for community level facilitators - plan vivo · community level facilitators is an attempt in this...

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A TRAINING OF TRAINERS MANUAL FOR

REDD+ For community level facilitators

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RECOFTC – The Center for People and Forests is the only international not-for-profit organization that specializes in capacity building for community forestry and devolved forest management in Asia-Pacific. Beginning as a knowledge hub in 1987, RECOFTC has actively supported the development of community forestry institutions, policies and programs in the region.

The views expressed in this manual do not necessarily reflect those of RECOFTC – The Center for People and Forests, The Ministry of Forestry and Soil Conservation of Nepal, The Asia Network for Sustainable Agriculture and Bioresources (ANSAB), The Federation of Community Forestry Users, Nepal (FECOFUN), ForestAction, The Foresters Association Nepal, The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), The Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) and The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). RECOFTC, The Ministry of Forestry and Soil Conservation of Nepal, ANSAB, FECOFUN, ForestAction, The Foresters Association Nepal, ICIMOD, NEFIN, and Norad disclaim any errors or omissions in the translation of this document from the original version in Nepali into English.

Published by: RECOFTC – The Center for People and Forests, P.O. Box 1111, Kasetsart Post Office, Bangkok 10903, Thailand

Manual prepared byShambhu Dangal, Bishnu Hari Paudyal and Harisharan Luintel

Contribution to reading materialEak Bahadur Rana, Dil Bahadur Khatri and Nagmindra Dahal

ReviewersRamesh Bahadur Dangi and Dr. Naya Sharma Poudel

English language editorsDr. Chandra Shekhar Silori, Simone Frick and Lena Buell

Art, typesetting and designBhim Bahadur Thapa and Arjun Gyawali

Copyright: © 2012 RECOFTC – The Center for People and Forests gives permission to make digital or hard copies of portions or all of this work for educational or non-commercial purposes without fee or prior written consent provided the copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that the source is fully acknowledged. Copies of this work, and translations of this work, should bear this full citation on the first page in print or the first screen in digital media. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than RECOFTC must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, to republish, to post on servers, or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission. Send written requests for republication to RECOFTC – The Center for People and Forests, P.O. Box 1111, Kasetsart Post Office, Bangkok 10903, Thailand. Please email your queries to [email protected].

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A few words

Climate change is one of the most debated topics around the world at present. Many countries have experienced its effects in different forms. According to scientists, Nepal is likely to be affected more severely than other countries due to its socio-economic structure and unique geographical characteristics. Therefore, there is an urgent need to prepare to mitigate the impacts of climate change and build capacity to adapt to the changing climate. Forestry is identified as one of the crucial sectors, which has potential to play a very positive role in this regard. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) is therefore being proposed as one of the most cost effective tools, which not only will help in bringing down carbon emission rates, but also help to conserve forests, improve biodiversity, and secure livelihoods of forest-dependent communities. Accordingly, countries and communities that protect their forests by stopping deforestation and forest degradation will be rewarded through the payment mechanism of REDD+.

As the concept of REDD+ is new, it is essential for all concerned stakeholders to understand it and contribute to the evolving process of this mechanism, particularly poor and marginal communities living in and around forests. In order to achieve optimum participation of all concerned stakeholders, information on REDD+ must be disseminated in an accessible, flexible and dynamic format that meets specific, practical needs. The REDD+ debate has generated a considerable amount of information in a short space of time, some of it contradictory, most of it complex in nature, and all of it subject to continuous revisions and correction in the light of technical, institutional and political changes.

This training manual for national and sub-national level facilitators is a timely step forward in this direction. It aims to create a well-trained human resource base in the country, which can help raising awareness and build capacity among forestry sector grassroots stakeholders. Since the concept and idea of REDD+ is new and still evolving, it is expected that this manual will undergo further revisions over time.

I am pleased to see such a collective effort by key organizations working for REDD+ in Nepal in preparing this training manual. I would like to congratulate and thank all those who have contributed in this process. In particular, the able guidance of Shambhu Dangal, Bisnu Hari Paudyal and Harisaran Luintel was very much appreciated. The contribution from all other members involved is equally valued and appreciated. I would also like to thank Keshab Khanal, Ramasheswor Mandal, Dil Raj Khanal, Eak Bahadur Rana, Dil Bahadur Khatri, Ngamindra Dahal, Bryan Busli, Jailab Kumar Rai, Kalpana Giri and Shivsankar Panday for their contribution. Thanks are also due to Krisnamurari Bhandari, Paras Nepal and Arjun Gyawali for language editing and typesetting. Finally, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Regional Community Forestry Training Center for Asia and the Pacific (RECOFTC) Bangkok, Thailand, and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) for providing financial assistance.

Yub Raj BhushalSecretaryMinistry of Forest and Soil Conservation, Nepal

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Realizing the importance of forests to the global issue of climate change mitigation, forest conservation and management is being promoted through REDD+. Various international agencies, together with developed and developing countries, are working to support REDD+ and its related structures. This is happening in Nepal, where the development of locally appropriate REDD+ structures is needed. For the successful implementation of REDD+ in Nepal, the active participation of all stakeholders is essential. Therefore, demand for REDD+ related awareness and capacity building programs is increasing from different levels.

Considering the growing demand, the Regional Community Forestry Training Center for Asia and the Pacific (RECOFTC), now known as The Center for People and Forests, Bangkok, Thailand, with financial support from Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), initiated grassroots capacity building for REDD+ in the Asia-Pacific region, covering four countries – Nepal, Indonesia, Lao PDR and Vietnam. This training manual for community level facilitators is one of the key contributions of this ongoing program, targeted at building the trained human resource base, who in turn can help raising awareness and building the capacity of forestry sector grassroots stakeholders.

I am very happy to note that the process of preparing this manual involved the collective efforts of six different organizations in the country. I would like to congratulate and thank the National REDD - Forestry and Climate Change Cell of the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, Government of Nepal, for coordinating such an important and timely effort. I would also like to acknowledge the significant contribution made by all the participating organizations during the preparation process of this manual. The collective experience and wisdom of all the organizations has certainly added value and helped make this manual a useful REDD+ development tool.

I would also like to congratulate the project implementation team both at the regional and national level for taking this big step forward and bringing out such an important resource on time, helping contribute to the ongoing process of REDD+ in the country.

I am sure this manual will undergo further revisions and improvements as the REDD+ mechanism evolves further and throws up new challenges. However, I am confident that this experience of pooling resources will be an important lesson for other countries for this project and will help them take a similar initiative to meet the growing demand for training and capacity building material for REDD+.

Thank you for this valuable effort and with best wishes,

Yam Malla, PhDExecutive DirectorRECOFTC - The Center for People and Forests, Bangkok

A few words from RECOFTC

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The capacity enhancement of a nation, civil society, local communities, and the private sector to fulfill obligations set by international laws is one of the fundamental prerequisites of a sovereign state. In order to achieve the mission and objectives set by the United Nation Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) 1992 protocols, it is clear that attention needs to be paid to developing countries in order to enhance their capacity to tackle the growing threat of climate change. REDD+ has recently been proposed as the most cost effective mechanism to mitigate the likely negative impacts of climate change. Efforts in this direction have accelerated over the past 3-4 years, mainly in developing countries, which are facing severe pressure on their forest lands leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions.

REDD+ is a new mechanism, which has generated a huge amount of information in a relatively short time. Most of it is complex in nature. Therefore, it is important that a capacity building program for concerned stakeholders is designed to provide updated information on the evolving mechanism of REDD+. This training manual for community level facilitators is an attempt in this direction.

Having a strong history of community forestry, the capacity enhancement of forestry sector stakeholders has deep roots in Nepal. However, capacity enhancement for climate change related issues, including REDD+, is rather a recent initiative. With the growing threat of climate change in Nepal, capacity enhancement becomes fundamental in building resilience among stakeholders in the forestry and land use management sectors in the country. In this context, the capacity enhancement of grassroots communities, who are among the most vulnerable, needs to be given priority.

This facilitator training manual, therefore, aims to address this concern by creating a trained human resource base in the country, mainly for grassroots-level capacity building. This should ensure that they are able to contribute to the evolving implementation process of REDD+ in Nepal and gain from the likely benefits of the proposed mechanism.

This training manual has been developed by a consortium of seven member organizations, coordinated by the National REDD Cell of the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, Government of Nepal. This collaborative effort has contributed updated information on REDD+ by providing reference material, case study examples in the national context, and making REDD+ more relevant to the grassroots level. We sincerely hope that this manual will be a useful instrument in building the capacity of all concerned stakeholders for REDD+ and thus be able to contribute to the ongoing process in the country. We would also like to highlight that since REDD+ is a mechanism that is still unfolding and changing, this training manual will need to be updated and revised in a timely way. Therefore, this training manual can not be treated as completed and perfect in all respects. We expect and welcome suggestions and feedback from the users of this manual and all other concerned stakeholders in order to further improve it.

Foreword

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In conclusion, preparation of this manual has been a learning experience for all of us. We would like to sincerely thank all the contributing organizations for giving their useful inputs in various forms and adding value to this training manual. We hope that this collaborative effort will go a long way and ultimately contribute to the REDD+ program in Nepal. Thanks are also due to the Grassroots Capacity Building Project Coordinator, Dr. Chandra S. Silori, for providing us this opportunity and also sharing his useful insights and editorial support during the course of preparing this manual.

Shambhu Dangal, Bishnu Hari Paudyal and Harisharan Luintel

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Contents

A few words i

A few words from RECOFTC ii

Foreword iii

Training schedule vi

Introduction 1

REDD+ training evaluation form 3

Session facilitation guideline (first day) Session 1: Introductory session 6 Session 2: Climate change and its effects 8 Session 3: Role of forests in mitigation and adaptation to climate change 10 Session 4: The services received from forests 12 Session facilitation guideline (second day) Session 5: Deforestation and forest degradation in Nepal 15 Session 6: Concept of REDD+ 17 Session 7: REDD+ stakeholders in Nepal, their rights and responsibilities 19 Session 8: Issues and challenges of REDD+ 21 Session 9: Concluding session 23 Session 9.1: Synthesis of training 23 Session 9.2: Training evaluation and conclusion 25

Reading materials

Reading 1: Climate change and its effects 27 Reading 2: Wall poster of carbon sequestration and emission 33 Reading 3: Role of forests in mitigation and adaptation to climate change 34 Reading 4: Forests and payment for ecosystem services 38 Reading 5: Deforestation and forest degradation in Nepal 43 Reading 6: Concept of REDD+ 49 Reading 7: REDD+ stakeholders in Nepal, their rights and responsibilities 52 Reading 8: Resolutions and rights secured by various convention agreements 57 Reading 9: Issues and challenges of REDD+ 63

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Training schedule

Day Time Session/activities

One 10.00 – 11.00 Introduction and training initiation

11.00 – 12.30 Climate change and its effects

12.30 – 12.40 Break

12.40 – 14.10 Adaptation and mitigation for the effects of climate change and the role of forests

14.10 – 14.40 Snacks

14.40 – 16.10 The services received from forests

16.10 – 16.20 Break

16.20 – 17.50 Daily evaluation

Two 10.00 – 11.30 Condition of deforestation and forest degradation in Nepal and concept of REDD+

Reading materials

11.30 – 11.40 Break

11.40 – 13.10 Rights, responsibilities and prospective effects on REDD+ stakeholders, forest-dependent people, and indigenous community

13.10 – 13.40 Snacks

13.40 – 15.10 Issues raised in REDD+ mechanism, suggestions and feedback

15.10 – 15.20 Break

15.20 – 16.50 Presentation on training’s main message

16.50 – 17.20 Training evaluation and conclusion

Note: It is possible for facilitator and organizer to alter the timetable if required.

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The ‘greenhouse effect’ is caused by the rise in human induced greenhouse gas emissions into the earth’s atmosphere, most noticeably since the start of the Industrial Revolution in Europe in the 1750s. Shortwave radiation from the sun enters the earth’s atmosphere. When this radiation hits the earths surface part of it is absorbed and part of it is reflected or refracted back into the atmosphere as longwave radiation. Much of the longwave radiation cannot escape out of the earth’s atmosphere into space, and instead is kept in the atmosphere. Over time this longwave radiation builds up in the atmosphere causing a gradual warming of the earth’s atmosphere, known as ‘global warming.’

