carbon stocks in wetland forests, with special attention to the SRF. A specific objective is to establish a plan for a combined carbon and resource inventory of the SRF to support: a) entry into global carbon markets, and b) an updated forest management plan. A report has been produced2 outlining the rationale, design, field measurement, analysis, and reporting required for forest carbon assessments. The focus is on mangroves but, with minor adaptations, the approaches generally apply in other wetland forests as well. 5. Emerging out of this work are a number of proposals for carbon financing to support reforestation, conservation, and sustainable management of forest areas. For example, The Forest Department has developed a concept note3 for a proposed REDD and IFM project (Collaborative REDD+IFM Project, CRISP) for the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem as a precursor to a formal Project Design Document (PDD) that may be submitted for validation under one or more of the international carbon standards being used for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions or removals within the frameworks of voluntary or (eventual) compliance markets for carbon offsets. CRISP is a proposed AFOLU project consisting of activities related to REDD and IFM in the project area through avoiding unplanned frontier deforestation and degradation, and improved forests management through conversion of logged forests to protected forests including protecting currently logged or degraded forests from further logging respectively. It is estimated that from the project area of 412,000 ha, CRISP will generate an average of 213,115 tons CO2e annually over a 30-year project period, for total project emissions reductions of 6,393,452 tons CO2e (an average of 15.52 tons per hectare). 6. Bangladesh also has extensive experience with revenue sharing mechanisms, which can probably be adapted as components of a REDD+ compliant Benefit Distribution System.

2 Donato,, D.C., Kauffman, J. B., and Stidham, M. 2009. Protocols for Measuring & Reporting Carbon Stocks in Mangrove Forests; With Special Reference to Carbon Assessment for Sundarbans Reserve Forest, Bangladesh. U.S.D.A. Forest Service 3 Project Concept Note: Collaborative REDD+IFM Sundarbans Project (CRISP). Government of Bangladesh, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Forest Department. February 2011

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Revenue sharing usually takes the form of revenues from timber harvesting being shared between the Forest Department and local communities, according to a formula agreed beforehand, and recognizing the contribution of the communities to conservation and management of the forest before harvesting.

7. Finally, Bangladesh has extensive experience with social forestry and with reforestation programmes, from which valuable lessons can be learnt for the design of an effective national REDD+ programme.

National Partners and Domestic Initiatives related to Climate Change 8. In 1994, MoEF established the National Climate Committee (evolving into the National Steering Committee on Climate Change) tasked with developing broad policy on climate change. The Committee is chaired by the Secretary of MOEF, and comprises members from all relevant government and non-government organizations, including business and academia. 9. The Ministry of Environment and Forests is the lead ministry on climate change with coordination provided by a Climate Change Unit, recently upgraded to a Climate Change Department, facilitating the work of climate change focal points (cells) in all ministries, as well as maintaining linkages with non-governmental networks. 10. Ministries responsible for other sectors, including agriculture, food and disaster management, health, and water resources have become sensitized to climate related risks, taking on important roles in addressing these risks within their areas of responsibility. For example the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre of the Bangladesh Water Development Board is the focal point for climate change within the water sector. 11. The Ministry of Finance has played a key role in developing the Climate Change Trust Fund Act (2010) as a means to enable the necessary financing to support implementation of the National Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (2009). The Strategy is based on six pillars including food security, social protection and health among others. The intent to promote low carbon development is also recognized as a priority. 12. Bangladesh has subsequently established two climate change trust funds: the Bangladesh Climate Trust Fund and the Bangladesh Climate Resilience Fund. Further details on the status and operation of these two funds are provided below. Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund Bangladesh Climate Resilience Fund

Status: active Focus: national CC strategy / action plan Budget: 100 million USD Source: government budget

Status: active Focus: climate adaptation specific Budget: 114 million USD Source: DFID; WB. EU, Denmark

Duration: To be replenished annually or as needed Eligibility: government entities, CSOs, private

Duration: WB to administer for 3-4 years. BCRF to be gradually merged with the BCCTF.

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sector (with preference given to government) Proposals: Grants disbursed to government agencies only so far.

Eligibility: government entities, CSOs (10%)

Proposals: 3 government proposals selected for total of USD 75 million.

Development partners: no direct involvement to date Governance structure: all government with minor involvement of CSOs. Issues: involvement of non-government actors in governance of the fund

Development partners: involved in policy and technical councils Governance structure: policy council (govt & donors), technical council (govt & donors), secretariat (WB), trustee (WB), CSO window administered by Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) (not for profit)

13. Additionally, UNDP implements a project for the promotion of development and confidence building in the CHT through the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Facility (CHTDF). Partners are the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs (MoCHTA), the CHT Regional Council (RC), the three Hill District Councils (HDCs), the traditional institutions of the three Circle Chiefs, International, National and CHT-based NGOs, Civil Society Organizations, local leaders and representatives from local community based organizations. Current funding is $160M. The key objectives of the project are :

Capacities of CHT institutions, including MoCHTA, the Regional Council, the three Hill District Councils, and the traditional institutions of the three Circle Chiefs, are enhanced

Economic opportunities for small local enterprises, women, youth and farmers are improved

Literacy is increased through improved access to a strengthened education system adapted to the local context

Health conditions are improved through a strengthened health system supporting community outreach and localized service delivery

Local communities are empowered and their capacities to manage their own development are enhanced

Confidence required to find the solutions to long standing problems and encourage sustainable development and peace in the CHT is created.

14. A Forestry Sector Master Plan (FSMP) was formulated in 1993 with the objective to optimize the contribution of forest resources for environmental stability and socio-economic development through people-oriented forestry programs. A Forest Policy was promulgated in 1994 to support FSMP directives and recommendations. The programmes of the FSMP are:

People-oriented Programs Production-Directed Programs Institutional Strengthening

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15. The Forest Department, within the Ministry of Environment and Forests, is headed by the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) and consists of 4 wings, each administered by a Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests (DCCF). The Wings are:

Forest Management Wing Social Forestry Wing Planning Wing Education and Training Wing

16. There are 9 Circles in the Forest Department, each headed by a Conservator of Forests (CF). These include 5- Forest Management Circles; 3-Social Forest Circles and 1-Wildlife and Nature Conservation Circle. Similarly there are 44 Forest Divisions, each headed by a Divisional Forest officer (DFO). Under the Divisions are 255 Ranges, each of which consists of 2-4 Beats. ACTIVITIES OF DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS See Annex 6 ENTRY POINTS 17. In common with many other UN-REDD partner countries, there are various activities already underway in Bangladesh, with support of various development partners, which are of value for REDD+ readiness. However, there is a gap in terms of taking a structured and strategic approach to REDD+ readiness. Consequently, there is a risk that while progress on some issues might be rapid, overall REDD+ readiness will be achieved very inefficiently and slowly. 18. Therefore, the primary entry point for UNDP should be in preparing an overall “REDD+ Readiness Roadmap”, which will outline the capacities needed for REDD+ readiness, the current capacity gaps, the activities of all partners that are contributing to overcome these capacity gaps, and the remaining areas requiring additional support. 19. Funding is available from the UNDP Country Office to initiate this process immediately. It is anticipated that an international expert on REDD+ readiness will be recruited to lead the process, and that he/she will be supported by a team of national experts, some of whom might be assigned to contribute to the process by the Ministry and/or Forest Department, whilst others might be recruited as national consultants. The goal will be to complete a REDD+ Readiness Roadmap by the end of calendar year 2012. Draft ToR for the Team Leader are provided in Annex 7. 20. On completion of the REDD+ Readiness Roadmap, Bangladesh will be prepared to move forward in a coordinated and planned fashion through the three phases of REDD+ defined under the “Cancun Text” (UNFCCC Decision CP.16/1; paragraph 73). This would involve implementation of the REDD+ Readiness Roadmap, constituting “Phase 1” of REDD+ under the Cancun Text (Initial REDD+ Readiness). Investment and scale-up follows under “Phase 2”,

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when results-based payments may be made, leading eventually to “Phase 3”, namely full national implementation of REDD+, resulting in performance payments for emission reductions, as determined by a national MRV system. This process is illustrated in Figure 1, below.

