Dear Readers, In light of the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP 13) in Bali, this month’s E-News is a special edition on Forests, Carbon, and Climate Change. For this edition, we have replaced the usual Commentary of the Month and What We Are Reading with three Viewpoints that offer a diversity of perspectives on the topic of forests and carbon reduction. Additionally, all of this month’s News from the Press, Updates from the International Community, and Publications also relate to this theme. Many of the issues highlighted below will be discussed in depth during Forest Day, a day of COP 13 side-sessions dedicated to the theme of forests and climate change. Looking forward to these discussions in Bali, we hope that this newsletter provides readers with some background information and insights on the potential role of forests and forest communities in climate change negotiations. We would also like to draw attention to a new section of E-News introduced in this edition: Network of the Month. To facilitate community forestry networking among our readers, we will feature a new network each month. The Editor ***Breaking CF News*** In addition to the articles relating to carbon and climate change featured in News from the Press, we would like to draw attention to the following significant piece of news about community forestry in Thailand: Thailand: Community Forest Bill Passed Source: The Bangkok Post, 22 November 2007 Thailand’s National Legislative Assembly approved the long-debated Community Forest Bill on 21 November 2007. The final Bill, which passed by a 57-2 margin with one abstention, was a combination of articles from two versions of the Bill, one proposed by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry and one by the civic sector. While the legal right of forest communities to preserve and manage forest land surrounding their communities is upheld in the Bill, activists expressed disappointment, saying the bill does not do enough to benefit forest dwellers. Community forest rights are only eligible to “original” forest dwellers (those who have live in designated protected forests for 10 or more years before the Bill’s passage) with strict guidelines for the use of protected forest. This article could potentially exclude up to 20,000 communities countrywide from reaping the benefits of the bill. Full text
TABLE OF CONTENTS
VIEWPOINTS 1. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries 2. Communities, Carbon Forestry, and the Need for Sustainable Arrangements 3. The Buy-a-Tree Hail Mary: Carbon Offsets NEWS FROM THE PRESS 1. ASEAN Leaders Adopt ASEAN Declaration on Climate Change (Related) Close-Up of the Forestry Outlook in Asia and the Pacific 2. Atienza: Global Warming Not Population’s Fault 3. Carbon-Credit Forest Companies Fears 4. Carbon Credits for Forest Conservation Concept Faces Challenges But Initiative Could Save Forests and Alleviate Rural Poverty: An Interview with Indonesian Forest Expert Ketut Deddy 5. Forests Losing the Ability to Absorb Man-Made Carbon 6. Forest Protection Should Consider Resources Value: Govt 7. Vanishing Forests a Counterpoint to Indonesia’s Climate Crusade 8. Opinion: An Inconvenient Fact 9. Opinion: Misconceptions about Carbon Emissions 10. Opinion: Stitching Sheets of Loose Sand UPDATES FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY 1. Carbon Credit Support Programme 2. Converting Wood Waste into Pellets to Reduce Greenhouse Gases 3. Completion of Technical Assistance to the Republic of Indonesia for Carbon Sequestration through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) 4. Forest Fires—A Good Servant, A Poor Master Management Through Integrated Forest Protection Scheme 5. How can Development Agencies Help with Adaptation to Climate Change? 6. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation PUBLICATIONS 1. Climate, carbon, Conservation, and Communities 2. Fighting Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a Divided World (Human Development Report 2007/2008) 3. Designing Forestation Models for Rural Asia: Avoiding Land Conflict as a Key to Success 4. Forestry and the Carbon Market Response to Stabilize Climate 5. Multifunctional Agroforestry Systems in India 6. Reduced Emissions from Deforestation: Can carbon Trading Save our Ecosystems? 7. Seeing the Forest for the Treaties—Evolving Debates on CDM Forest andForestry Project Activities 10 Years After the Kyoto Protocol EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES 1. Forest Day 2007 2. Community Forestry Research Fellows 3. Living with Climate Change: Are There Limits to Adaptation? 4. Old Forests, New management International Conference 5. Mountain Forests in a Changing World JOB OPPORTUNITIES 1. Strategic Planning and Program Plan Development Consultant, RECOFTC 2. Communications Manager, CIFOR 3. Senior Scientist, CIFOR  4. Program Coordinator, IUCN 5. Project Officer Forest Governance, IUCN 6. Sub-regional Representative, WWF Madagascar and Western Indian Ocean Islands NETWORK OF THE MONTH The Katoomba Group RECOFTC ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. New Book Release: Participatory Monitoring and Assessment of Ecosystems: Lessons Learned for Development 2. Study Tour: Income Generation and Enterprise Development for Natural Resource Management
VIEWPOINTS
1. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries Provided by Reinhard Wolf, Climate Protection Programme of German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) (e-mail: reinhard.wolf@gtz.de) Reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries (RED), or avoided deforestation, has become a key issue in policy debates about climate change. The push towards RED policy is based on the fact that forests are often cleared by fire and preventing or reducing forest loss also reduces emissions of greenhouse gases. Responsible for approximately 20% of total emissions, deforestation is considered the second most important human-induced source of greenhouse gases. In response to this data, at the eleventh UN climate conference (Conference of the Parties [COP] 11) in 2005, Papua New Guinea and Costa Rica, supported by several developing countries, tabled a proposal for including emissions from avoided deforestation under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) . As a follow-up to these discussions, RED is likely to be on the top of the agenda at the next UN climate conference (COP 13), to be held in Bali, Indonesia next month. At COP 13, leaders will discuss whether incentives for avoided deforestation should be part of a future climate regime after the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol is ending in 2012. For the host country, RED has particular relevance: according to recent estimates, Indonesia has become one of the major emitting countries of greenhouse gases worldwide with an annual emission of about three billion tonnes of greenhouse gases. Deforestation and forest degradation account for more than 80 percent of these emissions. In response, during the annual summit of the Group of Eight (G8—the international forum for the governments of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) leaders earlier this year, the World Bank received support to form a new Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) intended to pilot schemes to reduce emissions from deforestation in several tropical and subtropical countries (see Carbon Finance at the World Bank). Given the magnitude of emissions related to deforestation, a meaningful reduction will require considerable financial North-South transfers. A RED financing scheme would need to generate five to ten billion USD annually in order to save a substantial part of the Earth’s tropical and subtropical forests and consequently reduce greenhouse gases. Most likely, only a carbon market can generate such huge sums; voluntary funding will not be