Rethinking REDD+ benefitting the environment and forest people
The second annual Asia REDD+ Working Group facilitated by Community Forestry International was held in Kathmandu, Nepal. Members from government, NGOs, field project representatives, international donors, and technical & financial resource persons attended from ten countries: Nepal, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Philippines, USA, UK, France, Germany, and Japan. The Asia REDD+ Working Group (ARWG) supports the design, development, and replication of community-based REDD+ projects. The REDD approach (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) provides an alternative to the Kyoto Protocol’s ANR (Afforestation and Reforestation) emission reduction system under the Clean Development Mechanism. REDD was first introduced at the UNFCCC meeting in Bali in 2007. REDD has greater relevance for forest-dependent communities because it expands forestry activities to include protecting existing forests. REDD+ goes further to include forest restoration and sustainable management. The ARWG has determined that other values and benefits such as restoring other environmental services and responding to socio-economic needs should also be included as important REDD+ project goals.