Figure 1: Bangladesh REDD+ Readiness Roadmap and UN-REDD contribution

21. It is anticipated that at some point in the future, funding for a UN-REDD Country Programme will become available. This depends on (a) the availability of funding in the Programme; and (b) a decision on the part of the UN-REDD Policy Board to invite Bangladesh to prepare a proposal for submission. Therefore, it is possible that UN-REDD funding might be available to help fill the unaddressed capacity gaps identified through the REDD+ Readiness Roadmap process. 22. In some other UN-REDD Partner Countries, for example, Viet Nam and the Democratic Republic of Congo, initial REDD+ readiness (Phase 1) is followed by UN-REDD support to investment and scale-up (Phase 2). However, Bangladesh seems to be in an excellent position to move quickly into Phase 2, with funding support from UNDP, other development partners, and the GoB. The potential exists for substantial amounts of funding for both technical assistance ot the scale-up process and for result-based payments to local stakeholders, for example, from the BCRF, the CHTDF, and/or the BBCCTF. In other words, the “standard” process illustrated in Figure 1 could be amended in Bangladesh along the lines of Figure 2:

Time

REDD+ReadinessRoadmap

ImplementationofRoadmap(=“Phase1”;

InitialREDD+Readiness)

Investmentandscale-up

(=“Phase2”) Fullnational

implementation(=“

Possibletargetdates

End2011 End2014 End2016(dependsonUNFCCC)

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23. This alternative model implies that Phase 2 can begin much earlier than in the purely sequential model shown in Figure 1. This has two advantages. Firstly, it means that Bangladesh can potentially move into Phase 3 at an earlier date (if the UNFCCC is ready). Secondly, since one of the main benefits of Phase 2 is to learn lessons at a sub-national level before moving to national implementation, those lessons can be generated in parallel with Phase 1 activities. For example, typical products of Phase 1 may include an initial National REDD+ Strategy, an initial REDD+ compliant Benefit Distribution System, and a system for monitoring policies and measures. Under the sequential model illustrated in Figure 1, these systems (and strategy) will need to be reviewed and modified based on lessons learned during Phase 2, but under the model illustrated in Figure 2, lessons can be learnt in parallel to the development of these key elements of a REDD+ architecture. 24. Regarding the UNDP contribution to a Phase 2 initiative, the Country Office is proposing to commit substantial funding to a project in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, to complement the substantial cross-practice work already being implemented there. RESOURCE MOBILIZATION 25. The UNDP Country Office has indicated that funds are available to permit immediate progress on preparation of the REDD+ Readiness Roadmap. It is recommended that these funds be used to deliver the following outputs:

i) A REDD+ Readiness Roadmap document ii) A preliminary UN-REDD Programme Document, addressing capacity gaps identified in

the roadmap (submission of the document will have to await an invitation from the UN-REDD Policy Board

Time

REDD+ReadinessRoadmap

Investmentandscale-up(=“Phase2”)

Fullnationalimplementation(=“Phase3”

Possibletargetdates

End2011 End2014 End2015(dependsonUNFCCC)

ImplementationofRoadmap(=“Phase1”)

Mid2012

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iii) A proposal for a Phase 2 initiative, nominally focused on the Chittagong Hill Tracts, involving a partnership with other development partners, and funds for results-based payments.

26. Funding for item (ii), above, would come from the UN-REDD Programme, once funds are available and an invitation to submit a proposal is received from the UN-REDD Policy Board; but, in any case, the roadmap will need to identify other development partners able to contribute to filling capacity gaps. 27. Funding for item (iii) above will necessarily come from a variety of sources. It is anticipated that UNDP funding for technical assistance (in the order of several million USD) will be available from the forthcoming “Green Development Programme”. However, additional sources of technical assistance will be required, and funds for results-based payments. Opportunities for accessing funds from the BCRF, the BBCCTF, and the CHTDF should be pursued.

28. Regarding items (i) and (ii), above, the FAO Country Office and FAO Regional Office should be approached regarding the possibility of funding for these outputs, with a focus on a MRV system. In particular, the potential of partnership with DfID should be explored through their regional office in Delhi (Claire Sakya: Claire.sakya@dfid.gov.uk), since there may be the possibility of promoting a regional approach in partnership with DfID. 29. UNEP will certainly play a role in the UN-REDD Country Programme when it is developed and implemented. Opportunities for contributions from the UNEP World Conservation monitoring Centre to explore opportunities to secure multiple benefits (especially biodiversity conservation) should also be investigated. 30. In anticipation of items (ii) and (iii), above, lessons from other UN-REDD Partner Countries with Country Programmes under implementation indicate that dedicated support is required in the UNDP Country Office to manage the process. In some cases this is provided through JPOs, especially Norwegian JPOs; in other cases through UNVs. Both avenues of support should be investigated, with the Norwegian embassy and others.

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Annex 1: LIST OF ACRONYMS

AFOLU Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use AusAID Australian Agency for International Development BCCTF Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund BCCSAP Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan BCRF Bangladesh Climate Resilience Fund CC Climate Change CCF Chief Conservator of Forests CF Conservator of Forests CHT Chittagong Hill Tracts CHTDF Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Facility CRISP Collaborative REDD+IFM Sundarbans Project CSO Civil Society Organization DCCF Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests DfID Department for International Development (UK) DFO District Forest Officer EU European Union FSMP Forestry Sector Master Plan GHG Greenhouse gasses GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit GoB Government of Bangladesh HDC Hill District Council IFM Improved Forest Management IPAC Integrated Protected Areas Co-management Project (USAID) JPO Junior Professional Officer MoCHTA Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts’ Affairs MoEF Ministry of Environment and Forests MRV Measurement, Reporting and Verification NGO Non-governmental organization NRSC National REDD+ Steering Committee PDD Project Design Document PKSF Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation RC Resident Coordinator REDD+ Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation and the Role of

Conservation, Sustainable Management of Forests, and Enhancement of Forest Carbon Stocks in Developing Countries

RTC REDD+ Technical Committee SRF Sundarbans Reserve Forest ToR Terms of Reference UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UN-REDD United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation

and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries UNV United Nations Volunteer USAID United States Agency for International Development USD United States dollars WB World Bank

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Annex 2: MISSION TOR

1. Background Government of Bangladesh is keen to undertake all necessary activities to comply with the REDD readiness requirements in an expedited manner and requested UNDP Country Office for assistance. In response, UNDP CO Management decided to field a UNDP Regional Centre Expert Scoping Mission. In this regard, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forests convened a meeting on 5 May 2011 and the meeting revealed the following: (1) National REDD Technical Working Committee has been formed to facilitate activities in relation to REDD readiness; (3) The National Steering Committee will be formed and activated with immediate effect; (4) the meeting suggested that the UNDP Regional Centre Expert Scoping Mission should arrive after the Bonn CC meeting preferably after 21 June as relevant government officials will be out of country to attend the event; (5) necessary preparatory actions from the government side are to be undertaken including developing an outline for the national REDD Strategy; (6) Sundarban carbon stock has been assessed and preparation are progressing for assessing carbon stock in other priority areas.