Reducing deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) has been proposed as one of the most cost effective means to mitigate the impacts of climate change. REDD+ is proposed to be implemented through payments by developed countries to developing countries for reducing emissions through conserving natural forests, promoting sustainable forest management, and ultimately enhancing forest carbon stocks. This mechanism as a whole is called REDD+ (plus). The REDD+ concept has successfully drawn the attention of the international community, individuals, institutions, and companies, as well as local communities that have direct links to the forests. However, despite the structure and implementation mechanism of REDD+ still being debated at various levels, many are hoping that this will help in reducing the current rate of tropical deforestation and ultimately help in addressing climate change issues.

Preparations are underway to move this concept forward at various levels. Framing relevant policies and creating an informed human resource base have been among the key preparatory efforts. Similarly in Nepal, national level efforts are underway to prepare REDD+ readiness plans and required support and backup to implement those plans. In view of the ongoing developments in the country, it is important that they are shared with the most concerned individuals and institutions at the grassroots level, with the capacity of these stakeholders enhanced. This will enable them to contribute positively to ongoing efforts and ultimately benefit from REDD+.

This requires effective communication, consultations, awareness raising, training and capacity building interventions. This will help stakeholders understand the concept of REDD+ in the local and national context and be able to analyze the short and long term effects of the proposed mechanism on local communities and their forest areas. However, there is a serious lack of adequate resource materials and relevant human resources to build the capacity of grassroots stakeholders. Hence, this training manual has been prepared to address this need of facilitators, helping them to understand and explain about REDD+ in simple language and also in acquiring skills in facilitating trainings in related topics.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE TRAINING MANUAL

This manual aims to train and help grassroots level facilitators to explain the REDD+ concept and climate change to grassroots level stakeholders, including project implementers, local communities and indigenous people.

Introduction

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The specific objectives of this training manual are to:

� convey up to date information about REDD+ and climate change to community level.

� equip training facilitators with the method, tools and contents to facilitate REDD+ trainings with grassroots level stakeholders.

� create, facilitate and be a medium to bring local communities’ desires, wishes and views to national policy level.

USERS OF THIS TRAINING MANUAL

This training manual has been prepared for community level facilitators who are willing to learn and deliver knowledge about climate change and the REDD+ concept to grassroots stakeholders. This manual is primarily intended to raise the awareness of local communities and indigenous people who are dependent on forests, enhancing their capacity to analyze and contribute to the REDD+ mechanism. This training manual is intended to guide facilitators to lead sessions about REDD+ and climate change. Therefore, it is highly recommended that instead of using this manual as a sole guide and completely depending on it, it is a prerequisite that facilitators are well versed with the skills and subjects required to facilitate trainings and workshops. It is also expected that the users of this manual are well informed about participant-centered learning, adult learning theory and community based natural resource management. As the preparation of the training manual itself is an ongoing process, it is essential to update this regularly along with learnings from training implementation.

TRAINING MANUAL STRUCTURE

This training manual is structured to explain to grassroots stakeholders in simple language the concepts of climate change and REDD+, benefits and services derived from forests, the link between forests and climate change, and current issues surrounding climate change and REDD+, especially with reference to the local communities and indigenous people and the relevant implementation framework. The content presented in this manual is divided into seven different sessions, spread over a two-day training program.

HOW TO USE THE TRAINING MANUAL

The main objective of this training manual is to help a facilitator to present the concepts of climate change and REDD+ in simple language. Accordingly, this manual is divided into different sessions and sections. It is highly advised that the facilitators using this manual prepare themselves with updated knowledge on the subject, look into the time schedule of different sessions, objectives, methods, activities and context materials prior to delivering training effectively. While contextualizing the training sessions and module, it is recommended that they are backed up with the most relevant case studies, as well as simple games and other material required during the training program.

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Training program no.

Village……….. District……….. Zone……….. State……….. Country……….. No. of participants……… No. of female participants……… No. of male participants………

1. Have you heard about climate change?

A) Yes B) No 2. Have you experienced any signs and effects of climate change?

A) Yes B) No

If yes, please give details in the table below

Signs No. of participantsTemperature increaseChange in rainfall pattern – is it erratic?Change in snowfall patternChange in plants and flower blossoming seasonsChange in cropping patterns and productivity Change in water resourcesOthers

What benefits do you get from the forest?

Benefits No. of participantsWatershed managementBetter climate Biodiversity protectionClean air Aesthetic beauty Entertainment Carbon sequestrationOthers

The evaluation should be completed before and after the awareness-raising event to compare the answers and assess learning.

REDD+ training evaluation form1Form

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Suggestions No. of participantsMore tree planting Better and improved laws and rules and their strict implementation Improved participation of the stakeholders in forest managementTraining and capacity enhancement Mechanism for fair benefit distribution Good governance.

4. Give your own suggestions.

3. In your view, what types of interventions need to be implemented for sustainable forest management at the local level, especially in community forest areas, to reduce the effects of climate change?

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SESSION FACILITATION GUIDELINE

1Day

6

Introductory session1Session

Time: 1 hour

Methods: 1. Participants’

introduction.

2. Discussion.

3. Question/answer.

Materials: 1. Training banner.

2. Pencil, notebook,

marker, meta-

cards.

3. Flip chart of

training objective,

training schedule

and pretest

questionnaire.

¹INTRODUCTION

A conducive teaching and learning environment should be created for effective training, taking into consideration various elements that impact training effectiveness. These include training inauguration, participants and facilitators’ introduction, and training methods and management. Depending on the situation, training can be inaugurated either formally or informally. There must be friendly behavior among and between participants and facilitators, for which they should know each other very well. Furthermore, involvement of participants in logistic management of the training also increases effectiveness. This introductory session is designed keeping these aspects in mind.

OBJECTIVES

Objectives of this session are to:

� Commence the training formally. � Increase familiarity between and among the

participants. � Obtain feedback from the participants on the pretest

questionnaire. � Identify the key learning interests and expectations of

the participants. � Lay out a plan for training execution.

SESSION ACTIVITIES

� Welcome to all participants and other invitees on behalf of the organizer.

� Inaugurate the training program by putting up a banner that includes training topic, venue and time as stated by the organizer.

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� Using different methods (for example: pair introduction, personal introduction), make the introduction ceremony more entertaining and participatory.

� Document the expectations of the participants. � From the list of expectations, clarify what is within the scope of the training

program and what is beyond it. � Explain the objectives and schedule of the training program, using flip charts

displayed clearly to all participants. � Nominate reporter and facilitator through consultation. � Explain training time schedule and norms and values. � Distribute pre-test form (Annex-I) to all participants and give them time to

complete. � Collect the completed forms. � Ask participants to raise questions for clarification and conclude the session by

informing that the main subject will start after the training formalities.

CONCLUSION

The primary goal of the introductory session is to provide a simple framework for the training and build cohesion and familiarity between the facilitators and training participants. The training structure and methodology should facilitate the smooth execution of the remaining sessions.

FORWARD LINKAGE

Conclude by briefly indicating the scope and schedule of the next session.

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Climate change and its effects2Session

Time: 1 hour and

30 minutes

Methods: Brain-storming,

discussion, poster

presentation.

Materials: 1. Marker pen,

newsprint, meta-

cards.

2. Flip chart, poster,

newsprints,

meta-cards and

transparency paper

which has been

prepared to present

about climate

change and its

effects.

Reference Material: Reading 1: Climate

change and its

effects.

¹INTRODUCTION

Human activities have increased pollution in the atmosphere, disrupting ongoing natural processes in the climate cycle. These changes have triggered a number of serious climate-related problems, including drought, very intensive or very low rainfall, temperature increase, and increased flooding.

This session will briefly outline what is being experienced and discussed at the global level on recent natural disasters and other similar events, then link them to similar experiences at the local level.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this session participants will be able to:

� Prepare a list of the changes in the climate they have observed and experienced in their own context and surroundings.

� Analyze potential risks of such changes, with some location-specific examples.

� Analyze the causes of climate change and its drivers. � Create a list of information about climate change that

has been identified at local level

PREPARATION

� Clearly understand the key facts and figures related to climate change and brush up on the ongoing research.

� Prepare posters, charts, and other training and reading material on climate change.

SESSION ACTIVITIES

� Explain to participants the session’s objectives, its method and duration.

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� Encourage them to put forth their views on the changes in weather over the last 20 to 30 years.

� List the responses and display them for the group. � Inquire about the causes and effects of changes in weather and record the

response. � Facilitate the discussion by sharing the scientific explanation of climate

change - the effect of greenhouse gases, what greenhouse gases are, where they come from and what are their impacts.

� Encourage participants to react to the scientific explanation of greenhouse gas production and record the responses.

� Probe further about what role forests play in balancing the level of greenhouse gases, or in other words, reducing the impacts of climate change. Inform the participants that the next session will focus more on some of these issues.

EVALUATION

Evaluate the session asking the following questions:

� What are the indicators of climate change at local level? � Can you give two reasons for climate change? � What are the main effects of climate change at local level?

CONCLUSION

Climate change is currently a global topic of discussion. The frequent change of atmospheric condition on a daily basis is weather, and average weather conditions at a particular place over a long period of time is called climate. A primary driver of climate change is the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Among them, carbon dioxide is has the greatest impact on climate change. It is produced by human activities such as industrial growth, use of energy, burning fossil fuels, and deforestation.

FORWARD LINKAGE

The next session will focus on various options being suggested and implemented to mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts, including the role of forests.

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Role of forests in climate change mitigation and adaptation

3Session

Time: 1 hour and

30 minutes

Methods: Brainstorming,

lecture,

presentation,

plenary discussion

and snow-ball

exercise.

Materials: 1. Flip chart, marker.

2. Posters and other

similar material to

explain adaptation

and mitigation

towards climate

change and the role

of forest in it.

Reference Materials: 1. Reading 2:

Wall poster

of carbon

sequestration and

emission.

2. Reading 3:

Role of forest

climate change

mitigation and

adaptation.

¹INTRODUCTION

In the last session, we discussed the concept and definition of climate change, its causes, and impacts at different levels and geographical scales. Two approaches are advocated to reduce the impacts of climate change: adaptation and mitigation. Adaptation involves making changes to existing systems, structures, and ways of life to reduce vulnerability and increase the resilience of a community to climate change. It goes hand in hand with mitigation, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or enhance the removal of these gases from the atmosphere, for example through improving carbon sinks such as forests. The role of forests in both adaptation and mitigation is discussed in this session.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

� Understand the various causes of climate change. � Explain the role of forests in reducing climate change

impacts, and the particular importance of community forestry with its strong foundation in Nepal.

� Explain, with examples, the habitual changes that plants and animals have faced due to climate change.

� Put down a list of action points on how forests help in adapting to climate change.

PREPARATION

� Keep posters, pictures, and other required materials ready to explain the important role forests play in climate change mitigation and adaptation.

� Keep ready all the facts and figures and relevant information about how forests fit into the global carbon sequestration and emission cycle.

� Prepare updated information about forest cover in the country and how it is being considered to address climate change threats in Nepal.

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SESSION ACTIVITIES

� Explain session plan, objective, topics to be discussed and the time frame. � Probe the impacts of climate change on forests and list the responses. Encourage

women participants to also give their opinion on this. Clearly explain the dual role played by the forests – carbon sink as well as source of carbon dioxide.

� Link the responses with the examples of incidences and experiences shared by the participants in the previous session.

� Using the snow-ball method, discuss how forests help biodiversity and community adaptation.

� Present the carbon dioxide sequestration and emission cycle in a very simple manner. Explain the relationship between carbon and carbon dioxide in the presentation.

� Conclude the session by explaining that forests serve both as a source of carbon emissions and a resource for carbon sequestration, and play an important role in climate change adaptation and mitigation.

EVALUATION

Evaluate the session asking the following questions:

� What are the effects of climate change on forest? � How does deforestation and forest degradation add to climate change? � How do plants and animals adapt to climate change? How does this help humans

adapt?

CONCLUSION

Forests are a natural resource that can both decrease and increase climate change, depending on how they are used. Unsustainable or destructive use of forest resources can increase carbon dioxide emissions, but careful management can mitigate climate change through the restoration of carbon stocks. Retaining healthy, vibrant forest ecosystems can also help improve food security and local livelihoods, supporting communities to adapt to climate change.

FORWARD LINKAGE

In this session, we discussed the important role forests play in reducing the effects of climate change and how they help animals and plants to adapt to its effects. Furthermore, forests and their services will be discussed in the next session.