sufficient. For a carbon market to work, a balance between supply and demand for carbon credits must exist. In order to create the demand, industrialized countries have to agree to substantial emission reduction targets, which they partly can achieve by buying credits from developing countries generated through RED. For industrialized country policymakers, this is an “inconvenient truth” (as Al Gore puts it), because in the end it will cost consumers money without immediate and noticeable benefits. During the next decades, however, it will avoid social costs that are orders of magnitudes higher. If deforestation continues at the present rate, the failure to conserve existing forests will forego a huge mitigation potential that is relatively low-cost today, but unavailable in the future. As most deforestation and forest degradation occur along the forest frontier, there are opportunities to concentrate funds efficiently. If deforestation can be reduced successfully, it will help to reach ambitious reduction targets on a global scale with fewer costs. Furthermore, avoiding deforestation has a number of important co-benefits, such as preservation of biodiversity and protection of watersheds. Due to the diverse regional and national circumstances in tropical countries, there is obviously no one-size-fits-all approach to RED. In order to be successful, RED needs an enabling policy framework. It includes clearly defined land rights, law enforcement towards deforestation agents, general investment security, transparent subsidy schemes, and administrative capacity to support land use programs. Capacity development will be crucial for success. Back to TOC _____________________________________ 2. Communities, Carbon Forestry, and the Need for Sustainable Arrangements Provided by Robert Oberndorf, J.D.,Regional Analysis and Representation at RECOFTC (e-mail: robert@recoftc.org) There has been much attention given lately to the issue of REDD arrangements (carbon credits generated through reduced emissions from avoided deforestation/degradation) as a means of simultaneously reducing global carbon emissions, sustainably conserving forest resources (particularly in the tropics), and creating revenue streams for the governments where the forest resources to be protected are located. As you read this piece, this issue is concurrently being addressed by private sector initiatives, which are rapidly moving forward within the realm of informal carbon trading markets to set up REDD projects, and public sector analysis, which is taking a more thoughtful approach towards analyzing exactly how REDD arrangements might operate within a Kyoto2 framework post 2012. Unfortunately there does not appear at present to be enough attention given to the forest-dependent communities, particularly indigenous communities, living in or near the forest resources that might fall under REDD arrangements. Issues such as traditional rights of access and use, the potential role of communities in managing the forest resources in question, and the sharing of any revenue streams created through equitable benefit sharing mechanisms are either being addressed on the periphery of current discussions, analysis and negotiations, or are being completely ignored. This is particularly the case in terms of the rapidly developing private sector initiatives and projects, as the parties involved in trying to secure the deals often view the meaningful inclusion of forest-dependent communities as an unnecessary complication to the negotiation process at best, or a factor that can limit the opportunity for profit taking from REDD arrangements at worst. What is not being adequately recognized and addressed is that any short term gains from excluding forest-dependent communities from meaningful inclusion in the process will most likely lead to a state of non-sustainability and ultimate failure of such arrangements. Research has shown that where forest dependent communities are disenfranchised from the resources they rely on for their livelihoods, they then lose any real interest in preserving those resources, and out of a state of economic desperation they will be under increased pressure to take back that which was stolen from them, often in rather dramatic ways that leads to the degradation, or outright destruction, of the forest resources that were meant to be protected. This is not to mention the potential for increased levels of conflict that will likely arise in such areas due to the inherent tensions created. Without meaningful inclusion of forest dependent communities, forest resources brought under REDD arrangements could quite literally go up in smoke, along with the carbon credits that were meant to be created and traded. The communities lose, the governments lose, the carbon credit trading markets lose, and ultimately our global environment will lose (Is it me, or is it getting hot in here?). Luckily this does not have to be the case. Though setting up REDD arrangements might be more complicated and time consuming, meaningful inclusion of forest dependent communities in the process can ensure that the resources in question are sustainably secured. Several factors leading to this sustainability come into play: § Inclusion of forest dependent communities in initial decision making processes and active management (co-management arrangements) of the resource leads to a greater identification of the community with the forest resources in question, thus increasing the desire to protect that resource; § Ensuring traditional access and use rights, with some modifications in areas to ensure carbon sequestered is secured, will ensure livelihood benefits are maintained and reduce the potential for conflict, thus reducing costs over time; § The equitable sharing of revenue streams created, for example through payment for environmental services arrangements (PES), will improve the livelihoods of the forest dependent communities, thus reducing their reliance on extraction of forest resources; § Millennium Development Goals related to eradication of extreme poverty (MDG-1) and ensuring environmental sustainability (MDG-7) are more likely to be met by the governments where the forest resources in question are located; and, § Investors in the Carbon Credits generated are satisfied because the investment is secure, leading to greater confidence in and credibility of the carbon markets being created. To put it succinctly, making the extra effort to include forest dependent communities in REDD arrangements helps to ensure sustainability, while also having additional add on benefits for all parties involved. Because of this, it is time that we all make sure that issues relating to forest dependent communities are brought from the periphery to the center stage of ongoing discussions relating to REDD arrangements and emerging carbon trading markets. Back to TOC _____________________ 3. The Buy-a-Tree hail Mary: Carbon Offsets Provided by Mark Sandiford, Country Program Support at RECOFTC (mark.s@recoftc.org) The criticisms of carbon offset companies (see CO2nned) and how they operate reflects a wider challenge to a remarkably dynamic and intriguing suite of non-governmental and non-multilateral responses—otherwise referred to as the voluntary sector—to mitigate climate change. True innovation, experiment, and challenge are occurring outside of the lumbering processes of COP13, and there is much to be learned. Tempered with this is the need to recognize on whom the voluntary sector will most impact. Carbon sequestration and associated carbon credit schemes, through the planting of trees, while immediately appealing, carry caveats—how much, on whose land, and why should those most vulnerable and least carbon profligate be made the guardians of global change? Back to TOC ***Disclaimer*** These Viewpoints represent the opinions of the writers and do not necessarily reflect opinions of RECOFTC.
