CHALLENGE

In 2007, Indonesia was committed to Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation but was aware of outstanding methodological and financial issues that could stand in its way.

APPROACH

The Indonesia Forest Climate Alliance (IFCA), a study group consisting of Ministry experts as well as researchers from a range of national and international institutions, was created to provide research inputs with support from a core group of donors, including PROFOR, the  World Bank, the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the Australian Government and Deutche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammernarbeit (GTZ).

The objective of the analysis was to clarify possible strategies for REDD in Indonesia‘s major forest land use types and identify pilot projects for testing the potential of “avoided deforestation” payments. It analyzed the reduced level of emissions that could be anticipated through introduction of improved land use and land conversion strategies in five forest land use categories, namely: protected areas, production forests, forests being managed to provide raw material for the pulp and paper industry, for the oil palm industry and in peat lands. 

PROFOR made a significant contribution to financing a series of nine multi-stakeholder studies that assessed options for adjusting historical approaches to forest conservation, sustainable forest management and forest land use.

These studies analyzed how adjustment to forest conservation and land use strategies could lead to quantified and verifiable reduction in carbon emissions. Strong emphasis was given to linking climate change REDD initiatives to conservation and development strategies that would address poverty alleviation by engaging local communities as beneficiaries of programs for effective management of protected areas, for sustainable management of natural forests and for establishment by local communities and small holders of plantations and agro forestry crops such as oil palm on non forest and degraded lands.

• strengthened capacity for measurement and monitoring of forest change and carbon emissions,
• further exploration of potential carbon buyers and sellers,
• strengthened capacity for more effective forest governance (aimed especially at containment of illegal logging).
   

They also included provision for further development and testing of REDD payment distribution mechanisms.  The studies identified criteria and principles for the selection of pilot projects for implementation between 2009 and 2012 that would create opportunities to test the effectiveness of those land use strategies that would be most likely to slow deforestation and degradation.