ISLAMABAD: A national strategy to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) was finalised on Wednesday in a consultative workshop involving officials from the National REDD+ Office, forest departments of all provinces, forestry experts, academia, civil society and other relevant stakeholders.

The strategy has been developed by Indufor of Finland, through a year-long process that involved stakeholders from all the provinces. It focuses on reducing the emissions of greenhouse effect gases (GHG) from deforestation and forest degradation, conserve and increase carbon stock in the forest and promote sustainable forest management.

Workshop participants were informed that under the REDD+ initiative countries are expected to work to reduce emissions by fostering conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.

A country, company or organisation is allowed to produce certain amounts of emissions which can be traded in for money, if not used. One carbon credit is equal to one ton of carbon dioxide.

Strategy focuses on reducing emissions through forest management

The workshop reached the consensus that the issue of deforestation and forest degradation must be effectively tackled as it would otherwise limit the options available to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, greenhouse gas concentrations and increases in temperature to acceptable levels

The concept was first floated by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2005, with the objective of mitigating climate change by reducing net emissions of greenhouse gases through enhanced forest management in developing countries.

During the workshop, other requirements including framework design of a safeguard information system, the Feedback Grievance Redress Mechanism (FGRM) and the Environmental and Social Management Framework were also finalised.

Ministry of Climate Change spokesperson Mohammad Saleem told Dawn that the World Bank provided $3.8 million in funding to spread awareness about the initiative in Pakistan and build capacities.

“REDD, as currently conceived, involves payments to developing countries that will prevent deforestation or degradation that would otherwise have taken place. Under the national strategy the government can allocate funding to save forests by providing alternate sources of energy to communities that cut down trees to use wood as fuel,” he said.

He explained that through the REDD+ initiative the government can save forests that are disappearing in Pakistan at the rate of 39,000 hectares per year.

Human intervention is the leading cause of loss of forest cover in the country, the spokesperson explained. Pakistan is far from enhancing its forest cover to 25 percent forest throughout the country, according to international standards.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2018