NEWS FROM THE PRESS
1. ASEAN Leaders Adopt ASEAN Declaration on Climate Change Source: China Daily, 20 November 2007 In signing ASEAN Declaration on Environmental Sustainability during the 13th ASEAN summit, leaders from the ten-member bloc took necessary steps towards addressing the need to protect the environment and respond to climate change. The Declaration highlighted the importance of regional and international partnership in sustainable forest management and the protection of natural resource base for social and economic development. ASEAN member countries also agreed to combat climate change through enhancing cooperation on joint research in the development of low emission technologies for the cleaner use of fossil fuels. The Declaration also promoted the conservation and sustainable management of key ecosystems, including forest, coastal, and marine habitats. Full text Back to TOC _____________________________________ Related: Close-Up of the Forestry Outlook in Asia and the Pacific Source: Inquirer, 20 November 2007 At the recent ASEAN summit in Singapore, delegates focused on issues of energy efficiency and climate change. Leaders of the 16 countries present agreed to work towards increasing forest cover, promoting the use of clean energy sources, and protecting marine ecosystems. But environment activists say the declarations from ASEAN and the wider East Asia grouping, including China and India, do not go far enough, and that it is time for governments to move beyond rhetoric and take meaningful action. With forestry becoming a major concern in the international environmental agenda, the conference mood reflected this spirit, with public and private institutions pledging to come together and take steps to combat global warming. Within the international forest sector, major themes for action include reforestation and regeneration of trees, transparency in government to combat corruption and profiteering from illegal logging, and rural livelihood improvement and poverty alleviation. Full text Back to TOC _____________________________________ 2. Atienza: Global Warming Not Population’s Fault Source: The Inquirer, 26 November 2007 Global warming and urban decay cannot be blamed on overpopulation, Environment Secretary Lito Atienza said. The country’s problem, he asserted, is not overpopulation, but the absence of good governance. Atienza said that proper reforestation programs and complete adherence to the Kyoto Protocol are the Philippines’ contributions to the global fight against climate change, and that the country need not alter its climate change policy because it does not contribute as much greenhouse gases as developed countries do. Atienza is pushing for the planting and nurturing of 50 million trees before the end of 2008. Full text Back to TOC _____________________________________ 3. Carbon-Credit Forest Companies Fears Source: The Age, 19 November 2007 While the business of carbon trading and sequestration through commercial tree planting enterprises is a promising market response to climate change, there are many potential risks for companies and their clients. Most carbon offset schemes are currently voluntary and there are plenty of traps as market offerings have evolved ahead of standards. In particular, many schemes are not accredited, audited, nor measured against a particular set of standards. Other issues include “forward loading,” whereby carbon credits are sold today based on future tree growth projections, competition with mining laws, and the fact that carbon emissions may also occur in plantation preparation. It is hoped that regulation in the tree carbon-sequestration sector will improve as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission begins its investigation on marketing schemes that claim “green” benefits. Full text Back to TOC _____________________________________ 4. Carbon Credits for Forest Conservation Concept Faces Challenges But Initiative Could Save Forests and Alleviate Rural Poverty: An Interview with Indonesian Forest Expert Ketut Deddy Source: Mongabay.com, 27 November 2007 While researchers and policymakers have been enthusiastic about the notion of offsetting carbon emissions by preventing deforestation, the concept still faces many challenges. Issues include permanence, leakage, and baseline data establishment, as well as questions over land rights and how local communities will benefit. Given that REDD is still viewed as an important part of a global climate change mitigation strategy, SEKALA, an Indonesia-based NGO is working to address these issues through community training, remote sensing and spatial analysis work, and land-use planning. In a November 2007 interview with mongabay.com, Ketut Deddy, director of SEKALA, said he is optimistic that REDD can deliver benefits to rural populations while protecting forests and their resident biodiversity. Full text Back to TOC _____________________________________ 5. Forests Losing the Ability to Absorb Man-Made Carbon Source: The Independent, 1 November 2007 The vast forests of the northern hemisphere which extend from China and Siberia to Canada and Alaska may actually become a huge source of carbon dioxide rather than serving as an important "sink" that helps to offset greenhouse gas emissions. Studies show that the risk of fires in the boreal forests of the north has increased in recent years because of climate change, and that the world's temperate woodlands are beginning to lose their ability to be an overall absorber of carbon dioxide. Scientists fear there may soon come a point when the amount of carbon dioxide released from the northern forests as a result of forest fires and the drying out of the soil will exceed the amount that is absorbed during the annual growth of the trees. This shift would make it more difficult to address climate change because northern forests are currently counted as a major factor in mitigating the effect of greenhouse gas emissions. Full text Back to TOC _____________________________________ 6. Forest Protection Should Consider Resources Value: Govt Source: The Jakarta Post, 24 October 2007 Indonesian Forestry Minister Malam Sambat Kaban said that financial incentives for forest protection should consider the value of the forests’ natural resources to motivate local residents to protect the area. These incentives, he said, should account for potential losses people may bear for halting exploitation of the forest. Kaban also said other countries have paid little attention to Indonesia's efforts to protect its forests and that the negotiations on financial incentives for protecting forests would be challenging. To demonstrate its commitment to capture carbon by protecting forests, the government plans to plant 79 million trees in the coming month. Indonesia has set up lobbies, including organizing 10 tropical forest countries, to support the REDD concept at the UN Climate