IMPLEMENTING CMRV

FOR REDD+ IN GUYANA

GUYANA FORESTRY COMMISSION

August 2015

Structure of Presentation

• Background

• Objectives of CMRV

• Development of the CMRV

• Training and Capacity Building

• Focus on Annai

• Focus on Kanashen COCA

• Key Benefits/Outputs

• Lessons Learned

• Next Steps

Background

• LCDS launched in 2009 with the objective of fostering growth and promoting

sustainable use of natural resources.

• National MRV System established to monitor drivers of deforestation and degradation.

• MRVS Roadmap intended to guide the implementation of CMRV

• Community Monitoring Reporting and Verification (CMRV) initiative launched to :

- Develop a community based system to manage and monitor natural resources and well being

- Strengthen and facilitate capacity building in communities

- Create a replicable community model which can support and be integrated into the NMRV

- Create a framework to monitor impacts of future benefits to community

- Promote the development of modalities for the implementation of MRV activities at the community

level.

- Pilot communities : Annai and Kanashen

Objectives of the CMRV

• To measure and report on key indicators such as forest carbon stocks &

biodiversity in relation to drivers of forest change (such as forestry, fire, mining

and infrastructure).

• To provide the communities with information that can help underpin their

natural resource management processes & climate change adaptation

strategies.

• To enable monitoring of the impacts of potential REDD+ activities that might

occur on community lands (if communities choose to opt-in to the LCDS), with

particular regard to social and environmental safeguards.

• To verify that such monitoring produces reliable information that can feed into

the national MRVS within the framework of Guyana’s LCDS and in accordance

with IPCC guidelines

Development of the CMRV

Overview of Training and Capacity Building

• Training began in Jan. 2014 : GFC engaged in training exercise with Konashen community members

that involved the establishment of biomass plots and map reading.

• Demonstration activities & follow up training sessions in April 2014 : forest carbon monitoring,

validation of data collected, developing a natural resource monitoring system, community

development in relation to the Kanashen Community Management Plan, and monitoring the

community’s well-being through social surveys.

• Third capacity building session(May 2014) in collaboration with NRDDB in Annai : Establishment of

biomass plots, GPS and compass co-ordination, classification of forest types, establishment of maps,

clarification of measurement units and methodological approach to the creation of plot locations.

• Additional training with Konashen team leaders in August : handheld management and data

processing, further training on biomass measurement and sample plot establishment by the GFC , Data

collection of critical resource use and climate change and REDD+ training .

Focus on ANNAI

Description

• North Rupununi District

• Comprised of 16 communities

• Population : 523 persons

• Makushi , Wapishiana

• North Rupununi District Development

Board(NRDDB) – Toshaos

• CMRV launched in 2012 : Annai as the

first pilot community for CMRV

Capacity Building Exercises-ANNAI

GFC provided funding and technical support during

the Phase II of the CMRV to NRDDB to:

• Foster synergy in methodologies between CMRV

and NMRV

• Design of data collection tools - biomass data

sheets

• Assessing drivers of deforestation and

degradation.

• Outline of the socio-economic factors contributing

to these drivers.

• Developing data sharing protocol

• Data recording and demonstration to the use of

equipment

• Establishment of biomass plots using handheld

smartphone device.

• Mapping of community resources .

Focus on Kanashen (COCA)

Description

• Wai Wai Community

• Location : Region 9

• Guyana’s south-western border with Brazil

• 1.5 million acres of forest( 6,250 km2): 2.9% of

Guyana’s total land area

• Population : 250 persons

• Titled Indigenous Land under Guyanese law

• Managed by Toshao/ Village Council

• Recognised and reflected in Guyana’s R-PP

Capacity Building Exercises -Kanashen (COCA)

• Training in establishing biomass and sample

plots, measuring biomass ,data collection ,map

reading along with capacity building in the

areas of climate change and REDD+.

• Forest carbon monitoring and validation of data

collected.

• Developing a natural resource monitoring

system and a community management plan.

• Training for community members on how to

manage handheld devices and use them to

process data.

Key Benefits/Outputs

For the Communities

• Empowered to seek incorporation into Guyana’s REDD+

program and NPAS

• An inventory of their forest carbon resources, and an

effective and functioning CMRV system

• Other important natural resources inventoried and their

ecosystem service value determined

• Baseline information available and system for the long-

term monitoring of the Kanashen COCA in place

• Capacity building (technology and knowledge transfer)

through the training of staff and long-term financing

assured.

• Main drivers of deforestation and degradation identified

For GFC & Guyana

• A model replicable system for establishing CMRV in the

titled indigenous communities nationwide

• A model system to provide the basis for FPIC in the

communities as they decide to “opt in” or “opt out” as

stipulated by the Norway/Guyana agreement and,

• The further expansion of the national MRV through the

Community -MRV.

Lessons Learned

• Building trust is key to the process.

• Financial Resources for Institutional strengthening.

• Data Sharing Protocols & Methodologies must be clearly defined

• Each community is unique hence they have different needs .

• Land Tenure is critical to the management and monitoring of

forest resources .

• Consistency in Methodology for Data Collection(NMRV & CMRV)

THANK YOU