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*

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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

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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

Dynamics of above ground biomass*

* EDF 2008

MRV in REDD: Land use land cover change

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..)

THINKING beyond the canopy

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