2. Purpose of the Mission The UNDP Technical Specialist Mission will meet with relevant government and non-government stakeholders, and will identify national needs for REDD+ readiness. The mission aims to review the status of REDD+ readiness in Bangladesh and to assess the types of interventions required to develop full REDD+ readiness. The mission will meet with government, development partners, and other stakeholders to analyze and discuss existing information on the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Bangladesh, and to identify the types of systemic, institutional and individual capacity building required to address the drivers. The mission will also review information on current and planned development partner support to Bangladesh that may be relevant to building capacity for REDD+ readiness.

3. Scope of Work The mission will:

Meet and discuss with the UNDP Country Office current support from the UN System to Bangladesh, and identify current and planned UN-supported initiatives of actual or potential relevance to REDD readiness;

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Meet and discuss with various government agencies, the legislative context, and past current and planned policies and activities affecting the forest sector and sustainable management of forest resources;

Meet with NGO/CSOs working on forest/natural resources/climate change/rural development topics, to gain an understanding of NGO/CSO perspectives, and to review current and planned NGO/CSO initiatives of relevance to REDD+;

Meet with relevant development partners to discuss current and planned programmes of relevance to REDD+; and

Compile and analyze all information into a report focusing on possible targeted support to the Government of Bangladesh to be delivered through assistance of UNDP.

4. Mission Personnel/Team The mission will be undertaken by the UNDP Technical Specialist, Tim Boyle. The Technical design mission will also be represented by government of Bangladesh and UNDP country office.

5. Mission Schedule

Date AM PM 26 June 2011 Travel to Dhaka

Arrival in Dhaka (i) Meeting with UNDP Mgmt (ii) Mission planning meeting on

the draft work plan and approach

27 June 2011 Meeting with WB, USAID/IPAC/Arannayk Foundation

Meeting with the Secretary, MoEF, Chief Conservator of Forests, and other relevant government officials

28 June 2011 Meeting DfID, EC

Consultation with CSOs/National experts

29 June 2011 Meeting with GIZ Meeting with UNDP and FAO staff; AusAid; Embassy of Norway

30 June 2011 UNDP Mgmt debriefing Depart Dhaka

6. Mission Report The results of the mission will be communicated to the MoEF/FD and UNDP through a draft mission report for review and comments. The report will clearly identify the (i) time-bound next steps (Work Plan) for the government, and UN; (ii) analytical specifications on REDD+ programming opportunities; (iii) opportunities for enhancing synergies and partnership. The report will be finalized incorporating comments from MoEF/FD and UNDP by mid July 2011.

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Annex 3: LIST OF PEOPLE MET

Name Organization Mr. Mesbah ul Alam Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests Mr. S.M. Munjural Hannan Khan

Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests

Mr. Zahid Hussain Munshi Senior Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests Mr. Ishtiaq Uddin Ahmad Chief Conservator of Forests, Forest Department

Md. Mazaharul Islam Assistant Chief Conservator of Forests, Development Planning Unit, Forest Department

Mr. Haradhan Banik Conservator of Forests, Forest Department

Mr. Imran Ahmed Deputy Conservator of Forests, Forest Management Wing, Forest Department

Md. Abdullah Abrahim Hossain

Assistant Conservator of Forests, Development Planning Unit, Forest Department

Mr. Robert Jukham UNDP Deputy Country Director (Programme)

Mr. Tarik ul Islam UNDP Assistant Country Director, Environment, Energy & Climate Mitigation

Mr. Aminul Islam UNDP Assistant Country Director; Risk Reduction and Climate Adaptation

Mr. Mamunul Khan UNDP Programme Officer, Environment and Sustainable Development

Mr. Abu Mostafa Kamal Uddin

UNDP, Climate Change Specialist

Ms. Sarwat Chowdury UNDP, Climate Change Specialist Mr. Prashanta Tripura Director, Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Facility M. Badrul Arefin FAO, National Consultant Mr. Shakil Ahmed Ferdausi World Bank, Senior Environment Specialist Mr. Alamgir Hossain USAID, Climate Change Specialist Mr. Ram Sharma IPAC, Deputy Chief of Party Mohd. Abdul Quddus Arannayk Foundation, Senior Program Officer Ms. Joanne Manda DfID, Climate Change and Environment Advisor Mr. Jorge Nieto Rey EU, First Secretary Ms. Nuzhat Imam Oxfam, Campaign Officer, Policy & Advocacy Department Mr. Quamrul Islam Chowdury

Federation of Environmental Journalists

Mr. Erich Otto Gomm GIZ, Programme Coordinator, Sustainable Energy for Development

GIZ Ms. Amanda Jennings AusAID, Second Secretary (Development Cooperation) Mr. Shahriar Islam AusAID, Program Officer Mr. Kyrre Braekhus Norwegian Embassy, Deputy Head of Mission Mr. Morshed Ahmed Norwegian Embassy, Senior Advisor (Development Affairs)

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Annex 4: STATUS OF FOREST RESOURCES IN BANGLADESH

1. Situated in the north-eastern part of the South Asian subcontinent Bangladesh occupies a unique geographic location. Almost all of Bangladesh (148,000 km2) lies in the active delta of three of the world’s major rivers: Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna, and is dominated by the flooding patterns of these rivers and those of many smaller rivers and tributaries. The country is bounded by India on the west, the north and the northeast and Myanmar on the southeast and the Bay of Bengal on the south. (Asia-Pacific forestry sector outlook study -Country report Bangladesh 1998 ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/003/Y0165E/Y0165E00.pdf)

2. Floodplains occupy about 80% of the total land area of Bangladesh. Terraces account for another 8% while the remaining 12% are hills mostly occurring in northeast and eastern portion of the country, in Sylhet, Mymensingh and Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) regions. The south-western region of Bangladesh consists of a large number of dead and cut-off rivers, the coastal part of which includes the famous Sundarbans mangrove forest. Two geo-ecological zones dominate in Bangladesh: tropical moist deciduous forest constitutes more than 2/3 of the country, while the rest belongs to the geo-ecological zone of tropical rain forest, where also the country’s forests are mainly situated. (ibid; National Forest and Tree Resources Assessment 2005-2007 http://www.bforest.gov.bd/doc/NFA_Final_Report.pdf)

3. Agriculture accounts for about 18% of the country’s GDP, industry 29% and services 53%.

Although more than a half of GDP is produced through the service sector, 45% of the population is employed in the agriculture sector. The single most important agricultural product is rice, followed by jute, tea, wheat, sugarcane, potatoes and tobacco. Although unemployment rate has been relatively moderate, 5,1% in 2009, about 40% of Bangladeshis are underemployed, with many working only a few hours a week at low wages. Main industries in Bangladesh include cotton textiles, jute, garments, tea processing, paper newsprint, cement, light engineering, sugar, and chemical fertilizer. (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bg.html)