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The services received from forests 4Session

Time: 1 hour and

30 minutes

Methods: Participatory

discussions, small

group discussion,

presentation,

synthesis and

interaction on

the case study

of payment for

ecosystem services.

Materials: Brown papers,

markers, masking

tape.

Reference Material: Reading 4:

Forest and payment

for ecosystem

services.

¹INTRODUCTION

In the previous session, we learned about the role of forests in mitigating and adapting to climate change. In this session, we will focus on the services provided by forests. Before adding REDD+ to this context, it is essential for facilitators to understand that forests are potentially one of the main sources of decreasing carbon emissions and securing livelihoods of local communities. All these put together are termed ecosystem services, which will be discussed in this session.

OBJECTIVES


� Explain the importance of biodiversity in supporting livelihoods and providing other services.

� Explain the link between sustainable forest management and biodiversity protection.

� List the services obtained from forests. � Explain the concept of payment for environmental

services (PES) and the rationale and relevance behind this concept.

� Support arguments and explanations with some local actions and examples.

PREPARATION

� Ensure the required materials for group work and study are ready for the training.

� Review the reading material on payment for ecosystem services and other background materials. Keep it ready for distribution.

� Prepare a short presentation based on the reading materials.

� Keep yourself updated with the latest developments and local situations, so that participants are adequately informed about the topic.

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SESSION ACTIVITIES

� Explain session plan, objectives, methods and time frame. � Considering the number of participants, divide them into four to five mixed groups. � Provide guidelines for discussion and develop a list of the services that could be

gained from forests. Give 15-20 minutes for the discussions and ask them to present it back.

� Explain the concept of ecosystem services using a presentation and encourage a discussion.

� Share the case study on payment for ecosystem services with participants. � Probe about which aspects of PES need to be given attention in the local context. � Display the responses for everyone’s knowledge. � Discuss what services are creditable for payment and trade in the local context

(village and household level). � Discuss the eligible services for which communities can receive payment. � Explain the required norms and conditions for receiving payment by the communities. � Explain the process and mechanism of evaluating the environmental services. � Conclude the session at this point, with a note that further discussion will be taken

up on this topic in the next session. � Encourage participants to raise questions on the topic.

EVALUATION

Evaluate the session by asking the following questions:

� What are the ecosystem services provided by forests? � How can payment for ecosystem services (PES) be carried out? � What are supportive elements of PES?

CONCLUSION

The concept of payment for ecosystem services is gaining recognition, as new research and findings are being published. In this context, there are various elements of environmental services, including, watershed functions, biodiversity values, livelihood security and more recently, carbon emission reduction potential. Logically, there is a need to give adequate attention to understand the methods used for quantifying these services, including carbon, in order to decide the best payment mechanism, as well as equitable sharing of the benefits among forest managers.

FORWARD LINKAGE

The next session is linked to the PES mechanism. We will start with a discussion on drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Nepal and how this can be reduced. In the same context, we investigate how the PES mechanism is likely to work.

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SESSION FACILITATION GUIDELINE

2Day

15

Deforestation and forest degradation in Nepal

5Session

Time: 1 hour and

30 minutes

Methods: Brainstorming,

diamond ranking,

discussions,

presentation

Materials: Marker, tape, brown

paper, white board


Deforestation and

Forest Degradation

in Nepal

¹INTRODUCTION

In the previous sessions, we learned about the role of forests in reducing the effects of climate change and also generating revenue through the PES mechanism. In this session, we will further discuss the PES mechanism, exclusively by referring to REDD+, as it is one of the potential services that could generate additional income to local communities. However, prior to this, it will be useful to understand the current state of deforestation and forest degradation in Nepal.

OBJECTIVES

At the end of this session, participants will able to:

� Analyze and explain the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation at local level.

� Explain the state of community forest around the villages and the challenges and opportunities for improving their condition.

PREPARATION

� Presentation and other material to explain the state of deforestation and forest degradation in Nepal.

� List of drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. � Concise presentation on existing challenges, especially

referring to the local context and discussing the situations that participants find easy to relate to.

SESSION ACTIVITIES

� Introduce the session, its objectives, content, methods and duration.

� Explain the existing land use pattern in Nepal, factors influencing the changes in land use and linking them to deforestation and forest degradation.

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� Encourage participants to list the main drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in their own context.

� Simultaneously, get their feedback on the corresponding challenges to drivers of deforestation.

� Use the responses from the participants to identify their understanding about the links between REDD+ and forest protection and record the responses on a flip chart for everybody’s knowledge.

� Encourage participants to raise any concerns or clarification.

EVALUATION


� Can you list three drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in our country? � What are the challenges and possibilities to stop deforestation and forest

degradation?

CONCLUSION

At present, Nepal is experiencing loss of forest at a rate of 1.7% per annum. Forest degradation is occurring at an even higher rate. The rate of deforestation and forest degradation between mountain, hill and the Terai region varies due to the range of factors driving deforestation and degradation in each region. Illegal felling, weak governance and associated corruption, and ever-increasing demand for forest products have accelerate the process of deforestation and forest degradation in recent years.

FORWARD LINKAGE

REDD+ has been proposed to reduce the amount of carbon produced from deforestation and forest degradation. This mechanism, though, is yet to be implemented on the ground. The next session will focus on REDD+ to understand it and the various challenges related to its implementation.

17

The concept of REDD+ 6Session

Time: 1 hour and

30 minutes

Methods: Presentation and

discussions.

Materials: 1. Brown paper,

markers.

2. Flip chart

containing the

concept of REDD+,

marker, tape, brown

paper.


The concept of

REDD+.

¹INTRODUCTION

In some of the previous sessions, we learned about the process, causes and impacts of climate change, and the role of forests in mitigation and adaptation to climate change. Linked to this, we also discussed the causes and drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Nepal. In this session, we will discuss REDD+, which advocates reducing emissions by avoiding deforestation and forest degradation, whereby countries with higher emissions will pay developing countries for stopping deforestation and forest degradation. How this payment mechanism will operate is also going to be focus of this session.

OBJECTIVES


� Explain the process of development of REDD+ and REDD+ and its relevance in Nepal.

� Prepare a list of fundamental prerequisites for REDD+ implementation, along with the challenges.

PREPARATION

� Updated with the recent developments related to REDD+ at global as well as national level.

� On brown paper, list key steps and points to explain the concept of REDD+.

SESSION ACTIVITIES

� Introduce the objective, method and duration of the session.

� Briefly recall the discussion on the role of forests in mitigation and adaptation to climate change.

� Linked to the above point, explain the concept of REDD+ using posters, flip charts, PowerPoint presentations or a documentary film explaining the process and evolution of REDD+.

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� Explain the requirements for implementation of REDD+ and generate a discussion. � Share with the participants about issues and challenges of REDD+ implementation

and encourage participants to add to this, based on their own situation. � Display the discussion points for everybody’s knowledge. � Conclude the session by summarizing the concept of REDD+ and its potential in the

country’s context and encourage participants to raise questions and comments.

EVALUATION


� What is the difference between REDD and REDD+? � What are the requirements and challenges to implement REDD+?

CONCLUSION

The concept of REDD+ was developed with the objective of reducing carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. In 2007, after a UN conference held in Bali, Indonesia, REDD+ was approved and commenced as a mechanism to reduce climate change. Recently, this concept moved from only reducing carbon emissions from forests, to protecting existing forests, the sustainable management of forests, and to increase the carbon stock of forests. In order to have sustainable forest management, which exists as a compulsory precondition for REDD+ implementation, it is necessary to stop deforestation and forest degradation at the community level.

FORWARD LINKAGE

Forest stakeholders will experience positive and negatives effects during the implementation process. End the session after informing that the next session will discuss who the stakeholders are, and the effects REDD+ has on them.

19

REDD+ stakeholders in Nepal, their rights and responsibilities

7Session

Time: 1 hour and

30 minutes

Methods: Plenary discussion,

group work and

presentation.

Materials: 1. Brown sheets,

markers.

2. Presentation

material that

reflects the

current social

and economic

conditions.

3. Summary of the

rights insured by

the International

Labour

Organization.

Reference Materials: 1. Reading 7:

Role of the REDD+

stakeholders and

the potential

effects of REDD+

on indigenous and

local community.

2. Reading 8:

Resolution

papers and rights

secured by various

conventions and

agreements.

¹INTRODUCTION

In the process of fulfilling REDD+ implementation requirements, forest-dependent communities will be directly affected. It is, therefore, important to clarify the forest resource rights of those communities. Local people play an important role in forest protection and management, and should be involved from the beginning of implementation through to the distribution of carbon market benefits. If communities are not aware of their rights and responsibilities under REDD+, there is a high likelihood that the benefits of REDD+ will not reach them. This session will discuss REDD+ impacts on local and indigenous peoples; how local rights can be addressed; and the responsibilities shared by local people for REDD+ implementation.

OBJECTIVES


� Prepare a list of main stakeholders associated with REDD+.

� Create a list of the positive and negative effects REDD+ implementation could have on local communities, indigenous nationalities, women and Dalits.

� Present in bullet points what can be done to secure the rights of indigenous nationalities and local communities.

� Create a list of the role of local communities and indigenous nationalities on REDD+.

PREPARATION

� Create a copy of the important agreements on the rights of local communities in natural resources.

� Prepare the main points of ILO and UNDRIP in bullet points to pass out give it to participants.

20

SESSION ACTIVITIES

� Clarify the session’s objective, method and duration. � Through group discussions, clarify the meaning of the term ‘stakeholder’ and the

requirements in order to become one. � Prepare a list of REDD+ or forest stakeholders through plenary brainstorming. Discuss

how the stakeholders become associated (focus more on the local stakeholders). � Divide the participants into four to five small groups and ask them to create a list of

positive and negative effects that could befall indigenous and local communities when shifting from the currently implemented forest management system to REDD+ method.

� What could be the role of stakeholders for expanding the positive effects and mitigating the negative ones? Discuss and create a list.

� Present the group work and bring it into discussion. Add any aspects that were unclear or insufficient.

� Prepare points from plenary discussions on the international co-agreements for the rights of local communities and indigenous nationalities.

� Including the elements mentioned above, in Nepal’s context, give brief information on the position papers of the Federation of Community Forest Users Nepal (FECOFUN) and National Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN), which discuss REDD+ and community rights.

� Ask to raise questions that could not be understood from any session. Address the questions raised and enter into session evaluation.

EVALUATION


� What effects could the implementation of REDD+ have on the local community and indigenous nationalities?

� What could be the role of communities to make REDD+ more effective and efficient?

CONCLUSION

Local communities and indigenous nationalities have a major role in using natural resources, their development and protection. As REDD+ is related solely for sustainable forest management, it is connected with forest-dependent communities. Therefore, among the conditions of REDD+, the principle of Secured Rights has been put forward. For this, stakeholder rights (especially Therefore, among the conditions of REDD+, the local communities), roles and responsibilities have to be refined.

FORWARD LINKAGE

While including different subject matter discussed till now, the next session will interactively discuss issues and challenges related to REDD+.

21

Issues and challenges of REDD+ 8Session

Time: 1 hour and

30 minutes

Methods: Questionnaire,

brain storming,

discussions,

presentation.

Materials: Brown paper,

Marker, Masking

tape.


Issues and

challenges raised in

REDD+.

¹INTRODUCTION

The REDD+ concept has raised a number of issues, including in Nepal’s context. How conditions for REDD+ will be met along with hypothetical opportunities and issues should be considered carefully. This session will address some of the main issues raised related to REDD+, drawing from information gathered about REDD+ to date as well as discussions with local communities and national-level stakeholders.

OBJECTIVES


� In bullet points, present the main issues about REDD+ referring to the current understanding.

� Give their suggestion on how the structure of REDD+ should be in order to implement it effectively.

PREPARATION

� Be familiar with the fresh issues being raised and study the available resource materials.

SESSION ACTIVITIES

� Clarify session’s objectives, methods and requirements. � Ask: referring to the discussions until now, what could

be the possible issues regarding REDD+? � Note down the answers given by the participants in

flip chart. � While explaining these points, present the institutional

structure and materials on related issues that have been prepared by the facilitators.

� Request participants to give suggestions on how these issues can be addressed.

22

� Gather the issues raised from discussions and the suggestions from the participants. Inform them that these elements are important in order to give suggestions for policy formation, and that the facilitator will send the materials to the relevant department. Then, start session evaluation.

EVALUATION

Evaluate the session by asking these questions:

� In the REDD+ implementation process, what are the issues raised until now? What could be the potential issues in future?