Change conference. Full text Back to TOC _____________________________________ 7. Vanishing Forests a Counterpoint to Indonesia’s Climate Crusade Source: AFP, 14 November 2007 A statistic coming under the spotlight before the UN conference on climate change in Bali next month is that the conference’s host country Indonesia is the third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. Land clearing, both legal and illegal, for tree and oil palm plantations, logging concessions and small farms, has destroyed more than 60% of forests in Riau province. In Kuala Cenaku, the land has been stripped to make way for oil palm plantations cashing in on booming demand for palm oil, which is ironically seen as a source of climate-friendly biofuel. The company Duta Palma obtained its concessions by promising to follow a local government regulation that it hand control of 40% of the land to the community and provide them with jobs. Setiawan said the company has not kept its promises, clearing most of the land for its own use and causing severe fires and choking smoke. Villagers have protested to the local and provincial governments with few results. Full text Back to TOC _____________________________________ 8. Opinion: An Inconvenient Fact Source: The Vancouver Sun, 29 August 2007 Despite the anti-forestry scare tactics of celebrity movies, trees are the most powerful concentrators of carbon on Earth, writes Dr. Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace. In this Opinion, Moore argues that a key to reducing greenhouse gases is not cutting fewer trees and using less wood, but managing the forests. Forestry, Moore claims, is the most sustainable of all the primary industries that provide energy and materials. There is a common misconception that cutting down an old tree will result in a net release of carbon; however, products made from wood still hold the carbon that it sequestered hundreds of years ago. Furthermore, young forests absorb carbon at a much faster rate than old trees. Therefore, we should be using more wood, not less, in order to capture the carbon in old trees and make room for new trees, which can absorb even more carbon, to grow. Full text Back to TOC _____________________________________ 9. Opinion: Misconceptions about Carbon Emissions Source: The Jakarta Post, 2 November 2007 This op-ed argues that recent government statements show a fundamental misconception about the proposed REDD scheme by suggesting carbon price calculations reflect the market price and consider loss of opportunity for developing countries. The government needs to understand that keeping the forest intact is not a loss of opportunity, writes the author. In fact, the op-ed says, widespread forest and land degradation is disastrous and will cost the government even more than it can generate from exploiting forest lands. According to the article’s rough calculation, at US$100 per hectare per year in carbon compensation, Indonesia could get $1.8 billion extra revenue if its vulnerable forests were protected. The author concludes that the government should use carbon economics to turn the weak land tenure situation around. Full text Back to TOC _____________________________________ 10. Opinion: Stitching Sheets of Loose Sand Source: Inquirer, 21 November 2007 Juan Mercado writes that a forestry approach that responds to climate change through biodiversity conservation and that also addresses livelihood issues for the rural poor is not only possible, but is starting to be taken seriously by forest ministries, international organizations, and perhaps even the private sector. Governments and logging companies have historically excluded rural folk from benefits accrued through timber extraction, and many policymakers still claim that allowing rural communities to access, utilize, and manage local forests results in resource degradation. However, this mindset is gradually becoming obsolete among members of the forestry sector, as attention is turned towards capitalizing on opportunities in forest product harvest that benefit local communities through new and rediscovered old technologies, institutional development, and even market approaches that engage the private sector. Full text Back to TOC _____________________________________
UPDATES FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
1. Carbon Credit Support Programme Source: Global Forestry Services (GFS) Global Forestry Services (GFS) announces its Carbon Credit Support Programme (CCSP) to aid the international community in becoming carbon neutral with carbon offset projects. Developed in response to the business community’s requests, GFS CCSP is intended to provide a structure for the design, development, and implementation of carbon forestry projects to generate carbon offsets and tradable credits, to facilitate comprehensive project due diligence to ensure project viability, to facilitate project development between partner organizations and clients, to support value added services of existing forest management through risk analysis and strategies involving carbon offsets, and to support carbon forestry projects and forest management through international standards of certification. Full text Back to TOC _____________________________________ 2. Converting Wood Waste into Pellets to Reduce Greenhouse Gases Source: FAO FAO announced that Costa Rica’s pilot project to convert polluting wood residues into a profitable “green” energy source presents new prospects for timber industries in developing countries. The decay of wood residues leads to emissions of methane, a very potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. The project, based on the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), converts large stockpiles of sawdust and other residues into wood pellets, which can be used as a renewable source of energy, and as a substitute for fossil fuels. Under the CDM, the benefit of the pilot project is two-fold: (i) the production and use of wood pellets avoids methane emissions from wood waste produced by local sawmills, and (ii) it substitutes fossil fuels with wood pellets, a renewable fuel, in local industries. Full text Back to TOC _____________________________________ 3. Completion of Technical Assistance to the Republic of Indonesia for Carbon Sequestration through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Source: ADB ADB has completed technical assistance (TA) to the republic of Indonesia for carbon sequestration through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). ADB reports 61 million ha of degraded land in Indonesia classified as critical for reforestation and rehabilitation. Reforestation by carbon sequestration investment through CDM is a potential source of funds for Indonesia. The goal of the TA was to (i) help increase capacity of Indonesian stakeholders to earn certified emission reduction (CER) units from land use, land-use