4. With a population of 162 million (of which 98 % are Bengalis) in 2009, Bangladesh is one of the world’s most densely populated countries with more than 70% of population living in rural areas and majority of them depending on agriculture for their livelihoods. Also, Bangladesh’s geography and topography make it one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to natural disasters Despite these challenges, Bangladesh has witnessed considerable development progress over the last two decades, realising an average annual GDP growth rate of 6.2% since 2004 and a significant reduction in the poverty headcount ratio, which stood at 40% in 2005 (down from 58.8% in 1990). (Draft country programme of UNDP Bangladesh Country Office, http://data.worldbank.org/country/bangladesh (population))

5. Natural disasters affecting the country have increased in frequency and severity as a result of the worsening impact of climate change. The poorest are the most severely affected as they live in the most climate vulnerable parts of the country. While better disaster preparedness strategies and practices have, overtime, reduced the number of deaths, the loss

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of assets and livelihoods remain very high (as much as 3% of GDP), with women being most acutely affected. Bangladesh is currently not on track to meet MDG7 due to deforestation, energy shortages, and pollution. About half of the population is dependent on a rapidly degrading natural resource base, including forests, for their livelihoods and only about 50% of households have access to on-grid energy. (Draft country programme of UNDP Country Office)

6. According to the most recent Forest Resources Assessment by FAO, Bangladesh has approximately 1.4 million hectares of forests, accounting for 11% of the country’s total land area. Of total forest area, 30% is considered as primary forest, 53% as other naturally regenerated forest and 16% as planted forest. Currently 17%, or 247 000 ha, of total forest area is within protected areas. (FAO Global forest resources assessment http://www.fao.org/forestry/fra/fra2010/en/)

7. As found in the National Forest Assessment conducted in 2005-2007 the two most

common natural forest types – hill forest and mangrove forest – cover more than 2/3 of the total forest area of Bangladesh, while bamboo forest cover almost 13 % and long rotation plantations almost 10 %. (FAO Global forest resources assessment http://www.fao.org/forestry/fra/fra2010/en/)

Forest type Area Proportion

of total

(000 ha) (%) Natural forests Hill forest 551 38 Sal forest 34 2 Mangrove forest 436 30 Bamboo or mixed bamboo broadleved forest 184 13 Forest plantations Long rotation forest plantation 131 9 Short/medium rotation forest plantation 54 4 Mangrove Plantation 45 3 Rubber Plantation 8 1 Total forest area 1443 100

8. The importance of Bangladesh’s mangrove forests has received international recognition.

The Sundarbans mangrove forest has been one of UNESCO’s World Heritage List sites since 1997. The site’s mangrove forest (140,000 ha) is one of the largest remaining areas of mangroves in the world with exceptional biodiversity including 260 bird species, the Bengal tiger and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python. WWF has also included Sundarbans to its “Global 200”, the most biologically distinct ecosystems of the planet whose conservation would achieve the goal of saving a broad diversity of the Earth’s ecosystems. Mangrove forests are among the most carbon-rich forests in the tropics, while also providing coastal areas physical protection against erosion and natural disasters such as cyclones. (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/798, http://www.worldwildlife.org/science/ecoregions/global200.html, UNDP “Community-Based

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Adaptation to Climate Change through Coastal Afforestation” project http://www.undp.org.bd/projects/prodocs/Coastal%20Afforestration/FINAL%20Coastal%20Afforestation%20factsheet%20Mar%202011.pdf)

9. Fuelwood is the major wood product required in Bangladesh. Annual wood fuel removal in 2005 was approximately 1.0 million cubic meters, having almost doubled since 1990. Due to limited alternative sources of energy the rural people are mainly dependent on fuelwood for cooking and other household activities. Industrial roundwood removal was about 0.25 million cubic meters per year in 2005. (FAO Global forest resources assessment http://www.fao.org/forestry/fra/fra2010/en/)

10. It is estimated that between 1990 and 2010, Bangladesh lost an average of 3,000 ha of forest or 0.18% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, the country lost 3.5% of its forest cover, or around 52,000 ha. The carbon stock in living forest biomass has decreased by 5% from 1990, and was 80 million tonnes in 2010. Although forest degradation rate is relatively low at present, it has been estimated that most of Bangladesh’s forest areas have already faced a severe degradation in the past decades. (FAO Global forest resources assessment http://www.fao.org/forestry/fra/fra2010/en/, Asia-Pacific forestry sector outlook study, Country report Bangladesh 1998)

11. In some areas of the country, particularly in the Sundarbans, increases in population have resulted in or contributed to fuelwood collection for personal use as well as for sale and illicit felling for constructions and fish harvesting. Poverty and limited livelihoods options are important factors in local community members’ willingness to participate in these illegal activities. These stressors are further exacerbated by the weak law-enforcement capacity of the Forest Department, as well as high demand for the forest products by sawmill owners and illegal timber traders. The need for timber for boat making and fishing by local community and floating populations is substantial and most of it is met through unauthorized removals. Peripheral deforestation is threat due mainly to highly commercial shrimp industry that has developed of late as the third largest foreign earning sector (after garment sector and remittances). (Collaborative REDD+IFM Sundarbans Project (CRISP) –Project concept note from UNDP)

12. The major causes for forest destruction in Bangladesh can be placed under three major categories:

land use changes for crop agriculture, settlement, and infrastructure development. The

growing population causes pressure on forest ecosystems since the majority of Bangladesh’s population are dependent on natural resources in one way or another. Forest lands have been cleared for agricultural as well as military purposes, and the traditional, once sustainable rotation cultivation practices have become unsustainable because of the reduced fallow periods that are not long enough to the land to recover.

unsustainable forest product harvests – both legal and illegal; including firewood collection for domestic use as well as raw material harvesting for wood industry production, including primary industries such as saw mills and pulp and paper industries as well as secondary industries such as furniture, and wood seasoning,

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treatment and preservation. More than 57,000 wood industry production units in Bangladesh still employ approximately 0.21 million people.

lack of effective governance failing to protect the forest and forest land. There’s a lack of people’s participation in forest management. Poor people’s dependency on the forest resources and environmental services of forest ecosystems should be taken into account while at the same time preserving the biodiversity of forests. Also, poor facilities and salaries of the Forest Department field staff have been seen to contribute their participation in illegal forest harvesting.

13. The Government of Bangladesh, mainly through its Forest Department, has recently been

engaged in actions to gain more knowledge on the status of the country’s forest resources. The National Forest and Tree Resources Assessment (NFA) in 2005-2007 was the first of its kind in Bangladesh, with direct objectives to develop and strengthen the national capacities to collect, compile, process and disseminate reliable and up-to-date information on forestry to national policy makers as well as to international organisations. The knowledge on forest and tree resources was planned to be used e.g. for redefining the policy and strategy of the Forest Department as well as for developing a comprehensive National Forestry Action Plan (NFAP). Forest Department was the lead institution responsible for the implementation of the project with support from FAO. It was suggested that the NFA be carried out on a continuous basis and the information framework be widened to cover issues of management and uses of the resources, biodiversity, climate change (biomass and carbon accounting), and livelihoods in relation with the national poverty reduction strategy. (National Forest and Tree Resources Assessment 2005-2007 http://www.bforest.gov.bd/doc/NFA_Final_Report.pdf)