� What should be done to address these issues?

CONCLUSION

Given that a concrete format has not yet been prepared for REDD+ implementation, different issues regarding its concept and method have started to arise. REDD+ implementation aspects are more challenging in a country like Nepal due to the country’s economic, social, and geographic characteristics, on top of its political instability. Issues raised include REDD+ implementation methods and benefit distribution; involvement of forest-dependent communities; determining rights to forestland; carbon accounting responsibilities; monitoring, reporting, and verification; and building technical capacity around carbon trading. These issues can only be addressed through appropriate discussion and understanding among all stakeholders.

FORWARD LINKAGE

End the session by explaining that the next session will synthesize and evaluate the training’s main subject matters and discussions up to this point, and will discuss the primary lessons learned.

23

Concluding session 9Session

INTRODUCTION

In order to clarify the value of the subject matter to the participants, it is important to consider the subjects discussed from the start till the end of the training program, and also the message participants have to take at the end of the training program. Therefore, while including many subjects, this session will discuss the main learning from the training.

OBJECTIVES


� Create a list of learning from each session. � Create a list on the main aspects of the issues that

have been included in the training.

PREPARATION

� Decide in advance how to divide the groups.

SESSION ACTIVITIES

� Clarify that it is essential to synthesize and present the discussed subject matter.

� Divide participants into two groups and ask them to discuss the subject matters that were discussed on the first and second day (subject matter of one day for one group).

� Then, direct each group to discuss the contents of each session and its learning.

� The discussion should be focused on specific topics and request participants to make the presentation analytical.

� Ask both groups to present things that came up from the discussions.

� Ask other participants to add in any content that were missed and summarize the session.

Time: 45 minutes

Materials: Flip chart, markers,

meta-card.

¹

Synthesis of trainingSession 9.1

24

CONCLUSION

While the subject matters may be appealing, it is essential to synthesize the important messages that were discussed. For this, the contents and learning have to be presented in a participatory way. Other than clarifying the unclear elements from discussions, this will also simplify identifying participant’s level of understanding and taking their feedback.

FORWARD LINKAGE

While keeping in mind the synthesis and suggestions from this session, in the next session, training will be evaluated in order to get feedback from subjective and organizing aspects that could be improved while facilitating training.

25

INTRODUCTION

The training should be concluded formally after discussing the subject matter and synthesizing the presented sessions. At the same time, participants to fill out a final evaluation of the training. Undertaking a proper training evaluation will help determine the optimal training environment; seating arrangements; facilitator presentations; trainer facilitation capacity; organization and presentation of materials; and how these aspects can be improved in future trainings. This session provides formal and informal conclusions for the training, while motivating participants to make practical use of their learning.

OBJECTIVES

The following product will be gained at the end of this session:

� Feedback will be gained about things that went well in the training and things that could be improved next time.

� Training operation process will be evaluated. � Training program will be ended formally.

SESSION ACTIVITIES

� After questioning each participant, list the feedback received about good aspects and the ones that need improvement in a flip chart.

� Evaluate the whole training through mood chart (happy face, normal face and sad face).

� Request to one male and one female participant to speak for a few minutes on their opinion of the training. Request the most mature participant to say few words about training, end the training with gratitude.

Time: 30 minutes

Methods: • Questionnaire

• Discussion

• Opinions

• Sharing views

¹

Training evaluation and conclusionSession 9.2

26

READING MATERIALS

27

Climate change and its effects1Reading

It doesn’t rain in time. Rice cannot be planted. It rains only after rainy season. In some places, there was too much rainfall, while in others there was drought. Lots of property is getting damaged due to flooding. Rice from the Terai region can now be grown in hilly regions. This year’s winter was less cold than last year. There was no rainfall in Magh (February) last year. Mosquitoes are starting to appear even in high hills. There is a rumor of glacier lakes bursting, snow depleting on mountains and the sea level rising. This type of news is common these days.

Experts believe the above problems may have arisen due to climate change. The average weather change noticed or experienced over a long time is an indication of climate change. Scientists have considered the following facts known as climate change: change in rainfall pattern, heavy continuous rainfall or drought, increases or decreases in average wind speed, increases in temperature, and unpredictable weather patterns.

Compared to 150-200 years ago, the climate is changing at a rapid rate. Due to the increase in the earth’s atmospheric temperature, many species of plants and animals cannot cope with the changing environment. Unbelievable indications of climate are already being noticed due to the increase in atmospheric temperature. The increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is responsible for this increase in temperature.

The atmosphere is made of different types of gases. Solar energy (in the form of radiation) reaches the earth’s surface through the atmosphere. Only 70% of the directed energy reaches the earth’s surface and the remaining 30% is diffracted or lost on the way. The solar energy is reflected from the earth’s surface and again goes back to space through the atmosphere. Some fraction of the reflected energy is absorbed and remitted back to earth via greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, halocarbon and ozone.

Greenhouse gasesCarbon Dioxide (CO2),

Methane (CH4),

Nitrous oxide (NO2),

Ozone (O3),

Halocarbons (HC) –

Mainly Hydrofluorocarbon

and Perfluorocarbon,

HFCs and PFCs,

Water Vapor

28

In the absence of greenhouse gases, the earth’s surface temperature would remain minus 18 degree Celsius and under that situation the earth would not be suitable for human and other plants and animals to survive. Therefore, these gases are important in warming the earth, but the more greenhouse gases there are in the atmosphere, the hotter the earth becomes. Due to different activities in the world, the emission of these greenhouse gases is increasing.

For this, human activities are mostly to blame. This includes the burning of fossil fuels for energy, high motor vehicle use, deforestation, chemical industries and huge cattle ranching industries. It is estimated that deforestation and forest degradation alone is responsible for 12-17% of the increase in greenhouse gases. According to scientists, if these activities are not effectively kept under control, the biosphere will face a huge catastrophe.

The effects of climate change

We can understand the interrelated effects of climate change by studying the link between the earth’s natural system and the human development system. Among the natural system, rainfall, sea level rise and increase in frequency of natural disasters are considered indicators of climate change. Similarly, the social and economic practices for adaptation and effect minimization in the human development system will help mitigate the effects of climate change.

Disturbance in ecosystem � Loss in biodiversity � Impact in the habitat and capacity of wildlife � Possibility of reduction in productivity due to change in flowering and fruiting time � Increase and/or reduction of some species and incursion of invasive species � Risk of conflict in society for resources

Decreased water resource � Early dry out spring generated in rainy season or no generation of spring � Drying out of rivers originated from glaciers or decrease snow storage � Reduction in water discharge or rivers

Change in regular weather condition at regional and local level � Early or late start of

monsoon � Weak or no winter rainfall

Increase in unexpected incidences of weather � Unusual winter or summer drought, wind, high

intensity snowfall/rain fall, drought, flood, landslides � Glacier lake outburst � Increase property loss due to drought, flood and

landslides � Outburst of epidemic diseases

Increase temperature in the atmosphere

Increase greenhouse gas emission due to excess use of vegetations, coal and petroleum (Carbon dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide, Ozone, Halocarbon)

29

Water sources, agriculture, forest and biodiversity are most affected by climate change. This is because of the effects brought by weather changes due to temperature increase. Altogether, temperature, rainfall amount, intensity, magnitude, and frequency are found to be affected. In some places, the nature of rainfall has changed, whereas in others, there is an increase or decrease in amount of rainfall. Also, it has started to rain in places where it used to snow before. Events of storm and heavy rainfall are increasing. Droughts are experienced for longer time periods. The picture below further clarifies the effects of climate change

a. Water sources

Climate change has had a severe impact on water resources in Nepal. Due to increased temperature, the snow of the Himalayan region is melting rapidly. The risk of glacier lake outburst is increasing. Due to the increased days of heavy rainfall, problems such as flood, landslide, sedimentation, and gravel deposits in agricultural land are increasing. In addition, water flow of both river and underground water resources is decreasing. Due to increased temperature, the flow of water in the initial period may increase due to rapid melting of glaciers. But after a few years the quantity of snow decreases and the flow in rivers also decreases. Therefore, there will be a negative impact on hydroelectricity and irrigation. A three degree Celsius increase

in temperature could result in an 11% increase in water flow for a short period. Water availability, however, decreases in the long run and especially during winter. A study indicates that there will be an increase of 57% electricity by 2030 but this will be decreased by 28% by the end of this century.

b. Agriculture

Climate change impacts on water sources also have a major effect on agriculture. We can find many examples of events where crop production has diminished due to insufficient or untimely rainfall. Similarly, water sources are continually drying due to heat and drought. Due to the increase in temperature, there will be a favorable ecosystem in the hills for rice cultivation but due to the adverse effect on irrigation as mentioned above, the production will not be increased. Maize cultivation, however, does not seem to be affected. In the Terai regions, the production of winter crops (such as potato, mustard, lentils and onions) has also been negatively affected. Due to temperature increases and

30

water scarcity, we can see many examples of cases where an increase of pests and infection has resulted in decreased crop production. Domestic cows, buffalo and goats are also affected as a result of limited grass and fodder productions.

c. Biodiversity

Climate change will have an effect on biodiversity. The natural environment necessary for biodiversity will be in danger due to temperature rises, shrinkage in the snow region, and a decrease in water sources. Although there are 15 different types of weather in Nepal, it is predicted that 12 types of weather and many plants and animal species will be extinct if the carbon dioxide amount increases by two fold.

From this, there is a danger of plant and animal species being relocated or even becoming extinct. In search of favorable ecosystems, some of the species may shift upward and the composition of the biodiversity of Nepal may change quickly. Due to this, the species which are not able to shift to higher altitudes, like underground insects and heavy fruiting species, will face a major survival threat.

The volume of water in wetlands will also be seriously affected. Due to increased temperature, flood, landslide, soil erosion, and low water sources may result in an adverse effect on the extent and quality of the wetlands, which ultimately results in a reduction of wetland biodiversity. Many wetlands are major sources of water and the decrease in water quantity may result in a reduction of water availability in the water flow system.

d. Health

There are direct and indirect effects on human health caused by climate change. Due to polluted water, Nepal and its adjoining countries are facing problems caused by various diseases like malaria, typhoid, Japanese encephalitis, and kaalajor. The number of recorded patients with these diseases is increasing every year. Research indicates that malaria is spreading even in high altitudes. In addition, there is a possibility of an increase in cholera.

e. Livelihoods

In the end, climate change will directly affect the livelihoods of human beings. Poor people from villages will especially be affected. Due to less crop production, it is hard even to collect enough to eat. As nearby water sources dry out, time is wasted collecting water, and as a result, less time can be spent on productive works. Furthermore, lack of water and food combined with temperature increases could result in malnutrition and increase in diseases, which in turn create further physical burdens. As a result, investment in other sectors, such as education, is decreasing. In general, direct effects on livelihood due to climate change are serious issues in a country like Nepal.

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Attempts to decrease the effects of climate change in Nepal

To date, several climate change mitigation and adaptation programs are being implemented in Nepal. Work is being done in clean energy development, and energy-saving equipment (such as motors, pump boilers, and heating equipment) are being installed in industrial operations. Industry is also increasingly adopting energy-saving means of production and process, and efforts are being made to control dust and smoke in brick factories. The government has also made steps toward better waste disposal and collection, including covering waste with soil. In the transportation sector, a ban has been imposed on three-wheeled diesel rickshaws in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Lumbini.

Way forward for mitigation and adaptation of climate change

In order to fight climate change, Nepal should not delay in using international opportunities for reducing carbon emissions and exploring means to minimize the impact of climate change at the local level. Research and studies should be carried out on the complexities of climate change through effective collaboration and coordination of government, non-government, and the private sector. There is a need to develop strategy to respond to climate change through debates from community level to national level with a range of stakeholders.

For this, these are the major tasks:

a. Forest management and carbon trade

As forests maintain temperature and store more than 60% of ground carbon in trees and plants, forest management and plantation are considered as effective means for carbon sequestration. Carbon emissions from forests will be reduced significantly if the present deforestation and forest degradation rate is controlled. For this, it will be a wise idea to promote participatory forest management practices. Necessary preparation should be initiated immediately as Nepal is qualified for carbon trade and there is an international market opportunity.

b. Renewable energy development and promotion

There is an urgent need to minimize use of mineral oil by promoting hydroelectricity and renewable energy (especially rapid expansion of bio-gas and improved cook stoves). Efficient use of energy should be promoted through identification of local and traditional technologies and promotion of the most appropriate technologies.

c. Develop adaptive capacity

To minimize the risk and vulnerability, Nepal should develop pre-information systems as well as adaptation options for adverse situations. For this, management of safe places for resettlement, the arrangement of emergency relief equipment, development of a pre information system of natural disasters, use of appropriate technologies for agriculture, energy production and forest management are essential. Necessary actions should be carried out for raising public awareness and poverty reduction as they increase adaptive capacity.

