THINKING beyond the canopy
Taking Stock for MRV in Central AfricaDenis J. Sonwa , Robert Nasi, Richard Eba’a Atyi
Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)
REDD After Cancun: Moving from Negotiation to Implementation 10-12 May 2011, Douala, Cameroon
THINKING beyond the canopy
Outline
Background: Geographical context & importance of forest
Some previous MRV-related activities REDD MRV realities in Central Africa Challenges & conclusions
Background: Geographical context
* EDF 2008
For the climate change convention in the region,emphasis is mainly put on REDD+ with the perspective of promoting sustainable forest management in the Congo Basin
THINKING beyond the canopy
Background: Importance of the logging sector
41% of export revenues in CARSecond employer in CAR & Gabon13 000 formal &150 000 Informal jobs in
Cameroon
Wood Production in
2007 (m3)
Tax (Millions Euro)
Cameroon 2 296 254 62.1 CAR 537 998 -
Congo 1 330 980 10 Gabon 3 350 670 31.3
DRC 310 000 1.7 Equatorial
Guinea 524 799 13.8
THINKING beyond the canopy
Background: Forest & Livelihood
Primary forest
Forest field (IC/maleHH)
Bush fallow (IC/maleHH)
Annual mixed Food crop field
Cocoa Agroforest
Short fallow
Long fallow
Secondary forest
* ASB, Cameroon report, 2002
Animal protein, NTFP, Fuelwood,Agriculture lands, etc
& related chain values
Production cyle at the forest fringe in Southern Cameroon*
THINKING beyond the canopy
Background: Sustainable Management*
Other efforts toward sustainable management: SFM practices (e.g., forest law & ITTO guidelines)
and certification gradually implemented FLEGT/AFLEGT processes Harmonization of efforts at the regional level
Protected Area, IUCN Cat 1-6, (Ha)
Percentage of Protected Area
vs. NationalTerritory (%)
Cameroon 10 437 336 22 CAR 17 330 015 28
Congo 3 513 438 10 Gabon 2 431 367 9
DRC 26 314 330 11 Equatorial
Guinea 590 955 21
* EDF 2008
THINKING beyond the canopy
• Logging (concessions); 595.380 km²;
• Conservation (Protected area): 444.970 km²
• Slash and Burn Agriculture: 438.801 km²
Background: The main land uses in Congo Basin
THINKING beyond the canopy
Previous “MRV” related activities
Logging: Wood production Export
* EDF 2008
Biodiversity: Protected area Threatened species
Agriculture: Export crops Cash crop
Carbon pools: soil, dead organic matter, aboveground and belowground biomass
Land cover and related carbon stocks
Land-use changes and related carbon losses
MRV in REDD: The information needed
Available:
• Land cover and land-use changes
• Generic allometric equation for aboveground biomass
Missing:
• Agreed vegetation typology
• Soil and belowground carbon
• Dead organic matter
• Specific allometric equations for the region
MRV in REDD: Available or missing
Main forest land cover classes estimation in Central Africa*
Land cover class Area (km²)% Sub Region
Closed evergreen lowland forest 1.421.834 35Submontane forest (900-1500m) 63.100 2Montane forest (> 1500 m) 9.754 0Swamp forest 123.264 3Mangrove 1.926 0Total humid forest 1.619.879 40Mosaic forest/croplands 370.123 9Mosaic forest/savannah 588.011 15Closed deciduous forest 304.808 8Deciduous woodland 630.890 16Open deciduous shrub land, sparse trees 301.220 7Others 233.540 6TOTAL Sub region (Congo Basin) 4.048.470 100
* EDF 2008
MRV in REDD: Land cover classes
Land-use cover(LC)
Total Carbon
(millions tonnes)
% C Total
1. Closed evergreen lowland forests 27.299 59,32. Swamp forests 1.761 3,83. Sub-mountain forests (900-1500m) 770 1,74. Mountain forests (>1500m) 119 0,3Humid dense Forest (1-4) 29.949 65,1Closed deciduous forests 2.791 6,1Mosaic forest/croplands 3.955 8,6Mosaic forest/savannas 3.403 7,4Deciduous woodland 4.149 9,0Grassland, shrub land, sparse trees 1.770 3,8Congo basin sub-region (TSR) 46.016 100,0
Carbon stock estimation in the Congo Basin
MRV in REDD: Carbon stock
Deforestation: Conversion of forest land to long-term or permanent non forest uses/stand• Anthropogenic origin
• Canopy cover reduction under certain threshold (e.g., 30%)
• Examples: conversion of forest land to agricultural land, meadows and villages
Degradation: Carbon stock reduction « Forest land remaining forest land »• Phenomenon both quantitative (carbon) and qualitative
(biodiversity)
• Example: selective logging
MRV in REDD: Main land uses changes
Pays Annual deforestation (%)
Annual net degradation
(%)
Cameroun 0,14 0,02
Gabon 0,09 0,07
Congo 0,02 0,01
RCA 0,06 0,02
DRC 0,20 0,12
Central Africa 0,16 0,09
Changes between 1990 and 2000 in Central Africa*
*EDF 2008
MRV in REDD: Deforestation & degradation
THINKING beyond the canopy
Conclusion & Challenges for MRV-REDD in Central African Forest
Take into consideration the main land uses:
• Logging (concessions); 595.380 km²;
• Conservation (Protected area): 444.970 km²
• Slash and Burn Agriculture: 438.801 km²
Emphasis on capacity building for MRV & others aspects of Climate Change Convention
Concerted and coherent efforts at the national & regional level
Established and updated data base of basic information need in REDD ( map, allelometric equation, carbon stock, etc..)
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