14. Government of Bangladesh represented by the Forest Department has also been developing a reduced emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) and Improved Forest Management (IFM) project in the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem of southwestern Bangladesh. “The Collaborative REDD+IFM Sundarbans project (CRISP)” will consist of activities related to REDD and IFM in the project area through avoiding unplanned frontier deforestation and degradation, and improved forests management through conversion of logged forests to protected forests including protecting currently logged or degraded forests from further logging. From the project area of 412,000 ha, the project will generate emissions reductions of an average of 213,115 tons CO2e annually over a 30-year project period, for total project emissions reductions of 6,393,452 tons CO2e (an average of 15.52 tons per hectare). The overall aims of the project are to achieve, through avoided deforestation and degradation, and improved forest management activities in the Sundarbans, carbon sequestration with livelihoods improvements through community participation in forestry activities as well as conservation of flora and fauna species through measures including habitat protection and improvement. (Project Concept Note: Collaborative REDD+IFM Sundarbans Project)

15. In recent years the Forest Department has been implementing a number of development projects and programs in cooperation with national and international actors for forest conservation and protection of unique types of forests and fragile ecosystems. These projects have been mainly concentrating on biodiversity conservation, development of forest

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plantations, afforestation in areas suffering from forest loss such as the Chittagong Hill Tracts, social forestry, and establishment of eco-parks, wildlife sanctuaries and safari parks. There have been successes among these projects such as homestead forestry and strip plantations (embankments, railway and road sides) but further assessment, up-scaling and mainstreaming the lessons learned needs to be done. (Forest Department http://www.bforest.gov.bd/development.php)

16. Some steps have already been taken to develop REDD+ readiness in Bangladesh. A national REDD Technical Committee and a National Steering Committee have been formed. Application for country inclusion in the UN-REDD Program has been submitted. Carbon accounting for Sundarban region has been completed and assessments of carbon stock for additional six areas are coming up. Some tasks ahead include preparation of REDD strategy, capacity development for REDD readiness, developing bilateral and multilateral co-operation for REDD readiness, development of REDD projects and development of MRV for REDD.

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Annex 5: RELEVANT POLICY AND LEGAL PROVISIONS Climate policy is defined by the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP), which was completed in 200x. The BCCSAP has six Themes, each with a number of Programmes, for a total of 37 Programmes. The six Themes are: T1: Food Security, Social Protection and Health T2: Comprehensive Disaster Management T3: Infrastructure T4: Research and Knowledge Management T5: Mitigation and Low Carbon Development T6: Capacity Building and Institutional Strengthening One of the Programmes under Theme 5 is “Afforestation and reforestation” which, despite the seemingly limited scope of its title, does include REDD+. Obviously elements of capacity building for REDD+ are also included under Theme 6, including Programme 1, Revision of sectoral policies; and Programme 2, Mainstreaming climate change in national, sectoral and spatial development programmes. Forest management practices in Bangladesh date back to the establishment of the first forest policy statement in the colonial period, issued by the British in 1894, and modified in 1904. Following the partition of British India in 1947, the Government of Pakistan (including East Pakistan which became Bangladesh in 1971) declared its first forest policy in 1955, which was again modified in 1962. The revenue-orientation of forest policies, the isolation of government officers from people, emphasis on maximum economic return from forests, state patronization of forest-based industries, the maximum exploitation and the expansion of state proprietorship over forests were the main features of forestry during this period. After becoming independent in 1971, the Government of Pakistan declared its first forest policy in 1979 and the second and current forest policy in 1994. (Millat-e-Mustafa, M. 2002. “A Review of Forest Policy Trends in Bangladesh”. Policy Trend Report 2002: 114-121. http://enviroscope.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/upload/371/attach/08_Bangladesh.pdf, Niaz Khan, N. 2009. “More Than Meets the Eye: Re-Reading Forest Policy Discourse in Bangladesh. Working Paper Number 177. Queen Elizabeth House, University of Oxford) Until the development of the current forest policy Bangladesh’s forest policies were dominated by two trends typical to the historical development and evolution of public forest policies and practices in the Indian sub-continent: state-sponsored organized commercialization of forestry and progressive alienation of forest based communities from forest use and management. (Khan, N. 2009)

The current forest policy has been seen as an initial move to the right direction, towards more people-oriented forestry with commitments such as sustainable development, poverty alleviation, local people’s participation in forest protection and government support for the involvement of a broader sector of society in forestry development. However, it has still received critics of being too focused on the profit-oriented forest management. The ministry of Environment and Forests is primarily responsible for the implementation of Forest Policy, although direct responsibility is with the Forest

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Department. (FAO Global forest resources assessment 2010 -Country reports Bangladesh http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/al453E/al453e.pdf, Khan, N. 2009, Forest Department http://www.bforest.gov.bd/Forest%20Act%201927.pdf) Some of the key statements of the Forest Policy 1994 are: attempting to bring 20% of the country’s land under afforestation programs of the government and private sector by 2015, massive afforestation on marginal public lands through partnerships with local people and NGOs, afforestation of denuded/encroached reserved forests with an agroforestry model through participation of people and NGOs, giving ownership of a certain amount of land to the tribal people through forest settlement processes, attempting to increase the amount of protected area by 10% of the reserved forest land by 2015 with priority areas being habitats encompassing representative samples of flora and fauna, using all state owned forests of natural origin and the plantations of the Hill and Sal forest for producing forest resources, except areas earmarked for conservation of soil and water resources and biodiversity, bringing the management of forest lands under profit-oriented business, modernization of forest-based industries to ensure effective utilization of forest raw materials, remaining the ban on export of logs, while allowing export of processed forest products, strengthening of the Forest Department and establishment of a new “Department of Social Forestry”, strengthening of educational, training and research facilities, and amendment of laws, rules and regulations relating to the forestry sector and if necessary, promulgation of new laws and rules. (Forest Department http://www.bforest.gov.bd/act.php)

The Forest Policy 1994 was formulated to initiate a 20-year (1995-2015) Forestry Sector Master Plan, which has the objective to optimize the contribution of forest resources for environmental stability and socio-economic development through people-oriented forestry programs. The three main programs of the Forestry Sector Master Plan are people-oriented program, production-directed program and institutional strengthening. In addition a set of Forest Acts and Rules (from 1927, with latest amendment from year 2000) has been enacted for management and development of forests, the transit of forest produce (regulating the movements of forest produce irrespective of its origin) and the duty leviable on timber and other forest-produce. ((Millat-e-Mustafa, M. 2002. “A Review of Forest Policy Trends in Bangladesh”. Policy Trend Report 2002: 114-121. http://enviroscope.iges.or.jp/modules/envirolib/upload/371/attach/08_Bangladesh.pdf, FAO Global forest resources assessment 2010 -Country reports Bangladesh http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/al453E/al453e.pdf, Forest Department http://www.bforest.gov.bd/Forest%20Act%201927.pdf, http://www.bforest.gov.bd/organization.php) Other legal provisions related to forests are: The Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act 1995, which provides for conservation of the environment, improvement of environmental standards and control and mitigation of environmental pollution (http://www.moef.gov.bd/html/laws/env_law/153-166.pdf) ;The Environment