changes, and forestry (LULUCF) projects for the removal of greenhouse gases; and (ii) promote sustainable forest development. While developing the pilot projects, the TA was designed to help Indonesian stakeholders understand the processes, implications, and potential applications of CDM through focused capacity building activities. Full text Back to TOC _____________________________________ 4. Forest Fires—A Good Servant, A Poor Master Management Through Integrated Forest Protection Scheme Source: Government of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests Forest fires have been a wide-spread phenomenon in tropical forests throughout the world, including in India. According to India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests, many of these fires are human-caused, ignited by local communities in order to promote tender growth of herbivorous vegetation, to practice shifting agriculture, and to collect non timber forest products, such as Mauhna flowers. The Ministry thus recommends that local communities be involved in fire management. Given the threat of climate change, attention to forest fires is urgent. Forests are affected by and have an effect on climate change. Forest fires contribute significantly to GHG emission, while loss of resource renders the area even more vulnerable to climate change. The Ministry therefore announces that efforts to protect forests, as the best cover for climate security, from fires is imperative. Full text Back to TOC _____________________________________ 5. How Can Development Agencies Help with Adaptation to Climate Change? Source: Institute of Development Studies (IDS) The world’s poorest people suffer the most from the impacts of climate change, yet generally emit the fewest greenhouse gases. Development agencies already advocate for cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, but they should also focus on helping people to adapt to climate change. Adaptation, the ability to respond and adjust to the actual or potential impacts of changing climatic conditions, can include reducing harmful impacts or exploiting opportunities. Experiences of the poor are important for informing efforts about how to adapt to climate change, both at national and international levels. Development agencies and other institutions already have experience of climate change adaptation in several areas, including community-based climate change adaptation. These agencies can build on this in several ways, such as by planning adaptation activities for consistency with poverty reduction policies, plans, and programs. Full text Back to TOC _____________________________________ 6. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation Source: UNDP Despite the fact that one fifth of all GHG emissions result from deforestation, surprisingly, less than one percent of the carbon market investments under Kyoto’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) deals with forests. Currently under CDM, this involves only plantations through reforestation or afforestation projects, as international incentive scheme for avoided deforestation to protect existing forests do not yet exist. In Stern’s Review, forest conservation is regarded as a highly cost-effective way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Given the complexity and diversity of addressing avoided deforestation, there are several outstanding issues on REDD on which discussions are still ongoing and agreement is needed, including the following additionality, leakage permanence, scope, and creating perverse incentives. Full text Back to TOC
PUBLICATIONS
1. Climate, Carbon, Conservation and Communities Authors: Dilys Roe, Hannah Reid, Kit Vaughan, Emily Brickell, Jo Elliot Publisher: IIED, WWF, 2007 The growing market for carbon offers great opportunities for linking greenhouse gas mitigation with conservation of forests and biodiversity, and the generation of local livelihoods. For these combined objectives to be achieved, strong governance is needed along with institutions that ensure poor people win, rather than lose out, from the new challenges posed by climate change. This briefing paper explores the opportunities from and limitations to carbon-based funds for conservation and development. It highlights mechanisms that may help secure benefits for climate, conservation and communities. For more information, see the full description on the IIED website. Download a copy of “Climate, Carbon, Conservation and Communities.” Back to TOC _____________________________________ 2. Fighting Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a Divided World (Human Development Report 2007/2008) Authors: Kevin Watkins et al. Publisher: UNDP, 2007 The Human Development Report 2007/2008 shows that climate change is not just a future scenario. Increased exposure to droughts, floods and storms is already destroying opportunity and reinforcing inequality. Meanwhile, there is now overwhelming scientific evidence that the world is moving towards the point at which irreversible ecological catastrophe becomes unavoidable. Building on findings of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change earlier in the year, the report reveals that poor countries face enormous risks due to global warming. The report pushes political leaders and people in wealthy nations to initiate deep and early cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change, the report states, challenges the entire human community to undertake prompt and strong collective action based on shared values and a shared vision. For more information, see a full description on the UNDP website. Download a copy of the Human Development Report 2007/2008. Back to TOC _____________________________________ 3. Designing Forestation Models for Rural Asia: Avoiding Land Conflict as a Key to Success Authors: Kimihiko Hyakumura, Yoshiki Seki, Federico Lopez-Casero Publisher: IGES, 2007 Just over 60% of the world’s planted forests are now located in Asia. These forests have critical roles to play in releasing pressure on natural forests, mitigating climate change, assisting people’s livelihoods and contributing to national policies of development. However, planted forests are often troubled by social conflict, especially when they prohibit rural households from using land important to their livelihoods. This policy brief explains that avoiding land conflict and encouraging enthusiasm for planting among local people are critical to the sustainable management of planted forests. The document calls for a reconsideration of existing company managed and government-led forestation models and greater state support for contract-type and people-centered approaches. For more information, see the complete summary on the IGES website. Download a copy of “Designing Forestation Models for Rural Asia: Avoiding Land Conflict as a Key to Success.” Back to TOC _____________________________________ 4. Forestry and the Carbon Market Response to Stabilize Climate Authors: Massimo Tavoni, Brent Sohngen, and Valentina Bosetti Publisher: Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, 2007 This paper investigates the potential contribution of forestry management in meeting a CO2 stabilization policy of 550 ppmv by 2100. In order to assess the optimal response of the carbon market to forest sequestration we couple two global models. An energy- economy-climate model for the study of climate policies is linked with a detailed forestry model through an iterative procedure to provide the optimal abatement strategy. Results show that forestry is a determinant abatement option and could lead to significantly lower policy costs if included. Linking forestry management to the carbon market has the potential to delay the policy burden, and is expected to reduce the price of carbon of 40% by 2050. Biological sequestration will mostly come from avoided deforestation in tropical forests rich countries. The inclusion of this mitigation option is demonstrated to crowd out some of the traditional abatement in the energy sector and to lessen induced technological change in clean technologies. Back to TOC _____________________________________ 5. Multifunctional Agroforestry Systems in India Author: D.N. Pandey Publisher: CIFOR, 2007 Land-use options that increase resilience and reduce vulnerability of contemporary societies are fundamental to livelihood improvement and adaptation to environmental change. Agroforestry as a traditional land-use adaptation may potentially support livelihood improvement through simultaneous production of food, fodder and firewood as well as mitigation of the impact of climate change. This paper reviews the contribution of agroforestry systems in India to: (i) biodiversity conservation; (ii) yield of goods and services to society; (iii) augmentation of the carbon storage in agroecosystems; (iv) enhancing the fertility of the soils, and (v) providing social and economic well-being to people. For more information, see the full abstract on the CIFOR website. Back to TOC _____________________________________ 6. Reduced Emissions From Deforestation: Can Carbon Trading Save Our Ecosystems? Authors: Almuth Ernsting and Deepak Rughani Publisher: World Rainforest Movement (WRM), 2007 The World Bank is spear-heading the set-up of a $250 million avoided deforestation pilot project to pay governments for not turning parts of their forests into plantations. This is also part of a much bigger plan for a mega-fund called the Global Forest Alliance, a partnership between the World Bank, logging and plantation companies, science institutes, business donors and large conservation non-governmental organizations. A report published in the July 2007 WRM bulletin argues that from a systems perspective, such proposals deal only with the symptomatic problem of uncontrolled deforestation, rather than with the fundamental problem that the biosphere is in a state of critical carbon sink deficit and some ecosystems are on the verge of collapse.  This report offers seven arguments of how such non-systemic thinking permeates the entire debate and risks making ecosystem destruction and climate change rapidly worse. For more information, see the full synthesis on the WRM website. Download a copy of “'Reduced Emissions From Deforestation': Can Carbon Trading Save Our Ecosystems?” Back to TOC _____________________________________ 7. Seeing the Forest for the Treaties - Evolving Debates on CDM Forest and Forestry Project Activities 10 Years After the Kyoto Protocol Author: Romulo Sampaio Sr. Publisher: Social Science Research Network, 2007 This paper analyzes forest and forestry project activities under the clean development mechanism (CDM) based on the historical legal and scientific international recognition of the role carbon, sinks, and reservoirs can play in mitigating climate change. The analysis begins by differentiating the international legal status of forest and presents two possible approaches to forests and forestry activities. Based on this historical and analytical overview, the paper assesses possible current obstacles, positive and negative impacts related to CDM forests and forestry project activities, and environmental, socio-economic, social and cultural downsides and upsides. This paper intends to serve not only the purposes of achieving the objective of the Climate Change Convention, but also the goals of other major conventions and international forums. For more information, see the complete abstract and download a copy on the SSRN website. Back to TOC
EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
1. Forest Day 2007 Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, 8 December 2007 CIFOR and co-hosts will be holding the first Forest Day on 8 December 2007 as an event parallel to the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP13). Forest Day will see CIFOR and partner organizations presenting an international forum on forest and climate change policies at the global, national and local levels. Speakers representing a broad range of forest stakeholders are committed to presenting and discussing the current prominent forest issues central to the climate change debate. For more information, visit the CIFOR website or download the Forest Day flier. Back to TOC _____________________________________ 2. Community Forestry Research Fellows United States, Deadline: 1 February 2008 The Community Forestry Research Fellowship Program (CFRF) supports collaborative research on natural resource management in forest communities in the United States. CFRF is accepting 2008 fellowship applications for participatory research in community forestry. The primary purpose of the CFRF fellowship is to enable graduates students and communities to do just that: work on participatory, community-based research that promotes mutual learning and advances the conditions and practices that support sustainable natural resource management, capacity building, viable local economies and more democratic decision making. For more information, visit the CFRF website. Back to TOC _____________________________________ 3. Living With Climate Change: Are There Limits to Adaptation? London, England, 7-8 February 2008 The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and the University of Oslo, with the support of the Global Environmental Change and Human Security (GECHS) project, are holding an international conference on living with climate change. The overall objective of this conference is to consider strategies for adapting to climate change, in particular to explore the potential barriers to adaptation that may limit the ability of societies to adapt to climate change and to identify opportunities for overcoming these barriers. The conference is aimed at researchers and practitioners with an interest in