From 2009-13 this IIED project looked at how REDD+ could be designed to promote sustainable development and reduce poverty, as well as reduce deforestation and forest degradation.
We investigated the practical economics behind different delivery mechanisms and the relative costs and benefits of different options for:
- The way REDD+ programmes can be designed, and
- International, national and sub-national level policies.
The project focused on three countries in sub-Saharan Africa – Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda – where REDD+ was relatively new, together with Brazil and Vietnam, where there were already established programmes to provide incentives to reduce deforestation or increase forest cover.
Potential pro-poor impacts of different REDD+ models
Teams in each of the focus countries analysed models – many based on existing agro-forestry and payment for ecosystem services (PES) systems – which could be used for REDD+. These were all potentially pro-poor, as they involved smallholder farmers and forest-dependent communities.
The aim was to determine whether these pro-poor approaches could be cost-effective, taking into account opportunity costs as well as transaction costs, in particular, and the costs of social safeguard measures, such as benefit distribution systems. To find out more, read this briefing on the costs of REDD on a forest reserve in the Amazon region.
How do countries achieve 'high-biodiversity REDD+' in practice? This briefing presents a range of national and international policy options. Policy choices at local, national or international levels in these countries were also examined to see whether these supported pro-poor REDD+ models, and how they affected the cost-effectiveness in terms of cost per unit of emission reduction.
Poverty reduction in existing pilot projects
In each of the five countries, IIED and partners worked with selected REDD+ pilot projects to track implementation and improve understanding of their impacts on poverty reduction.
A key part of this work was a baseline survey of socioeconomic conditions of households, conducted in each pilot area prior to the initiation of REDD+ activities. Read a report with a synthesis of the five baseline surveys. The costs involved were also documented, in particular the transaction costs for the set up and operation of these pilot projects.
Lastly, we explored the relative merits of different types of payment formats from the perspective of the communities involved through focus group discussions and choice experiments (surveys of their preferred choices).
REDD+ activities were piloted in:
- Rio Negro Environmental Protected Area (APA) in Amazonas State, Brazil
- Aowin Suaman District, Western Region, Ghana
- Kilosa District, Morogoro Region, Tanzania
- Ongo Community Forest, Masindi District, Uganda, and
- Cat Tien and Bao Lam Districts, Bao Lam Province, Vietnam.
Publications
What people want from REDD+: assessing local views and preferences, Maryanne Grieg-Gran, Essam Yassin Mohammed, Isilda Nhantumbo (2014), IIED Briefing
A strategic environmental and social assessment of Nepal's REDD+ atrategy, Barry Dalal-Clayton, Chandra Bhadra, Ram Bahadur Chhetri, Isilda Nhantumbo, Simon Milledge, Krishna Man Pradhan, Ajay Mathema, Simon Tilleard (2014), ICEM, IIED, SchEMS
Reducing deforestation and forest degradation in Nepal: an environmental and social management framework, Barry Dalal-Clayton, Chandra Bhadra, Ram Bahadur Chhetri, Isilda Nhantumbo, Simon Milledge, Krishna Man Pradhan, Ajay Mathema, Simon Tilleard (2014), ICEM, IIED, SchEMS
Views and preferences for compensation under REDD+ in Tanzania: Kilosa pilot project case study, Cecilie Dyngeland, Betty Waized (2013), Case study
What would it take to make REDD+ pro-poor? Maryanne Grieg-Gran (2013), Project material
Assessing local preferences for payment formats in REDD+ interventions: a case study of the Ongo Community Forest, Justine Namaalwa, Gorettie N. Nabanoga (2013), Case study
Instituting REDD+: an analysis of the processes and outcomes of two pilot projects in Brazil and Tanzania, Arild Vatn, George Kajembe, Rubén Leiva-Montoya, Elvis Mosi, Maria Nantongo, Dos Santos Silayo (2013), Report
Cost implications for pro-poor REDD+ in Lam Dong Province, Vietnam, Matthew Ogonowski, Adrian Enright (2013), IIED Report
REDD+ compensation packages in Lam Dong Province, Vietnam: assessing the preferences of forest communities, Adrian Enright (2013), IIED Report
Local preferences for REDD+ payment formats in Brazil, The Bolsa Floresta Programme, RDS Rio Negro, Luiza Lima, Suelen Marostica, Maryanne Grieg-Gran (2013), Report
Payment formats for REDD+ interventions: preferences and concerns in Aowin District, Ghana, Darley Jose Kjosavik, Rosemary Agbefu, Rosemond Agbefu, Gene Birikorang (2013), Report
The Kilosa District REDD+ pilot project, Tanzania: a socioeconomic baseline study, George C. Kajembe, Dos Santos A.Silayo, Adam B.S. Mwakalobo, Khamaldin Mutabazi (2013), IIED Report
What does it take to achieve pro-poor REDD+? Summary report from workshop held 29 November 2012, Doha, Qatar, Maryanne Grieg-Gran, Leianne Rolington (2013), IIED Report
Results of a baseline study for a REDD+ pilot area in Brazil: the Rio Negro APA and the Bolsa Floresta Programme, Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS) (2013), IIED Report
The Ongo Community Forest REDD+ pilot Project, Uganda: a socioeconomic baseline survey, Gorettie Nabanoga, Edward Ssenyonjo, Justine Namaalwa (2012), IIED Report
The Lam Dong REDD+ pilot area, Viet Nam: a socioeconomic baseline survey, Adrian Enright (2012), IIED Report
Socio-economic conditions in REDD+ pilot areas: a synthesis of five baseline surveys, Synne Movik, Gene Birikorang, Adrian Enright, George Kajembe, Luiza Lima, Suelen Marostica, Thais Megid Pinto, Gorettie Nabanoga, Maria Nantongo, Justine Namaalwa, Dos Santos Silayo, Arild Vatn (2012), IIED Report
REDD Working Papers: REDD and Sustainable Development – perspective from Tanzania, A. B. S. Mwakalobo, G. C. Kajembe, D. S. Silayo, E. Nzunda, E. Zahabu, S. Maliondo, D. N. Kimaro (2011), IIED
REDD Working Papers: REDD and sustainable development – perspective from Brazil, Thais Megid, Gabriel Ribenboim, Victor Salviati, Virgilio M. Viana (2010), IIED
REDD Working Papers: REDD and sustainable development – perspective from Viet Nam, Tim Holland, Richard McNally (2010), IIED
REDD Working Papers: REDD and sustainable development – perspective from Uganda, Gorettie Nabanoga, Justine Namaalwa, Edward Ssenyonjo (2010), IIED
REDD+ delivery models for different forest management regimes in Uganda, Justine Namaalwa, Edward Ssenyonjo, Gorettie N. Nabanoga (2006), Report
Additional resources
REDD+ for profit or for good? Review of private sector and NGO experience in REDD projects, Isilda Nhantumbo, Marisa Camargo (2015), Issue paper
Donors
Partners
Norway: Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)
Brazil: Fundação Amazonas Sustentável
Ghana: Hamilton Resources
Vietnam: SNV
Tanzania: Sokoine University
Uganda: Makerere University