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Conservation Rules 1997, which sets emission standards for different sectors of industries as well as vehicles and sets requirements for applying Environmental Clearance Certificates. http://www.moef.gov.bd/html/laws/env_law/178-189.pdf; The Environment Pollution Control Ordinance 1977, which provides for the control, prevention and abatement of pollution of the environment of Bangladesh http://www.moef.gov.bd/html/laws/env_law/267-272.pdf; The East Pakistan Water Pollution Control Ordinance 1970 providing for the control, prevention and abatement of pollution of waters http://www.moef.gov.bd/html/laws/env_law/273-276.pdf; and The Bangladesh Water Development Board Act 2000 with a view to ensure development and management of water resources http://www.lexadin.nl/wlg/legis/nofr/oeur/arch/ban/bwdb_act.pdf; Afforestation plans of the Forest Policy also complies with the National Water Policy, which declares afforestation and erosion control as means of management of catchment areas. In the Policy it is stated “that the continued development and management of the nation's water resources should include the protection, restoration, and preservation of the environment and its bio-diversity including wetlands, mangrove and other national forests, endangered species, and the water quality”. Massive afforestation is especially encouraged in areas with declining water table. http://www.mowr.gov.bd/Documents/National%20Water%20Policy%20%28English%29.pdf

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Annex 6: RELEVANT ACTIVITIES OF DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS 31. COMPONENT ONE: MANAGEMENT OF THE REDD+ READINESS PROCESS. This

component ensures that appropriate guiding mechanisms and instruments are in place to inclusively plan and implement the national REDD+ readiness process. Those mechanisms and instruments include a national coordination mechanism, multi-stakeholder information network, national REDD+ readiness roadmap and sectoral overviews. Potential partners include:

No partner potential identified.

32. COMPONENT TWO: STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT. REDD+ would not be successful

without strong support and participation from a wide range of stakeholders; therefore, ensuring broad participation of government institutions, forest dependent communities, Indigenous Peoples, NGOs and industries from the outset is critical, and this component aims to secure enabling conditions for such a process to take place. Potential partners include:

GIZ implements its “Sustainable energy for development”4 programme, which aims to

reduce the consumption of wood, biomass and fossil fuels, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by disseminating modern forms of renewable energy, e.g. energy saving cooking stoves which burn 50% less biomass. So far the programme has trained 9,000 technicians and 500 supervisors, who have produced over 140,000 domestic stoves and more than 2,000 commercial stoves, which are used e.g. for yarn-dyeing cottage industries, saving at least 150,000 tonnes of firewood a year. Experiences in awareness raising and stakeholder engagement in community as well as industrial levels can prove useful when developing REDD+ readiness of Bangladesh.

UNDP implements a “Promotion of Development and Confidence-Building in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT)”5 project, which supports the Government of Bangladesh, institutions of the CHT, and local communities to pursue accelerated, sustainable socio-economic development and poverty reduction based on principles of local participation and decentralized development. One of the major objectives of the project is “Confidence building to solve long-standing problems to development and sustainability in the CHT”. An outcome of this objective is piloting a participatory management system of forest lands in the CHT.

UNDP implements its “Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme, Phase II”6

which aims to reduce the country’s vulnerability to adverse natural and anthropogenic hazards and extreme events including the potential impacts of climate change. The project aims to institutionalize the adoption of risk reduction approaches broadly across key ministries and agencies. Natural hazards of Bangladesh include among others

4 http://www.gtz.de/en/weltweit/asien-pazifik/bangladesch/19993.htm 5 http://www.undp.org.bd/projects/prodocs/CHTDF/Programme%20Document%20with%20Signed%20Programme%20Cover%20Page%20-%2018%20Dec%2005-FINAL.pdf 6 http://www.undp.org.bd/projects/prodocs/CDMP/Final%20Signed%20CDMP%20II.pdf

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salinity intrusion and landslides. Salinity intrusion affects the countries coastal districts and is most severe during the dry season, when agricultural production, fisheries, livestock, and mangrove forests are affected by higher salinity. Landslides often affected the poorest people who are forced to live on the hill slopes. Causes of landslides include deforestation. This project could provide experience in awareness raising among governmental institutions.

IFAD implements its “Char Development and Settlement Project IV”7 which aims to

reduce poverty and hunger for poor living on newly accreted coastal chars (islands) of Bangladesh. The project’s goal is to provide improved and more secure livelihoods for 28,000 households. One of the project components is protection from climate change, with a sub-component of social forestry implemented by the Forest Department. Using a social forestry approach, protective plantations of trees on mud flats, foreshores and embankments will be established to reduce damage from cyclones as well as accelerate accretion of new land in addition providing fuel and livelihoods. In total 344 km of strip plantation, 995 ha of block and foreshore plantation, and 1,800 ha of mangrove plantation would be established involving 490 Social Forestry Groups with 11,025 members, so almost 40% of households will gain from benefit-sharing in the plantations to be established as well as opportunities for forestry employment.

33. COMPONENT THREE: IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK. Having strong and effective

legal, policy and institutional frameworks for accountable, equitable and transparent forest governance (e.g., land-use, rights, payment for ecosystem services, timber trade, community forestry, etc.) and effective mechanism to discourage corruption is a key condition for making REDD+ a success. This component aims to develop such frameworks and mechanisms with appropriate social and environmental safeguards to provide solid grounds on which REDD+ mechanisms to be built and implemented. Potential partners include:

UNDP through its Poverty-Environment-Climate Mainstreaming (PECM)8 project is

supporting the integration of climate change and environmental considerations into national development planning and budgeting processes. The aim is to reverse environmental degradation and climate change impacts in a way that benefits the poor. The integration of poverty-environment-climate linkages into national development planning processes will promote more sustainable economic development of Bangladesh and prevent the livelihoods of the poor being undermined by unsustainable natural resources and lack of consideration of impacts caused by climate change. This project can provide experiences when mainstreaming REDD+ into national planning processes.

USAID is implementing its 5-year “Integrated Protected Area Co-management (IPAC)”9

project launched in 2008. The objective of the project is to promote and institutionalize an integrated Protected Area (PA) co-management system for sustainable natural resources management and biodiversity conservation resulting in responsible, equitable economic growth and good environmental governance. The project activities will be implemented to developing a PA strategy applying to all ecologically and economically significant

7 http://www.ifad.org/operations/projects/design/99/bangladesh.pdf 8 http://www.undp.org.bd/projects/prodocs/PECM/200912-20%20Signed%20project%20Document%20of%20PECM.pdf 9 http://www.usaid.gov/bd/programs/environ_response.html

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areas, institutional capacity building within national and local levels for PA co-management, and expanding the geographic area of Bangladesh under co-management. Experiences in institutional capacity building and scaling up natural resource management at the policy and operational levels could be derived from this project.

IUCN, supported by the World Bank, is implementing its “Environmental Management

and Biodiversity Conservation Plan for Sundarban’s Biodiversity”10 project. Objectives of the project include filling information gaps constraining decision-making in the Sundarbans, generating knowledge on biodiversity and exploring conservation options that produce local benefits, identifying policy reforms, investments and technical assistance needed to strengthen the capacity of governmental agencies to address the environmental priorities linked with biodiversity conservation as well as identifying cost-effective investment options to enhance the welfare of the people living in the Sundarbans and conserve the biodiversity of the area. As the output, IUCN will develop a strategy and action plan for the management and biodiversity conservation for the Sundarbans. This project can provide experiences in capacity building of governmental agencies and strengthening the governance of natural resources.

UNDP with its “Promotion of Development and Confidence-Building in the Chittagong

Hill Tracts (CHT)”11 project, could provide useful insight on strengthening forest governance in the community level through its participatory forest management system. Experiences of social forestry development can also be obtained from IFAD’s “Char Development and Settlement Project IV”12 involving 11,025 members in its Social Forestry Groups.