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d. Constitutional policy and institutional arrangements

Constitutional arrangements have to ensure the rights of Nepali people to mitigate against and adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. Necessary homework is required to include this as a fundamental right in the new constitution, which is under preparation. In addition, there is a need for proper institutional structures and mechanisms to implement the policies, legislation and regulations related to climate change in Nepal. There is also a need for policy and institutional arrangements for promotion, extension and mainstreaming of innovative activities carried out by different communities and institutions. The institutions developed should have the capacity for international carbon trade regulation, monitoring and evaluation.

e. Research and development

Scientific research and development are essential for developing policy and planning for the impact of climate change. Involvement of the public, experts, policy makers, and professional institutions is essential in research and development activities. Based on the research findings, standards for carbon emissions for industries need to be developed and implemented.

f. Protect Nepal’s benefit in the international process

In relation to climate change, different processes exist under the Kyoto Protocol, as well as other market based opportunities. Nepal should involve itself in those processes and advocate for its own benefit and explore new opportunities. The available financial resources from the international community and global carbon market can be used for carrying out many adaptation and sustainable development activities in poor communities.

g. Clarify the roles of stakeholders

Efforts should be made by stakeholders at different levels to address the problem of climate change. To effectively manage and coordinate among national and local governments, non-government organizations and the private sector, clarification of their roles and responsibilities and their capacity development is essential.

h. Sectoral mainstreaming

In order to reduce the impact of climate change and scaling up adaptation activities at the national and local level, there is an urgent need to include this provision in the sectoral plans of Nepal (like master plans/plans related to forests, water resource, transport, agriculture, industries). Coordination and collaboration of different stakeholders for implementing such plans are also equally important.

33

Wall poster of carbon sequestration and emission

2Reading

LegendUnits: Petagrams (Pg) = 10 ^ 15 gC � Pools: Pg � Fluxes: Pg/year

Source: University of New Hampshire, GLOBE Carbon Cycle (2007): The Carbon Cycle

34

Role of forest in climate change mitigation and adaptation

3Reading

Introduction

The earth’s ecosystems and their distribution (location of organisms) depend on conditions such as temperature, rainfall, latitude and altitude. Plants and animals in different types of biospheres depend on the area’s soil type, the condition of water and the availability of sunlight. Plants capture carbon dioxide and store it as biomass. Similarly, microbes living under the earth’s surface help decompose this biomass. Carbon released from this process returns back to the atmosphere. In this manner, natural sources of carbon-dioxide are self-regulatory. Therefore, the terrestrial ecosystem is an important part of the global carbon system. However, it has been proved that due to human activities the emission of carbon dioxide has been many times more than natural. From this, carbon dioxide that goes to the atmosphere can be regarded as a major driver behind climate change, with climate change affecting plants and animals.

Therefore, different initiatives are being taken globally to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions as the main driver behind climate change; further increase the absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide and stock it as biomass; and better develop the capacity to adapt to climate change. Among these, protection and management of forest resources has been identified as a simple and cheap solution for adaptation to and mitigation of climate change.

Although climate change has negative effects on the condition of forests, forests also play an important role to reduce those effects. If forests are not managed properly, carbon dioxide emissions will increase. However, if they are managed sustainably, it will help mitigate the effects of climate change. This material tries to explain the effects of climate change on forests and how forests mitigate and adapt towards these effects.

1. Impact of climate change on forests

Climate change has both positive and negative impacts on forests. The negative impact generally includes reduced growth rate, increased disease and pests, and reduction in the survival capacity of plants. The introduction of new species in cold places due to increases in temperature may not be beneficial as well. In a study carried out in the United States, it showed that the growth rate of pine species may be reduced by up to 31% because of climate change, a reduction that would have a negative impact on the volume of wood produced. The study also shows a high mortality rate of tree species due to climate change, particularly among young and weak seedlings. The capacity to tolerate climate change is higher in insects than the plants being attacked. This means, as climate

35

change takes place, the likelihood of insects and other microbes attacking plants increases. There is also a high chance that these insects and microbes spread to other areas. In addition, a changing climate can bring disease in wider areas than the site that is initially impacted. This can also be more dangerous than the new disease. The chances of forest fires will also be higher due to the limited moisture content in the atmosphere and ground surface.

The changing climate also affects forest health. Weak plants in a forest start growing fast due to low productivity. The weak plants have limited capacity to resist disease and insect attack. There is a need to promote mixed forest as the disease and insect resisting capacity of a single crop of the same species and of the same age is very low. Other means of adaptations are: to maintain forest density, remove surface materials from forests that promote forest fires, and to minimize competition. The capacity of a forest to resist disease and forest fire increases if the forest density is normal.

The above discussion highlights the negative impacts of climate change on forests and how adaptation capacity can be developed. Now, let us discuss the positive and negative impacts of forests on climate change.

2. Role of forests in mitigating the impacts of climate change

Prior to discussing the role of forests in climate change mitigation, it is important to understand the carbon dioxide cycle, which is the main source of greenhouse gas. A total of 750 gigatons (75×1015) of carbon dioxide exists in the atmosphere. The causes of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere include deforestation and forest degradation, land use change, respiration inside the soil, respiration of plants, carbon emission from the ocean, and the burning of oil and fossil fuels.

LegendUnits: Petagrams (Pg) = 10 ^ 15 gC � Pools: Pg � Fluxes: Pg/year

Source: University of New Hampshire, GLOBE Carbon Cycle (2007): The Carbon Cycle

Figure 1 shows how carbon dioxide is emitted, quantity emitted from different substances and what causes what quantity of carbon dioxide sequestration.

36

In the atmosphere, carbon dioxide is used in two ways – absorption by terrestrial plants for food production, and absorption from aquatic plants for food production. These two methods are a main source of carbon dioxide sequestration. Plants use sunlight, atmospheric carbon dioxide and chlorophyll (green pigment) to produce food. In this process, oxygen is released and glucose is produced. Carbon covers most of the glucose structure, which then turns into wood. This means around 50% of wood is made of carbon. Carbon dioxide that is turned into solid does not have any effect in the atmosphere. However, if there is deforestation and forest degradation, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted from this will increase global temperature and play a significant role in climate change. Scientists estimate that this process contributes 12-17% of carbon emissions.

In summary, forests play dual roles in relation to the emission of gases, which are the main source of climate change.

1. Deforestation emits greenhouse gases. Burning, degrading and decomposing forest products re-emit the stored carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Therefore, control on activities like forest fire, shifting cultivation and encroachment will significantly decrease carbon dioxide emissions.

2. Where forests are well-managed and protected, the forest will increase its biomass and accordingly increase its carbon sequestration ability. Increased biomass requires that plants produce more food through photosynthesis, absorbing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This process of building up biomass to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is referred to as climage change mitigation.

Forest: A cost-effective way to mitigate climate change.Forests are widely considered one of the primary causes of and solution to the global problem of climate change. But the Kyoto Protocol (1997) under the UNFCCC did not recognize the role of natural forests in climate change mitigation. However, the 13th Convention of Parties (CoP) of the UNFCCC organized in Bali, Indonesia in 2007 agreed on the concept of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in developing countries and thereafter the process of REDD+ initiated. Preventing deforestation and forest degradation is considered one of the cheapest and most efficient ways to reduce carbon emissions when compared to other interventions.

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3. Role of forests in adaptation to climate change

Other than playing an important role towards mitigating climate change, forests also provide different services to humans and other animals for adapting towards climate change. There are several examples of how forests provide various foods during a time of famine. In the absence of normal food, people eat wild products like yams, different types of leaves, weeds and fruits. This practice is not so extensive in Nepal, but studies show that villagers in South East Asia collect and eat more than 130 types of food from forests. Apart from this, forests contribute to adaptation in the following ways:

� Increased productivity of different types of forest products (for example, wood, fuel wood), including other non-timber forest products, is possible from better managed forests. Income generated from the sale of surplus forest products in the market can be utilized for livelihood improvement of the communities. This income can also be used for climate change adaptation.

� The services provided by forests, including soil conservation and biodiversity conservation, may support humans and other living beings in the coming days to fight against climate change. From this, while protecting the water source and irrigation, it will create steadiness in water flow. Similarly, it will decrease the loss of capital from landslides and also help increase productivity.

� Forests provide food, fodder and shelter to domestic and wild animals in case of emergency.

� Protecting forests will also protect water sources and provide clean drinking water, which will improve health.

� Replenished underground water storage and water sources will help expand irrigation facilities and support food security.

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Payments for ecosystem services4Reading

Introduction

Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) are becoming popular in the forestry and ecosystem sectors of the world. This concept was initiated in the early 1990s in New York and then extended to Costa Rica, and now is practiced in different ways in various countries. Theoretically, PES involves payments to the producers of ecosystem services (especially forest and ecosystem management) in the form of cash or any other means by the users of such services. This helps regulate free access ecosystem services (like carbon storage, watershed management, biodiversity conservation etc.), while motivating the service providers to sustainable land and ecosystem management. This concept is particularly popular in ecosystem services like watershed conservation, the improvement of water sources, biodiversity conservation, conservation of natural beauty and carbon storage. This material is produced for familiarizing the relationship between REDD+ and payments for ecosystem services to the facilitators and stakeholders working in this field. Firstly, this material tries to deal with the concept of ecosystem services payment systems. It also presents some national and international examples in the context of ecosystem services payments.

Ecosystem services

Various kinds of materials and services that are useful for human life are available from forests and other ecosystems. Communities living near watersheds have been using and selling different forest products (such as firewood, fodder/forage, timber, medicinal herbs) for centuries. In addition, many other indirect services also have been available. For example, forests in watershed areas help to prevent soil erosion and increase the sources of water. From this, the communities living downstream of the watershed see a number of important benefits. Similarly, the conservation and management of forest resources helps in conserving and enhancing biodiversity. In addition, as the forests and ecosystems provide natural beauty it also helps to promote ecotourism. Forests also play an important role in minimizing the impact of climate change by sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide that is stored as biomass. Realizing the importance of such environmental services to human life, PES has initiated numerous studies.

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Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA), 2005, indicated that forests and ecosystems provide many useful products and services as shown in the box.

Despite providing all these services, forest management traditionally focuses solely on increasing the productivity and availability of forest products. The other forest services are not accounted for. Therefore, such services are being used free of cost. As a result, forests and ecosystems are being degraded rapidly due to the free use of these services resulting in decreased motivation for local communities to sustainably manage these resources. Therefore, the change of forest areas for other purposes has increased. As a result, efforts made by many countries in protecting forests have not worked. Considering this, the concept of payment for ecosystem services to the producer by the parties benefiting from the ecosystem services was developed and is used in different parts of the world.

According to the research conducted by Wunder in 2005, the following ecosystem services are managed under Payments for Ecosystem Services:

� Carbon sequestration and stock. � Watershed services. � Biodiversity services. � Natural beauty.

Payments for ecosystem services (PES)

can we increase the space between each word? looks very crowded the user of ecosystem services and the producers of such services through forest and ecosystem management is used to define Payments for Ecosystem Services, Wunder (2005) defines PES as a type of voluntary mechanism where the service users pay regularly to the ecosystem service providers.

Accordingly, payment for ecosystem services can be defined as the payment between the ecosystem service provider and the service user which is based on forest and ecosystem management. According to the definition given by Wunder (2005) the conditions as shown in the box are applied for the payment for ecosystem services.

According to this definition, Payment for Ecosystem Services is a voluntary process in which an ecosystem service user should pay a service provider regularly for using such services.

Services from forest and ecosystem useful for human beings:

1. Utility goods: different types of forest products, like timber, fuelwood, forage, fodder, wild fruits and medicinal herbs etc.

2. Life supporting services: climate balance, availability of clear air and water, soil erosion and flood control, pollution control, protection from natural disasters, etc.