understanding how societies adapt to climate change. The conference will explore the following three themes: (1) Adapting to thresholds in physical and ecological systems; (2) The role of values and culture in adaptation; and (3) Governance, knowledge, and technologies for adaptation. Deadline for Early Registration: 15 December 2007 For more information, visit the Tyndall Centre website. Back to TOC _____________________________________ 4. Old Forests, New Management International Conference Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 17-21 February 2008 This conference, hosted by the CRC for Forestry, Forestry Tasmania, and the International Union of Forest Research Organisations, will bring together researchers from a range of disciplines focused upon achieving ecologically sustainable management and use of old-growth forests. It will include coverage of modern approaches being developed in the Pacific Northwest, Australia, South America, Scandinavia and Central Europe. The conference will include a visit to the Warra Long-Term Ecological Research site in southern Tasmania, which is partly in a World Heritage Area and also contains a silvicultural systems trial that has explored alternatives to clearfelling of old-growth forests. Themes include social and historical importance of old-growth forests and shaping old-growth forest management regimes. For more information, visit the conference website. Back to TOC _____________________________________ 5. Mountain Forests in a Changing World Vienna, Austria, 2-4 April 2008 Nowadays the sustainable production of wood in mountain forests to meet the demand of society and to ensure the livelihood of land owners and forest workers has to consider additional factors such as drinking water, biodiversity, tourism, air pollution and climate change. This conference, hosted by the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, aims at presenting advances in mountain forest research in the broad context of sustainable management of mountain areas as well as highlighting and discussing the role of academic education for sustainable resource management. Themes include: (1) Conservation and environmental services; (2) Production – the role of mountain forests for the livelihood of people; (3) Mountain forests under pressure: risks and hazards; and (4) Education and capacity building. For more information, visit the university's conference website. Back to TOC
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
1. Strategic Planning and Program Plan Development Consultant, RECOFTC Location: Bangkok, Thailand Closing Date: 17 December, 2007 RECOFTC is seeking a consultant, or team of consultants, to facilitate the process of strategic planning and the development of a new program plan during January to March 2008. The consultant will incorporate team-building approaches to stimulate active participation of RECOFTC staff during this process. Potential consultants should submit an application of a CV, indication of expected daily fees, and an expression of interest. The expression of interest should include a brief description (no more than 2 pages) of the candidate’s work experience relating to strategic planning, team building, and the approach and process the applicant would consider using while assisting RECOFTC strategic planning and new program development. Please submit complete applications for consideration to RECOFTC at hr@recoftc.org before Monday 12:00 noon, 17 December 2007. For more information, see the full job posting on the RECOFTC website. Back to TOC _____________________________________ 2. Communications Manager, CIFOR Location: Bogor, Indonesia Closing date: ASAP The Center for International Forestry Research seeks a Communications Manager who will provide strategic leadership and facilitate the Center’s activities in the areas of public awareness, media relations, scientific publishing, web presence, and knowledge management. He/she will play a key role in enhancing CIFOR’s international profile and reputation as a credible and reliable source of information on tropical forests and the people who depend on them. As the person primarily responsible for the quality of CIFOR’s corporate publications, web presence and outreach, the Communications Manager will provide advice and assistance to management and staff on policies, procedures and innovative approaches concerning all aspects of communications and knowledge management. For more information, see the full job posting on the CIFOR website. Back to TOC _____________________________________ 3. Senior Scientists, CIFOR Location: Bogor, Indonesia Closing date: ASAP CIFOR is looking for PhDs to join its Research Team as Senior Scientists. They will work closely with other CIFOR research programs, will help facilitate and identify strategic opportunities in the fields of forests and livelihoods, and/or environmental services. The Scientists will undertake research, develop and maintain functional partnerships, support capacity-building initiatives, and assist in developing and maintaining donor relations. (a) Senior Scientists – Climate Change (3 positions). Each Scientist will be attached to one of CIFOR’s Research Programme: Forests and Governance Programme; Forests and Livelihoods Programme and the Environmental Services; and Sustainable Use of Forests Programme. The Scientists will contribute to CIFOR’s Climate Change and Forests Initiative. (b) Senior Scientist – Forests and Livelihoods (1 position). The Scientists will be attached to the Forests and Livelihoods Programme. The research focus could be on any of the topics covered in the program (conservation and development outcomes; forests and human well being; forest industry and local livelihoods). For more information, see the full job posting on the CIFOR website. Back to TOC _____________________________________ 4. Program Coordinator, IUCN Location: Vientiane, Lao PDR Closing date: 3 December 2007 The World Conservation Union (IUCN) seeks a Program Coordinator for its Lao PDR Country Office. The Coordinator will oversee all strategic program and project planning, development, monitoring, and reporting to IUCN and partners/donors. He/she will also provide technical support to all IUCN-Lao staff and ensure quality control of all work undertaken by the technical team, among other duties. For more information, see the full job posting. Back to TOC _____________________________________ 5. Project Officer Forest Governance, IUCN Location: Bangkok, Thailand Closing date: 6 December 2007 The World Conservation Union (IUCN) is implementing an expanding program of work on Forest, Law Enforcement and Governance (FLEG). Under the FLEG program IUCN seeks to recruit a professional for the position of Project Officer Forest Governance for its Asia Regional Office. The Project Officer will report to the Head Livelihoods and Landscape, Asia on all administrative