ADB’s “Supporting Implementation of Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action

Plan”13 is building capacity in relevant government agencies in order to implement the Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, which aims to strengthen the country’s capacity to cope with the impacts of climate change. The outcome of the project is enhanced capacity of the Ministry of Environment and Forests and other relevant ministries and line agencies for project preparation, implementation, and policy formulation in relation to Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan. One of the six themes of the plan is “Mitigation and low Carbon Development”, which includes an afforestation and reforestation program.

ADB through its “Second Chittagong Hill Tracts Rural Development”14 project aims to

improve rural livelihoods to reduce poverty amongst rural population of CHT. This will be done by institutional strengthening and participative community development, among others. Most of the people in CHT rely on agriculture for their livelihoods, and

10 http://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/asia/asia_where_work/bangladesh/about_us/bdongoingprojects/?7521/Environmental-Management-and-Biodiversity-Conservation-Plan-for-Sundarbans-Biodiversity 11 http://www.undp.org.bd/projects/prodocs/CHTDF/Programme%20Document%20with%20Signed%20Programme%20Cover%20Page%20-%2018%20Dec%2005-FINAL.pdf 12 http://www.ifad.org/operations/projects/design/99/bangladesh.pdf 13 http://www.adb.org/Documents/TARs/BAN/42478-BAN-TAR.pdf 14 http://www.adb.org/documents/concept-papers/ban/42248-ban-cp.pdf

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traditional shifting cultivation has been practiced in the area. With growing population, the rotation between cultivation and fallow has reduced from 10-12 years to an average of 3 years, meaning that lands are worked more intensively leaving it prone to nutrient depletion and topsoil erosion. Land degradation caused by reduced fallow periods combined with deforestation, loss of topsoil and increased water runoff has serious impacts on food security and environmental sustainability in the area.

34. COMPONENT FOUR: REDD+ STRATEGY SETTING. A national REDD+ strategy is the

main instrument that guides a country through a process of attaining REDD+ readiness and operationalizing REDD+. Key elements include, among others, the identification of key drivers of deforestation and forest degradation together opportunity costs, REDD+ intervention options, participatory processes, risk mitigation mechanisms, and carbon accounting and monitoring mechanisms. Potential partners include:

UNDP through its “Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change through Coastal

Afforestation”15 project aims to reduce the vulnerability of coastal communities of Bangladesh to climate change-induced risks and strengthen institutional mechanisms to support their adaptation to climate change impacts. The project results include establishing 7,000 hectares of mangrove, fruit and timber plantations increasing coastal area carbon sink capacity by 610,000 tons of carbon. While providing physical protection against erosion, mangrove forests are especially effective carbon sinks, having more than three times the absorptive capacity of non-mangrove forests. The project will provide livelihood diversification support for 85,000+ vulnerable people through plantation training and cash-for-work programmes. In relation to Bangladesh’s REDD+ readiness, this project could provide valuable experiences in carbon sink development as well as strengthening of institutional bodies and engaging stakeholders while also improving livelihoods of participating people.

GIZ with its “Sustainable energy for development”16 programme, provides an example

of means to enhance forest carbon stocks by decreasing the demand of firewood through the dissemination of energy saving cookstoves burning 50 % less biomass. GIZ with USAID is also supporting the Forest Department of the Government of Bangladesh which is implementing a project17 to conserve resources through community reforestation. The project is setting up a sustainable forest co-management system in the Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary. By restoring the forest in the sanctuary, the project is helping to trap carbon dioxide thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

SNV has been implementing “the National Domestic Biogas and Manure Programme (NDBMP)”18 since 2006. Through SNV’s advisory services over 17,000 biogas plants have been installed across Bangladesh by 30 partner organisations up to February 2011. In addition more than 10,000 people have been trained under the programme, with training

15 http://www.undp.org.bd/projects/prodocs/Coastal%20Afforestration/FINAL%20Coastal%20Afforestation%20factsheet%20Mar%202011.pdf 16 http://www.gtz.de/en/weltweit/asien-pazifik/bangladesch/19993.htm 17 http://www.gtz.de/en/weltweit/asien-pazifik/bangladesch/33841.htm 18 http://www.snvworld.org/en/countries/bangladesh/Pages/default.aspx

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covering e.g. biogas plant construction, operation, repair and maintenance and bioslurry utilisation and management. Producing energy by biogas technology reduces the need of firewood as an energy source, while bioslurry, the by-product of the process, is considered an excellent method of improving soil quality and hence agricultural production, addressing also the problem of declining soil fertility which has become a significant issue in many parts of Bangladesh. This project can act as an example of enhancing forest stock of Bangladesh by reducing the need of firewood.

Further opportunities for carbon stock enhancement can be derived from IFAD’s “Char Development and Settlement Project IV”19, which aims to establish in total 344 km of strip plantation, 995 ha of block and foreshore plantation, and 1,800 ha of mangrove plantations. These plantations give protection from cyclones but also provide fuel and livelihoods while increasing the forest cover in the Chars.

SDC has been implementing its “Agroforestry Partnership”20 in Bangladesh since 1986

aiming to improve the income base of people living in rural Bangladesh. The project supports poor farmers to increase their income by the development of high quality planting material for trees that are either heavy bearing, fast growing, drought- and flood-resistant, salinity tolerant, bear off-season and/or highly nutritive fruits. The establishment of over 7,300 private nurseries during the project has created over 10,000 permanent and 25,000 seasonal jobs. An estimated two million households have been able to diversify their income through better access to quality planting material. In addition a National Nursery Guideline providing a policy framework for the development and distribution of quality trees was endorsed in 2008 through the project’s involvement in the agroforestry sector. This project is expanding the tree cover of the country while also providing better income opportunities for people, taking also into account gender equality: Almost 50% of the employees of private nurseries are women who now generate their own income.

35. COMPONENT FIVE: REFERENCE SCENARIO. To be able to accurately predict the future

trends in forest development, acquiring adequate information about the past trends in forest cover and forest quality is crucial. This component aims to secure the country’s capacities to develop reference scenarios with an acceptable degree of accuracy and precision. Potential partners include:

UNDP through its “Second National Communication on Climate change (SNC)”21

project aims to facilitate the Government of Bangladesh in the preparation of its Second National Communication (SNC) to the UNFCCC, and in meeting its Convention obligations. The project will seek to promote the integration of climate change concerns into national sectoral/zonal development plans. One of the outputs of the project include conducting anthropogenic GHG emissions inventories, in which one of the major sectors that need to be covered is land use change and forestry including among others change in forest cover and woody biomass, and change in forest land-use. The project will carry out review of available statistical information, national policies and development

19 http://www.ifad.org/operations/projects/design/99/bangladesh.pdf 20 http://www.sdc.admin.ch/en/Home/Projects/Trees_for_life_Reducing_poverty_in_rural_Bangladesh_through_agroforestry 21 http://www.undp.org.bd/projects/prodocs/SNC/2008-10-07%20Signed%20copy%20of%20SNC%20Prodoc.pdf

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strategies for sectors that either emit GHG the most or have potential to reduce emission burden (including land use change & forestry) as well as for sectors most affected by climate change. Another output of the project is the development of programmes containing measures to mitigate climate change, with sectors including land-use, land-use change and forestry. The outcomes of this project could prove useful when analysing past trends in Bangladesh’s forest cover and carbon stocks.