3. Religious, cultural and tourism: praying/worship, natural beauty, ecotourism etc.

4. Supporting production: soil improvement and increase productivity.

(MEA 2005:27)

Payments for ecosystem services is a voluntary process, where

� Clearly identified ecosystem services, by at least one buyer, to at least one seller,

� Pays in condition of continuous availibility of such services

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In this concept, the producer of ecosystem services will always be motivated for the sustainable management of forests and ecosystems because of the regular benefits received from the party using the service. Such received benefit should be at least greater than the possible benefits from other land use practices. Otherwise, the owner will change the forest into a different land use system, such as agriculture, to get more benefits. Similarly, the service receiver should be ensured regular services.

With PES, attention must be paid to its sustainability. This is to avoid what is called leakage, wherein nearby resources suffer when one area is protected. Regular and continuous payment is ensured if these aspects are assured. For this, clear understanding and trust between the service producers and users is essential. If necessary, third party assistance can be taken. The third party should be an independent body, which should be able to certify, facilitate and monitor without bias.

Different countries are practicing different methods for the sustainable availability and management of ecosystem services. In the beginning, this concept operated in an open market, but later on it was modified and considered as a compensation and reward mechanism for forest conservation in different places. PES acts as a means of conservation and development of natural resources and mainly focuses on improving the livelihoods of forest management groups while promoting fair and equitable distribution of resources.

Electricity royalty sharing in Kulekahni Watershed: an example of payments for ecosystem services

Indra Sarobar Lake is the source of water for Kulekhani hydroelectric project, which was established the late 1970s. This lake was formed by constructing dams in the Kulekhani River, with the watershed of the lake extended in the eight Village Development Committees of Makawanpur District. Massive deforestation occurred in this watershed during the construction of the lake and power station. Plantation and soil conservation activities were initiated in this watershed with the support of various donors and the government through integrated watershed management programs. In this context, local communities were involved in various activities. Following this, all the forest of this area was handed over to the local communities for management. Soil erosion, flood and landslide incidences were reduced due to the improvement in forest conditions in the watershed.

(PES) is a voluntary based process in which a clearly known ecosystem service with at least one service buyer and at least one service seller with a condition of continuous availability of such services.

“”

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MakwanpurDistrictreceives Rs 25,000,000each year

20% (Rs 500,000) goes to upstream of Kulekhani watershed as Environment Protection special Fund

Plan prepares at local level

Kulekhani Watershed Conservation and Development Forum and local institutions support for planning and implementation

Financial Transaction through DDC

VDC’s implement plan through forming local groups

Figure 1: Payment systems of ecosystem services in Kulekhani Watershed (Source: Khatri, 2009)

This has increased the life of Indra Sarobar Lake. In addition, the amount of water in the lake is also increasing.

Democracy was re-established in Nepal in 1990, and then decentralization was initiated in 1990. Under the Local Self Governance Act of 2000, there is a provision of allocation of 50% of revenue generated from hydroelectric projects to the local level. Out of this, 38% should go to the development region where the hydroelectric power station is located and 12% should go to the hydro electricity-generating district. With this provision, Makwanpur district is receiving annually

about Rs 25 million from FY 2002/03. The District Development Committee (DDC) is using this revenue for development activities for the whole district. As the local communities were not able to receive full benefits from the system, they started raising concerns to the DDC from 2005 demanding that the revenue generated from hydroelectricity should go to the local communities. With support from Winrock International, they continued this campaign for about three years. An agreement was made in 2008 for giving reward and compensation to the people living upstream of Indra Sarobar for their contribution in sustainable forest and watershed management. In this context, a separate directive for hydro-electricity revenue sharing and utilization was also developed.

After this arrangement, the eight VDCs of Kulekhani watershed are annually receiving more than Rs 5 million for conservation and development activities. The received amount by the DDC is allocated as shown in Figure 1.

Picture 1. Indra Sarobar Lake and watershed

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Makwanpur DDC has made an arrangement to deposit money in the Environment Conservation Special Fund from where payments are made to the upstream communities. The fund is operated through the DDC and a committee representing members from government agencies related to environment and local communities at the district has been formed. The plan prepared annually and prioritized jointly by 8 VDCs is submitted to the Environment Conservation Special Fund for approval. The approved plan is implemented through the respective VDCs. In this mechanism, all the payments related with the plan are made directly by the DDC.

The payment system for ecosystem services adopted in the Kulekhani watershed is not completely matched with the market based system as Wunder described in his definition. Instead, it is practiced as a prize and compensation. Part of the revenue generated from hydroelectricity goes to the local communities for the loss of resources during construction of Kulekhani Lake, as well as for recognizing the contribution made by local communities in watershed conservation and management. This approach can be taken as an effective tool to fund decentralization for environment conservation and development activities. However, due to the lack of policy and legislation and a lack of elected political institutions at the local level, participation of local communities, especially community forest user groups, is not widespread under this system.

The following recommendations are offered based on the study of Payments for Ecosystem Services of Kulekhani:

� Direct payments of ecosystem services should be made to the local institutions involved in forest and ecosystem conservation. Due to the direct benefits, this will motivate them for forest and ecosystem protection and sustainable development. In this payment system, direct payments need to be made instead of paying for the implementation of a conservation plan. Based on the amount received, communities can develop and implement their own plan.

� Similarly, a separate policy and legislation related to payment for ecosystem services should be developed in Nepal to facilitate equal benefit sharing in related communities.

Conclusion

It is still unclear if there is sufficient matching between the Payments for Ecosystem Services system (especially REDD+) and existing forest management systems. If we take the example of Kulekhani, under existing policy, the user groups, who are successful in conservation and management of community forests, are not getting proper benefits from Payments for Ecosystem Services. In this situation, policy and appropriate institutional arrangements should be developed by in depth study and analysis of existing policies and institutional frameworks. For REDD+ implementation in Nepal, much consideration is needed on how the local communities and especially the forest-dependent and disadvantaged groups could benefit from PES.

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Deforestation and forest degradation in Nepal

5Reading

The total land area of Nepal is more than 14,700,000 hectares. Nepal is divided into five different geographical regions including Himalayan, Mountain, and Terai. In Nepal, there are five land use systems, including agricultural land, barren land, forests land, shrub land and grassland. According to the central bureau of statistics (2008), forests have been continuously converted into other land use systems. The statistics of the past 10 years shows that forest land is being converted into other land uses at the rate of 1.7% per year. The forest land is specifically being converted to shrub land. This indicates that the rate of forest degradation is very high. In addition, the forests and shrub lands are gradually being converted into agricultural lands. Table 1 gives the land use change scenario in Nepal.

Table 1: Land use change, 1991-2001 (thousand hectares)

Land use

1991/1992 2001/2002

ChangeYearly

change Rate

Him

alay

an

Mo

unta

in

Tera

i

Tota

l

Him

alay

an

Mo

unta

in

Tera

i

Tota

l

Agricultural 208 1,722 1,039 2,969 211 1,798 1,082 3,091 (+) 123 0.4

Barren 495 436 56 987 517 449 65 1,031 (+) 44 0.4

Forest area 233 4,436 1,159 5,828 228 2,891 1,149 4,268 (-) 1,560 2/7

Shrub area 138 512 39 689 168 1,254 138 1,560 (+) 872 12.7

Grass land 133 1,589 35 1,757 138 1,592 36 1,766 (+) 9 0.1

Other 797 1,668 25 2,490 946 2,025 31 3,002 (-) 513 2.1

Total 2,004 10,363 2,353 14,718 2,208 10,009 2,501 14,718 0 0

Source: Central bureau of statistics, Nepal environmental statistics

According to a report by Gobinda Dahal (2000), the forest area of Nepal is shrinking at the rate of 2% per year. Furthermore, looking at the global statistics, the per capita forest available has declined from 3 hectares to 0.6 hectares in the last hundred years. This is shown in Figure 1. According to the REDD+ readiness preparation proposal of Nepal submitted to the World Bank in April 2010, there are nine major drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. These drivers are presented (in revised form) in Table 3.

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Table 3: Nine major drivers of deforestation and forest degradation

Drivers Causes

1. High dependency on forests and forest products (timber, firewood, and other NTFPs)

Poverty and lack of livelihood alternatives

Limited access to alternatives for fuel wood and timber

Inefficient use of forest products

2. Illegal harvest of forest products

Weak law enforcement

Weak governance and governance vacuum

Inefficient distribution mechanisms for timber and firewood

Short vision in timber and firewood market

Poverty and lack of livelihoods opportunities

High cross-border demand for forest products

Figure 1: Global deforestation

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Drivers Causes

3. Unscientific harvesting practices

Weak law enforcement

Weak monitoring

Insufficient budget for research and development

Insufficient technical capacity

4. Forest fire Lack of civil awareness

Intentional

Weak forest fire management practice

Weak fire management system

5. Encroachment Expansion of agriculture

Poverty and lack of optional employment

Political motivation

Unclear land tenure, policy and planning

6. Overgrazing Weak law enforcement

Absentees of government/absence of organized structure

Unproductive livestock

Free grazing

Limited lifestyle alternatives

Limited/unavailable alternatives for compost fertilizer

7. Physical Infrastructure development

Uncertain and unclear legislation

Weak coordination between different stakeholders

Weak planning and compensation system affect study approval and monitoring

Undervaluation of forest and its services

No development in new economic growth prospects (e.g. oil and gas, transmission lines, cement factory, airport, hydropower dam etc.)

Forest sector is not a national priority

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Drivers Causes

8. Resettlement Undervaluation of forestland and services

Increased demand of land for new settlements

Poorly enforced planning regulations

9. Expansion of invasive species

Inefficient control in introduction of foreign species

Lack of promotion of local species

Weak protection of local species

Lack of capacity and techniques to control invasive species

Reduction in forest quality

The drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in Himalayan, Mountain, and Terai regions are different. Their causes are complex and diverse. Many causes are outside the management jurisdiction of forests, whereas others could be resolved by establishing understanding and coordination between forest and other stakeholders. Some of the factors (for example - weak implementation of law and technical difficulties) are within the forest sector jurisdiction. The root causes of the underlying reasons behind deforestation and degradation are not presented in the table above. In general, corruption, bribery, financial irregularity, interference of political parties, weak implementation of laws, limited opportunities for employment and income, and unclear land and resource rights, can be considered the major root causes for deforestation and forest degradation.

Challenges and opportunities to reduce deforestation and forest degradation

With the commencement of community forestry programs, the rate of deforestation and forest degradation is declining. Moreover, the condition (density) of forests has been improved, improving carbon sequestration. According to a study conducted by Peter Brany and Nagendrayadav (Livelihood forestry project LFP) 2009, the forest growing stocks of community forests is increasing at the rate of 1.5 percent per year. In addition, there are several examples of community development and livelihood improvement activities supported by community forests.

When analyzed, the community forestry program seems to be successful in the Mid Hill region. There are many challenges when implementing it in Terai region. Furthermore, community forest management in High Mountain has not been in operation as anticipated due to a large forest area, remoteness and lack of accessibility. The problems in Terai and High Mountain have to be solved differently. In the Terai region, the forests are shrinking due to conversion of forest land into other purposes and massive felling. This is a major problem. In contrast to the Terai

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and Middle Hills, the challenge of restoring cleared forests in an area characterized by low temperatures leading to slow growth rates.

Forest degradation in the High Mountain will cause more natural catastrophic events when compared to other regions, due to loose soil composition and fragile landscape in the High Mountain. In this geographic set up, there is a high chance of natural calamities like landslides, floods, and drying out of water resources if existing vegetative cover is removed. The challenges to stop deforestation and forest degradation vary according to geographic region.

Terai High Mountains

• High forest products demand due to population pressure

• Poorly accessed

• Open border and high demand across border

• Lack of motivation of the government staff to work in this area

• Poor governance and law enforcement

• Over trading of timber

• Forest encroachment and felling from support of political parties.

• No presence of political parties and government institutions

Among the challenges stated above, most are outside the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Forests. Addressing the causes of deforestation within the boundaries of a forest has become a huge challenge for the Ministry of Forests. Until and unless there is an environment for the right person to implement a transparent transfer system and the provision of reward and punishment, it is useless for citizens to expect any control on deforestation and illegal felling.

Protection of culprits by politicians is another important cause of deforestation and forest degradation. Whenever there is political instability, its direct effect falls on forests. The process of deforestation will continue until and unless all the political parties assure their true commitment collectively not to interfere in the attempt of reducing deforestation and further, assist in fighting against deforestation and forest degradation. These commitments have to come from local to national level. It has become essential for government to put forward and implement different solutions in order to create stability between the high demand for forest products and population growth. It won’t be difficult to resolve the issues of High Mountains if there are useful programs to create interest. In spite of many challenges, some opportunities exist. It is important to analyze them. The main opportunities are as follows.