matters, and to the Team Leader, Strengthening Voices for Better Choices (SVBC) on technical issues and work planning. He/she will provide support to Knowledge Management (KM), communication and documentation activities of the SVBC project; support the development, planning and implementation strategic communication activities; conduct research and analysis related to forest governance; and more. For more information, see the full job posting. Back to TOC _____________________________________ 6. Sub-Regional Representative, WWF Madagascar and Western Indian Ocean Islands Location: Antananarivo, Madagascar Closing date: 30 December 2007 WWF seeks a professional who will lead dynamic and dedicated teams in achieving key initiatives and long term plans to ensure strong conservation delivery for the Programme Office in Antananarivo. He/she will provide vision and leadership for the WWF programme in Madagascar and the Western Indian Ocean Islands and effective high level representation of WWF with key audiences to build strength and support for the programme. He/she will also provide overall direction and leadership for the development of a Conservation Plan based on WWF’s agreed priorities, and a Business Plan for the WWF Madagascar and Western Indian Ocean Islands Programme. For more information, see the job posting and description on the WWF website Back to TOC
NETWORK OF THE MONTH
The Katoomba Group The Katoomba Group is an international working group composed of leading experts from forest and energy industries, research institutions, the financial world, and environmental NGOs dedicated to advancing markets for some of the ecosystem services provided by forests – such as watershed protection, biodiversity habitat, and carbon storage. The Katoomba Group seeks to address key challenges for developing markets for ecosystem services, from enabling legislation to establishing new market institutions, to developing strategies for pricing and marketing, and monitoring performance. For more information, visit The Katoomba Group website.
RECOFTC ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. New Book Release: Participatory Monitoring and Assessment of Ecosystem: Lessons Learned for Development The Thailand Collaborative Country Support Program (ThCCSP) under RECOFTC has been developing and promoting community participation in forest management since 2003. ThCCSP is fully funded by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA). Action research methodologies are used in different sites in Thailand which have diverse ecosystems, community contexts and relationships between stakeholders and forests resources. This month, ThCCSP has released the book Participatory Monitoring and Assessment of Ecosystem: Lessons Learned for Development (in English), which contain the proceedings of the May 2005 Thailand National Conference on Participatory Monitoring and Assessment of Ecosystems, held in Bangkok and hosted by ThCCSP. The book presents six case studies that illustrate the use of participatory monitoring and its contribution to CF management in those areas. For more information, see the complete description on the RECOFTC website. Download a copy of the book cover, part I, and part II of Participatory Monitoring and Assessment of Ecosystem: Lessons Learned for Development. Back to TOC _____________________________________________________________ 2. Study Tour: Income Generation and Enterprise Development for Natural Resource Management Bangkok, Thailand, 19–25 February, 2008 Poverty alleviation is one of the greatest challenges facing the communities and Government’s of developing nations, and the donor agencies working in those countries. In developing countries, harvesting of natural resource products for trade offers significant opportunity to improve the livelihoods of local communities living in rural areas. To gain more experience and explore income generation activities through enterprise development, RECOFTC is offering a stimulating and interactive Income Generation and Enterprise Development for Natural Resource Management study tour. A number of places are still available for the study tour, which begins at RECOFTC in Bangkok, Thailand, with visits to several provinces in the country. Participants in this study tour you will be given the opportunity to learn from successful cases of enterprise development that support the sustainable harvesting of natural resource products. For more information and to apply online, visit the RECOFTC’s Study Tours webpage. Back to TOC
ABOUT RECOFTC
The Regional Community Forestry Training Center for Asia and the Pacific (RECOFTC) was established in 1987 in response to the growing awareness that community participation in resource management could assist in protecting forests as well as in enhancing rural livelihoods. In 2000, RECOFTC became a fully autonomous international organization. RECOFTC works in close collaboration with partner organizations to support community forestry development in the region. RECOFTC focuses on designing and facilitating learning processes and systems to strengthen the capacity of community forestry institutions. RECOFTC also seeks to promote dialogue between different stakeholders to enhance the sustainable management of forest resources. To learn about RECOFTC staff, view the RECOFTC Staff Directory. To learn more about community forestry, visit the RECOFTC website. P.O. Box 1111, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10903, Thailand Tel: 66-2-9405700; Fax: 66-2-5614880 E-mail: info@recoftc.org Web-site: http://www.recoftc.org/
ABOUT CF E-NEWS
The Community Forestry E-News is an email released at the end of each month to update readers on community forestry related activities and issues throughout Asia and the Pacific. To provide you with the latest news, we welcome any information from different sources on people's participation in forest management. Please send your information, comments and suggestions to info@recoftc.org by the 20th of the month. We encourage you to forward this message to others who might be interested. If you would like to subscribe to or unsubscribe from the list, please send a message to info@recoftc.org or subscribe online. To find back issues of the E-News, please go to RECOFTC's E-News webpage. The views expressed in articles published by the Community Forestry E-News do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of RECOFTC. Information from CF E-News may not be sold. Please respect copyright and acknowledge authorship and institutions when referencing or redistributing any information from this newsletter.
For more information contact: Naomi Sleeper Editor Regional Analysis and Representation Email: naomi@recoftc.org	With editing support by: Erica Lee Regional Analysis and Representation Email: erica@recoftc.org Mikaela Rosander Regional Analysis and Representation Email: mikaela@recoftc.org