FAO has a project called “Land degradation assessment and monitoring for sustainable

land management and climate change adaptation in South Asia”22 (TCP/RAS/3312), which could provide information on past trends in forest land management and the status of forest lands.

IUCN through “Mangroves for the Future: Investing in Coastal Ecosystems”23 project is

assisting the Government of Bangladesh to achieve full membership to the Mangroves for the Future Initiative, through which Bangladesh is expected to generate investments for sustainable coastal management and ecosystem conservation. The role of the IUCN includes developing a national strategy and action plan for coastal zone management of Bangladesh. This could be linked with scenario setting for future trends in forest development in REDD+ readiness.

36. COMPONENT SIX: NATIONAL MONITORING SYSTEM. REDD+ would not function

without having appropriate capacity at the national level to effectively measure, report and verify carbon performance and other benefits. Strengthening the national forest inventory process and developing scientific monitoring and data management capacities are key focus of this component.

U.S.D.A Forest Service with support from USAID has produced “Protocols for

Measuring & Reporting Carbon Stocks in Mangrove Forests with Special Reference to Carbon Assessment for Sundarbans Reserve Forest, Bangladesh”24. The cooperative agreement between U.S.D.A and USAID aims to build in-country capacity for measuring, monitoring, and reporting carbon stocks in wetland forests, with special attention to the Sundarbans Reserve Forest (SRF)—part of the largest contiguous mangrove in the world. A specific objective is to establish a plan for a combined carbon and resource inventory of the SRF to support: a) entry into global carbon markets, and b) an updated forest management plan.

22 https://extranet.fao.org/fpmis/FPMISReportServlet.jsp?APD=&countryId=BD&div=&fundG=&type=countryprofileopen&lng=EN&qlfrs=&UF=N&typeUF=&colorder=2345&pwb=&sorttype=1 23 http://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/asia/asia_where_work/bangladesh/about_us/bdongoingprojects/?7089/Mangroves-for-the-Future-Investing-in-Coastal-Ecosystems 24 Donato, D. C., Kauffman J. B., Stidham, M. 2009: Protocols for Measuring & Reporting Carbon Stocks in Mangrove Forests, With Special Reference to Carbon Assessment for Sundarbans Reserve Forest, Bangladesh. 77 p. U.S.D.A Forest Service.

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Annex 7: DRAFT TOR FOR REDD+ READINESS ROADMAP TEAM LEADER Lead Technical Advisor, Bangladesh National REDD+ Readiness Roadmap Background Over the past two years the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has made significant steps towards preparation for implementation of REDD+. These steps include the establishment of three committees, namely:

A National REDD+ Steering Committee A REDD+ Technical Working Committee A REDD+ Strategy Drafting Committee

Also, REDD+ pilot proposals are being prepared for (1) the Sundarbans, supported by the USAID-funded IPAC project, with a request submitted to the World Bank Bio-carbon Fund for carbon financing; and (2) Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, with funding support from GIZ. Bangladesh joined the UN REDD Programme, the application approved by an inter-sessional decision of the UN-REDD Policy Board, in August, 2010. This led to UNDP committing to support the Royal Government of Cambodia with an initial REDD+ Readiness process independent of the UN REDD Programme, but serving as a preparatory phase for a future UN-REDD Country Programme. Although there have been several initiatives in support of REDD+ readiness, as illustrated above, overall progress remains patchy and uncoordinated. Therefore the initial financial support from UNDP will be used to prepare a REDD+ Readiness Roadmap for Bangladesh. UNDP funding will enable the recruitment of an international team leader, who will work with a number of national experts, to be assigned by the Forest Department and other agencies. Responsibilities The Team Leader will provide technical leadership for a team of experts and provide advice to the GoB in relation to the following outputs: 1. The completion of a “REDD+ Readiness Roadmap” for Bangladesh, which will describe all

the capacities required for the country to the ready for REDD+, the current initiatives of the government and development partners that are contributing to this process, and the capacity gaps that remain to be addressed;

2. Proposals for the scope of a future UN-REDD Country Programme, the main objective of which should be to address capacity gaps identified by the REDD+ Readiness Roadmap;

3. A proposal for a “Phase 2” (sensu UNFCCC Decision CP.16/1; paragraph 73) REDD+ initiative for Bangladesh, with UNDP support and engaging a broad range of development partners and government agencies.

Outputs and Activities

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1. REDD+ Readiness Roadmap The preparation of the REDD+ Readiness Roadmap will involve the following indicative activities (but may also require additional activities, to be determined): Analysis of the current legal and policy framework in support of REDD+ in Bangladesh,

including all relevant sectoral policies; Analysis of drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, and of constraints to

sustainability of past and current efforts on reforestation, conservation, and sustainable forest management;

Analysis of required capacities for REDD+ implementation; Mapping of existing initiatives supported by the GoB and development partners

contributing to the establishment of required capacities; Identification of the resulting capacity gaps, and formulation of a workplan to address those

gaps Estimation a required budget to address capacity gaps The REDD+ Readiness Roadmap will be formulated in broad consultation with all main stakeholder groups, and the final document will be subject to endorsement through consultative workshops at the national, and sub-national levels. The REDD+ Readiness Roadmap should be completed by the end of 2011, and it is anticipated that implementation of the Roadmap should cover a period of 2 years (subject to analysis of opportunities and gaps). 2. Preliminary UN-REDD Programme Document

Based on the results of the REDD+ Readiness Roadmap, a preliminary UN-REDD Programme Document will be prepared in anticipation of future UN-REDD funding (Note: there is no guarantee of future funding or of the timing of such funding). The UN-REDD Programme Document should address as many as possible of the capacity gaps identified in the Roadmap. The UN-REDD Programme Document should incorporate all UN-REDD guidance concerning REDD+ readiness (for example, regarding stakeholder engagement, application of environmental and social safeguards, etc.). Where appropriate, the document should also identify opportunities for regional cooperation on REDD+ readiness. A draft should be prepared by the end of January, 2012, anticipating a UN-REDD Country Programme to be implemented over a period of 2-3 years. It is expected that the UN-REDD Country Programme will contribute to several key elements of REDD+ “architecture”, including a National REDD+ Strategy, a REDD+ compliant Benedfit Distribution System, a national MRV (possibly based on regional cooperation), and a system of social and environmental safeguards. 3. Phase 2 Proposal A proposal for a Phase 2 initiative, probably focusing on the Chittagong Hill Tracts, should build on a previous UNDP concept paper entitled “Shamol Bangladesh: Greening Initiative for Sustainable Livelihood of Rural Poor and Biodiversity Conservation”. The Phase 2 initiative should

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seek to reduce emissions and enhance removals at a significant scale in one of the main forested regions of the country (nominally, the Chittagong Hill Tracts). It should thus include provision for results-based payments, which will require a broad partnership of development partners, and mobilization of substantial financial resources to cover both technical assistance and payments. UNDP Country Programme funds are anticipated to provide some of the technical assistance costs, but contributions from other partners will also be required. The Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund, the Bangladesh Climate Resilience Fund, and the Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Facility are all potential sources of funding for results-based payments. The Phase 2 initiative should be implemented over a period of 4-5 years, and pave the way for Bangladesh to move to REDD+ Phase 3 (sensu UNFCCC Decision CP.16/1; paragraph 73), through generating lessons that will be used in improving the various elements of REDD+ architecture developed under the UN-REDD Country Programme and other initiatives.