� Although a significant number of government staff are trustworthy and capable, they are lagging behind. Positive changes can be brought if we encourage and use their loyalty and capacity. For this, determined interest and trustworthy work is required.

� Not all politicians from every party are irresponsible. Some politicians are responsible, accountable and act with transparency. Decent politicians can be made to participate in responsible timber practices.

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� Local and international non-governmental organizations are working in Nepal’s forests. We have the opportunity to receive assistance from them and establish and implement policy formation and forest development programs.

� The success of community forest programs in Nepal has become internationally recognised. Therefore, participatory forest management programs can be established to expand the acquired knowledge, skills and experience to the remaining areas.

� Nepal is currently in the process of creating a new government structure. We have the opportunity to create a structure that can effectively develop and manage forests.

� The current policies, laws, and rules and regulations of Nepal are in favor of a participatory approach towards sustainable management of forest resources

� Global efforts to reduce deforestation and forest degradation are ongoing. Ceasing them will bring additional economic benefits, i.e., financial incentive. This can be used for income generation among forest-dependent people, indigenous peoples, and other disadvantaged people.

If the opportunities listed above could be targeted in a timely and wise fashion, we can improve the living standard of local communities by reducing deforestation and forest degradation.

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The concept of REDD+ 6Reading

Forests play a vital role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. However, if they are destroyed, additional carbon dioxide will be emitted, causing an increase in global temperature. The emission of greenhouse gases can be brought down by 12-17% if deforestation and forest degradation is stopped. Therefore, efforts are ongoing from developed countries to increase carbon stock through sustainable management of natural forests. In return for this, a system of providing financial and technical assistance from industrial countries to countries that increase their carbon stock is under development. In general, this is called REDD+.

The following activities can decrease carbon dioxide emissions and increase its sequestration.

� Reducing deforestation. � Reducing forest degradation. � Protecting forest carbon stock. � Development of sequestration in forest carbon stock. � Sustainable forest management.

It has been proven that forests also play a role in adapting and mitigating the effects of climate change. However, in the planning of the Kyoto protocol (1997 AD) within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), there were no discussions on cutting carbon emissions by protecting and managing natural forests. Therefore, the 13th conference held in Bali, Indonesia, in 2007 by the UNFCC attendant countries, approved and moved forward with the concept of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. The main reason was to accept the fact that among other methods to decrease carbon emissions worldwide, REDD was simpler, quicker and cheaper.

Payments through REDD+, as shown in the picture below, are a reward or compensation given by developed countries to stop deforestation and forest degradation and for sustainable forest management in developing countries. According to this process, developing countries must reduce deforestation and forest degradation and improve the status of their forests. Furthermore, they must also measure and prove carbon sequestration or the decline in carbon emissions. Referring to the results of the emission reduction through forests, an international system has been organized for developing countries to receive payment from developed countries.

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The concept of REDD+ matches the payment for ecosystem services idea. Similar to PES, REDD+ considers the reduction in carbon emission as a form of environmental service. In this, developing countries are the providers of ecosystem services and developed countries (who are obliged to be responsible for reducing the emission of greenhouse gases) are its users. Developed countries provide payment referring to the reduction in carbon emission from deforestation and forest degradation and the increase in carbon stock in the forests.

A country, however, must fulfill certain requirements to receive payments under REDD+. Those requirements are not beneficial only for the country who makes the payments but equally beneficial to the receiving countries. Among those requirements, some apply during the readiness phase and some during the implementation of the program. Most of the requirements for REDD+ are related to setting up institutional structures, safeguarding the rights of local communities, and ensuring that indigenous people to have a say about REDD+ activities. Those countries that wish to implement REDD+ have to develop institutional structures based on the political, social and geographical situation of the country.

Source: Naya Sharma Poudel, 2009

Concept of REDD+

Transparency, additionality,

leakage, permanence

Conditional compensation for reducing emission from forest

protection

Least developed countries

Obligation to reduce greenhouse gases

Developed and Industrialized Countries

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The country that provides payment cannot interfere in the decision making process in this regard. However, international treaties, agreements and Nepal’s own laws have to be followed. Technical aspects should be in line with guidelines prepared by the Forest Carbon Partnerships Fund and treaties under the UNFCCC. Though these guidelines give lists of activities to be carried out, the right to decide the methodology and standard remains with the REDD+ implementation country. The countries implementing REDD+ have to meet the following requirements:

1. Institutional and legal aspect

� Prepare necessary strategies, policies, laws, and plans to address deforestation and forest degradation.

� Develop institutional arrangements such as the management of a fund transaction database, carbon registry, and monitoring and evaluation system.

� Develop procedures and legal mechanisms for benefit sharing.

2. Technical and ecosystem aspects

� Create a baseline to measure deforestation and forest degradation.

� Control leakage from deforestation that occurs in one area due to forest protection in another.

� Facilitate additional carbon sequestration through improved forest management.

� Measure carbon stored in the forested area. � Manage monitoring, reporting, and verification for

the measured carbon.

3. Socio-Political Aspect

� Clarify forest carbon ownership. � Carry out Environmental Impact Assessment before the implementation of

REDD+. � Form Safeguard Principles and guarantee the safety of different stakeholders,

building stakeholder capacity where necessary.

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REDD+ stakeholders in Nepal, their rights and responsibilities

7Reading

Stakeholders are individuals, communities and national organizations that have an interest in the program, a definite role and responsibility, and can be helpful to program implementation. During the implementation of REDD+, technical, political, economic, social and cultural aspects are directly or indirectly involved. As the REDD+ implementation process includes various aspects, stakeholders vary according to their level and diversity. The roles and rights of indigenous groups and forest-dependent people, who have managed and carried out activities for carbon enhancement for generations, are entirely different to those institutions and should be recognized as rights holders. Therefore, a detailed analysis of the related stakeholders is essential for the successful, transparent and inclusive implementation of REDD+. When preparing the Readiness Preparation Proposal, the roles and duties of various stakeholders were identified, as were potential effects on each group. The analysis, in brief, is as follows.

1. Stakeholders identified at different levels based on their roles and interest

a. Government agency and government.b. Others

National level District level Community level

� Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, and election commissions and main branch

� National planning commission � Other commissions (Sukumbashi,

Kamaiya, Landless) � Other various Ministries, such

as: Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Wealth, Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Women, Small and Homemade Production Department, Department of Land Reform

� Forest product development committee

� Natural resource committee of Parliament

� Ayurbedic Center � The timber industry of Nepal

� District agencies of Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (such as –regional directorate of forests, district forest office, national park protected areas, soil conservation offices, regional forest training center)

� District development committee

� Government office in district

� Ayurbedic Center

� Range post area, forest department

� Village development committee

� Police check post

� Agriculture service center

� Animal service center

� Ayurbedic Center

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2. Stakeholder influence analysis

A. Stakeholder with high influence and low interest

� Political parties � Human rights activists � Police, administration

and army � Parliamentary

committee on natural resources

� Courts � Commissions

(Commission of Investigation of Abuse of Authority, etc.)

B. Stakeholder with high influence and high interest

� MoFSC and its departments (especially DoF, DoSCWM, DNPWC, DFRS, DFO, Range Post)

� Commissions related to bonded labor (Kamaiya), Landless, etc.

� Forest Product Development Committee

� NPC, MoF, MoE � Journalists and media � Timber Corporation of Nepal, � Hydro-electric projects, � Promoters of Alternative

Energy � Federations concerning

forest users, indigenous peoples, Dalit, women

C. Stakeholder with low influence and low interest

� Housing and Construction

� Local level hotel entrepreneurs

� Financial institutions � Mining for construction

raw materials � Transport entrepreneurs � Development Projects

using forest areas

D. Stakeholders with low influence and high interest

� Indigenous peoples (having most direct relation to forests)

� Vulnerable groups like Raute, Kamaiya, Chepang, Dalit, Women etc.

� Charcoal burner groups NTFP collectors groups

� CFUGs, CFMGs � NTFP entrepreneurs, related

Committees � Centre for Rural Technology � Brick industries � NGOs � MoFSC affiliated technical

trade unions � MoFSC affiliated Human

Resources Development Wing, Training Centre and Outreach Wing

� MoAC, MoW and associated offices

� DoCSI and Associated offices � VDC, DDC

INTEREST

INFL

UEN

CE

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c. Role and effects

The role of a stakeholder is its designated function. The role of a stakeholder has an affect on the conditions of a forest.

Role

a. Government agency (national, zone, district and community level)

� Enforce law and monitor programs. � Administrative acts (including the financial needs). � Development of proof and information. Help institutions, agencies and

individuals that complete these tasks. � Study, inspection and policy formation on energy use and source. � Clarify and make the roles in Agriculture and land protection active. � Form and implement laws and Acts regarding forests. � Form demonstration plots for scientific forest management. � Form policy that will ensure equitable benefits reach target groups. � Strengthen monitoring and evaluation of microenterprise development

dependant on forest products.

b. Nongovernment institutes and agencies

� Supervise law and policy implementation and study climate change. � Help in law and policy formation. � Develop capacity in community and zone level. � Evaluate the possibility and solution to include international subjects in

our context. � Information development and management. � Work as a pressure group and favor group for policy formation. Empower

the voice of civil society to develop awareness about climate change. � Play a role to give tenure to community over carbon. � Help in monitoring and evaluation.

c. Academic institutes

� Monitor policy and law implementation about climate change. � Help in policy and law formation. � Produce and develop capable and sufficient workforce. � Help to develop and manage information.

d. Private sector

� Be ready to be educated in policy and laws about forests and follow recommendations.

� Acknowledge the relationship between people and the environment. � Evaluate environmental effects of business operations. � Help in forest development and management. � If necessary, give pressure and suggestions to government for policy

formation and its implementation.

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e. Indigenous nationalities and other forest-dependent communities

Roles

� Forest management and promotion, effective use of forest production. � Plantation. � Guard and care.

Effects

� The use of forest products might be banned. � Possibility of huge change in lifestyle (especially for women). � Risk of again being disregarded in benefit distribution. � Benefits may not be used in right place. � Unfairness over benefits and services. � Questions about tenure over forests. � International interference.

f. Communities having direct relationship with forests for daily need of forest products

Roles

� Forest protection and conservation. � Forest development, including plantation. � Receive knowledge about forests and be self-aware.

Effects

� User related unrest and unfairness. � Risk of being disregarded in benefit distribution. � Possibility of significant change in lifestyle.

g. Vulnerable groups

Roles

� Promote forest protection/plantation (mainly: lifestyle intertwined with forests and with forests being the main source of shelter and living).

Effects

� Danger of becoming extinct. � Chance of less voice and activities for rights. � Danger of unfair benefit distribution.

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Resolute papers and rights secured by various convention agreement

8Reading

According to the draft decision of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen, the following principles are implied in safeguarding rights under REDD+.

1. The REDD+ program will be interrelated and complementary with the national forest objectives and related international conventions and treaties.

2. Transparency and governance will be promoted effectively in the REDD+ program, recognizing national sovereignty and laws.

3. Recognizing the declaration of the United Nation’s General Assembly on indigenous rights, national circumstance and laws, and international responsibilities, the rights and traditional knowledge of indigenous people and local communities will be promoted and assisted.

4. While developing national policies, implementing programs, developing monitoring mechanisms, and determining forest baselines for REDD+, full and effective participation of indigenous people and local communities and relevant stakeholders will be promoted.

5. While implementing the REDD+ program and working on national forest and biodiversity conservation, assurance will be given for not converting forests to other purposes. In REDD+ programs, conservation of national forests and ecosystem as well as environmental and social benefits will be promoted and enhanced.

6. Activity to reduce risk of repetition will be promoted.

7. The emission transformation will be minimized.

Right of indigenous nationalities provisioned by ILO 169

� Governments develop coordinated and systematic action to protect the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples.

� Governments consult these peoples through appropriate procedures and representative institutions when applying the Convention’s provisions, and ensure their participation in the process of development.

� Governments ensure that indigenous and tribal peoples have the right to decide their own priorities for the process of development.

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� Governments respect indigenous and tribal peoples’ special relationship with lands, which includes territories both occupied and used.

� The rights of ownership and possession over lands traditionally occupied are recognized and governments take steps to identify these peoples’ lands, and to establish procedures to resolve land claims.

