redd readiness activities in kenya iisd
TRANSCRIPT
REDD READINESS ACTIVITIES IN KENYA
ALFRED N. GICHU
Kenya Forest Service
BENEDICT OMONDI
CONTENTS
Country ProfileForestry sector ProfileKey Drivers of Deforestation& Forest DegradationProposed InterventionsReadiness Activities and Progress made so farREDD Management StructureKey Challenges
Kenya measures 582,650 sq. Km
Has a population of about 40 million people.
Over 70% of Pop. depend on agriculture for their social and economic livelihood
Only 20% of the country is classified as arable; 80% is classified as arid and semi-arid areas.
More than 70% of the national energy demand is derived from fuelwood
The national forest cover stands at 5.9% with an annual deforestation rate estimated at 12,000 ha per annum.
There is a new forest legislation (Forests Act 2005) that requires all forests subscribe to sustainable forest management regardless of ownership.
Kenya Country Profile
The Forest sector in Kenya
The main forest types in Kenya,Natural high forestsDryland forests referred to as woodlands andForest plantations
Most of the forests (97.8%) are either state owned or managed by local authorities, only 2.3 % private forests exist
Kenya is estimated to be emitting 14.4 million tonnes of CO2 per year from deforestation activities or roughly about 52,000 ha per year.
Kenya’s Forest Profile
CoastNorth EasternEwaso NorthEastern NairobiCentral Highlands MauNorth RiftWesternNyanza
Key drivers for deforestation and forest degradation in Kenya
Several socio-economic factors contribute to Kenya’s loss of forest:Pressure for expansion of agricultural land, settlement and development,Unsustainable utilization of forest resources,High dependence on wood energy for lighting and domestic consumption especially charcoalOvergrazing and Forest Fires,Institutional failures arising from weak governance structures, inadequate capacity to enforce the law and lack of real stakeholder participation forest management.
Proposed interventions
1. Strict protection of water catchment forests Mt. Elgon and Cherangany, Aberdare, Mt. Kenya, Mau Complex
2. improved stoves & other energy conservation technologies
3. Promotion of nature based micro enterprises
4. Institutional strengthening to enhance sustainable management
5. Public education and awareness
6. Improvement on fire monitoring and management
7. Provision of incentives, particularly payment for environmental services and tax holidays / tax rebates
8. Incentives to promote efficiency in forest resource utilization
9. Supporting afforestation and reforestation to reduce the current national timber deficit
REDD readiness activities in Kenya
Readiness activities required to support REDDD implementation after 2012,A national implementation strategyEstablishment of reference emission ScenarioAn effective monitoring system to assess performance.
Kenya Forest Service has been designated as the REDD Focal point for coordination of National REDD Readiness
activities.
Progress Made on REDD
Kenya with support from the FCPF has started the process of preparing a readiness package through a multi-stakeholder, multi-institutional process.A Participation Agreement between GOK and PC signedA Grant Agreement between GOK and WB has been signed to support development of the Readiness Plan Proposal (RPP).A multi-sectoral REDD- Technical Working Group establishedProcess of establishing a Steering Committee initiatedProcess of formulating the REDD Preparation Proposal that will inform the other phases initiated.A consultation and participation plan developed and its implementation has commenced.
Kenya has established a functional multi stakeholder Technical Working Group (TWG)
The TWG is divided into three sub groups
Consultation and Participation subgroup
Methodology subgroup
Policy and Institutional Subgroup
A REDD+ secretariat exists within the KFS
Kenya is in the process of forming a national REDD+ steering committee
Kenya REDD+ Management structure
Tasks for the Sub-Groups
Policy and Institutional IssuesDevelopment of national REDD Strategy, including identification of drivers of deforestation and degradation;
Institutional dimensions of REDD: national, regional and local-level institutions; legal framework; governance dimensions, benefit-sharing mechanisms, land tenure, etc.
Methodology - Reference Scenario ,Monitoring, Reporting ,Verification system, Biomass estimation
Consultation and Participation - National dialogue, including participation of civil society and the private sector ,elaboration of a national consultation, participation and outreach plan; identification of participatory mechanisms.
Key challenges
1.
Forest assessments to establish an emission reference scenario
1.
Establishing a monitoring system for emissions, emission reductions -Forest resource assessments and monitoring and verification of carbon stocks
2.
Generating synergies in support of REDD activities across the stakeholder spectrum
3.
Enlisting formal support across the government to facilitate and entrench cross-sectoral collaboration.
ASANTE SANA