� The rights to natural resources on lands and territories are safeguarded, including the right to participate in the use, management and conservation of resources.

� Where the State retains ownership of mineral and subsurface resources, indigenous and tribal peoples should be consulted prior to programs of exploration or exploitation of resources and wherever possible participate in the benefits of exploitation and receive compensation for damage resulting from exploitation.

� Indigenous and tribal peoples should not be removed from lands except where necessary as an exceptional measure and with their free and informed consent. If consent cannot be obtained, relocation should only occur in compliance with due legal process.

� Whenever possible, indigenous and tribal peoples should have the right to return to traditional lands, or to receive compensation if return is not possible.

Clause eight (j) of Convention on Biodiversity also points to the importance of local innovation. Benefits obtained from biodiversity have to be distributed fairly. This convention has helped the rights of indigenous nationalities and communities dependent on forest.

Position paper of Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) on climate change and Reducing Emission from Forest Deforestation and Degradation (REDD)

Paying attention to the ratification of Indigenous Tribal Peoples Convention (ILO C 169) and adoption of UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) by the government of Nepal,

Realizing the Anchorage Declaration of the Indigenous Peoples Global Summit on Climate Change held in Anchorage Alaska in the United States of America,

Considering the fact that we the indigenous peoples are the communities who have direct symbiotic relations with nature,

Keeping in mind the demands and claims of indigenous peoples’ rights to self-determination, prerogative rights over natural resources and ownership and control over their lands that resulted from indigenous peoples’ continuous struggle from the past,

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Nepal Federation of Indigenous Nationalities (NEFIN) declares the following points as a minimal concept of indigenous peoples of Nepal with regard to Climate Change and REDD+:

1. While formulating any policies, plans and programs related to climate change and REDD+, the state should provide constitutional, legal and administrative guarantee the ownership and control of indigenous peoples over their water, lands, forests and mineral resources that have been ensured by the ILO C. 169 and UNDRIP.

2. The state should respect and recognize indigenous peoples’ rights to self-determination while formulating any policies and implementing any plans and programs related to climate change and REDD+.

3. The state should ensure indigenous peoples rights of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) while formulating and implementing any policies, plans and programs related to climate change and REDD+.

4. The state should ensure constitutional and legal recognition to symbiotic relations of indigenous peoples with their ancestral land, forest, water and other natural resources and their traditional knowledge, skills, customs, and customary legal systems while formulating any policies, plans, and programs related to climate change and REDD+ and implementing, monitoring and evaluating them.

5. The state should ascertain the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples while formulating any policies, plans and programs and implementing, monitoring and evaluating them.

6. The state should recognize the traditional forest management systems of indigenous peoples while making any policies, plans, and programs with an objective to control deforestation and degradation as well as to protect and manage forest resources.

7. Since REDD+ is related to carbon trading for the mitigation and adaptation of climate change, rights over any kinds of decision - either to agree or disagree over carbon trading of the forest - should go to the indigenous peoples.

8. The state should protect and promote the traditional knowledge and skills based on the technology of indigenous peoples by ensuring their patent rights while formulating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating any policies, plans and programs related to climate change and REDD+.

9. Since indigenous peoples are the first REDD+ of climate change over their traditional sustainable livelihoods, including health care system, the state should provide special arrangement to address the impacts as per their traditions.

10. The state should make special measures to mitigate the negative effects of migration driven by climate change and REDD+ on identity and ways of life of indigenous peoples.

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11. The state should ensure the effective participation of indigenous women and children in the formulation of any policies, plans and programs and their implementation, monitoring and evaluation related to climate change and REDD+ by recognizing that women and children are affected the most.

12. The state should immediately adopt special measures to protect the peoples of Mountains, Hills and Terai from the flooding, landslides and drought caused by climate change.

13. The state should identify vulnerable indigenous communities and declare them as “the first vulnerable communities” caused by climate change. In order to minimize the effects of climate change, the state should formulate special alternative programs and implement to address them.

14. Including Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world, the range of mountains is in the state of melting, lakes are bursting, and rivers are drying due to the effect of climate change. We the Indigenous Peoples of Nepal would like to draw the attention of the International community to the fact that the groups most impacted by these disasters are the indigenous peoples in Nepal.

Civil society alliance’s recommendations on REDD+ in Nepal

Civil society organizations (CSOs) in Nepal have been raising the issues surrounding REDD+ with the relevant authorities. Realizing that free, active, informed, and meaningful involvement of CSOs can enhance the governance and institutional arrangements in relation to REDD+ in Nepal and contribute to the development of a national REDD+ strategy, an alliance of CSOs (representing indigenous communities, Dalits, women, Madhesi people, and community forest users) prepared a declaration on climate change and REDD+. The declaration was made on 25 May 2010 at an interaction program organized by the Federation of Community Forestry Users Nepal (FECOFUN). It sets minimum standards for planning initiatives, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation, and contains the following points.

� Nepal should be proactive in initiating climate change and REDD+ activities, not simply reactive and waiting for donor support. Such initiatives should be formulated through rigorous interactions and consultations with rights-holders and stakeholders to build their capacity and raise awareness.

� Any policies or mechanisms related to climate change and REDD+, including REDD+ benefit sharing mechanisms, should be fair, equitable, and justifiable.

� The State should not jeopardize the customary rights of indigenous people and local communities over land, water, and forest resources while initiating any policies, plans, or programs related to climate change and REDD+.

� The State should ensure that climate change and REDD+ related initiatives and activities complement the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), without superseding the goal of poverty reduction as the overarching goal of the MDGs. Civil society organizations should be watchful in this regard.

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� REDD+ and climate change related activities should not be implemented unless they ensure the protection and security of the livelihoods of poor and vulnerable communities. A major priority of REDD+ and climate change programs, initiatives, and activities should be to improve governance and sustainable development.

� Piloting and preparatory activities on REDD+ and climate change should be unbiased and implemented in all regions. Such activities should help to integrate fragmented rural communities, particularly farmers and herders.

� Climate change mitigation and adaptation should be conducted through a single state mechanism; if more than one mechanism exists, coordination and complementarity between mechanisms should be ensured.

� Climate change policies should recognize that the contribution of forests goes beyond mitigation. It is strongly urged that a REDD+ strategy be developed that embraces the non-carbon benefits of forest ecosystems, including biodiversity, livelihood adaptation, ecotourism, and soil and watershed conservation. Benefit sharing mechanisms should be formulated in consultation with diverse stakeholders in order to ensure that benefits reach local communities.

� REDD+ initiatives should maximize the existing rights of local communities over forest resource management. They should further reinforce and ensure the carbon rights of local communities over all the different carbon pools.

� REDD+ initiatives should help to define and strengthen the legal tenure of indigenous people and local communities over forest resources.

� The State should recognize community rights in the constitution, as much as individual and state rights.

� The REDD+ strategy should be based on principles of decentralization. The State should ensure the full and effective participation of indigenous peoples, local communities, women, Dalits, and Madhesi people when formulating any policies, plans, and programs, including monitoring and evaluation.

� Technical terms related to REDD+ and monitoring, reporting, and verification should be simple, consistent, and easy for indigenous people and local communities to understand.

� The State should ensure that monitoring, reporting, and verification takes into account the issue of governance, and social and environmental aspects, in addition to carbon.

� The State and other relevant organizations should develop REDD+ and climate change related publications in the languages of indigenous people and local communities.

� The national REDD+ strategy should incorporate carbon financing of private forests and agro forestry in addition to community and state managed forests.

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� While formulating any policies, plans, and programs related to REDD+ and climate change, the State should respect international declarations and agreements related to the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities. The State should provide constitutional and legislative guarantees of ownership and control by indigenous peoples and local communities over forests, land, and water, as stipulated by ILO 169 and UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

� The State should respect indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ right to free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) when formulating and implementing programs related to climate change and REDD+.

� The State should cultivate a culture of respect and recognize the issues, concerns, and voices of right-holders in all climate change and REDD+ activities and programs.

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Issues and challenges of REDD+9Reading

REDD+ is not limited to a single objective. REDD+ has been developed as an instrument for forest conservation and livelihood improvements. Therefore, during the REDD+ implementation, it may cause both positive and negative impacts on stakeholders (especially those people dependent on forests for livelihoods). It is, therefore, necessary to analyze REDD+ and other related issues, including political, economic, social and cultural issues.

In the context of Nepal, issues under discussion include whether the implementation of REDD+ really provides benefits to the communities who need it most and whether the nation itself can receive financial and environmental benefits from it. A key issue is whether communities will retain the right to continue using forest resources as the present level if REDD+ is implemented. Similar types of issues and challenges related to REDD+ implementation are described below.

Economic and Social Aspect

� The main issue of indigenous people and forest dependent local communities is the continuous right to use forest resources that they have been using from ancient times and the possible impact on their livelihoods.

� Considering inequality, discrimination, and differentiation in our communities, there is a possibility that the real rural forest manager will not receive the REDD+ benefits and there is a risk that REDD+ benefits will go to local elites and powerful persons/groups at the central level.

� There is no clearly identified market for REDD+ yet. We are preparing for carbon trade under this uncertainty. There is also doubt on the success of this trade. Who is the buyer? How will the buyers buy carbon? What is the price of selling and buying? The answers to these questions are still unclear.

� Traditional knowledge, skill and culture of forest and other natural resource dependent indigenous people, local communities, women, and disadvantaged groups have not been recognized/identified and the issue of assuring the rights of these groups on natural resources is increasing.

� REDD+ has raised concern among forest-dependent Dalit communities about the possibility of a negative impact in their traditional use rights.

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� The disadvantaged group “Dalit”, living in rural areas, is illiterate and far from information and knowledge. This is just one of the challenges in implementing REDD+ related awareness and capacity building programs targeting these groups.

� Special programs need to be organized for women, evaluating their roles in forest protection and management activities and considering the greatest impact of climate change to them. Discrimination against gender is a big challenge for implementing these activities.

� Majority of landless people are excluded in the forest user groups in Terai. It is a big challenge to include those forest-dependent people and communities in the REDD+ implementation process.

� Lack of clarity on carbon ownership and benefit sharing may lead to conflict and competition between central government and local communities.

� There is a need for coordination and collaboration among local and central development related institutions with appropriate plans to improve local development infrastructures. In particular, coordination for livelihoods and forest development support among local development institutions and forest related local institutions and communities is necessary, but iremains a serious challenge.

� Financial payment claims under REDD+ should be made based on physically measured carbon. Underdeveloped countries like Nepal are not exchanging their learning from community forests that could be beneficial to the whole world. It is necessary to pay for a community forestry related Indigenous Knowledge System as well.

Policy and Legal Aspect

� Lack of clarity on carbon ownership in current forest policy has given rise to doubt about the value and benefit of REDD+ in Nepal.

� In the context of forest management, women, indigenous people, and local communities are the real owners of forests. These groups of people should have the overall rights over forest. The REDD+ program will not succeed if this right is not guaranteed.

� Unfortunately, the traditional patrolling system has proven insufficient for full forest protection. There is now a growing consensus that an appropriate tenure system, poverty reduction, and good governance are necessary for successful implementation of REDD+. There is still doubt and challenges regarding the REDD+ process because poverty reduction and good governance are multi-dimensional issues and strong political commitment is required to overcome these issues.

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� At present, there is a rising demand for ensuring rights of forest dependent indigenous people and local communities in REDD+ and climate change related policies and their practical implementation. However, a clear methodology for implementing new provisions has not yet been developed, presenting a serious challenge for Nepal with its geographic and demographic complexity.

� There is an urgent need of policy reformulation and strong political commitments from all political parties and other stakeholders for minimizing deforestation and forest degradation, especially in the Terai. Failure to do so will present a serious obstacle to REDD+.

Technical Aspect

� Policies and their implementation should be developed considering international best practice. The major issue in our context is to implement it up to the community level in simple and clearly understandable ways.

� Another key challenge for REDD+ is carbon measurement, data analysis, report preparation, evaluation and validation. As these elements have been given high importance in REDD+ implementation, it is clear that REDD+ require significant technical expertise and involvement, raising the concern that technicians may get more benefits than the local communities. Communities fear that the benefits of protecting forests will go to the technicians only.

� Considering the limited capacity of the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation and its staff, lack of coordination and poor conservation of forests, strengthening and making these more effective is a big challenge.

The way forward for effective coordination among government and non-government institutions is to make REDD+ implementation meaningful. Getting maximum benefits out of REDD+ is also a big issue and needs to be solved immediately.

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