The implementation of the global climate change mitigation initiative through the United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement requires countries to provide regular updates on their progress towards, and achievement of, commitments indicated in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Countries are making efforts and receiving support to develop sustainable Transparency and Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems. These systems seek to provide quality reporting on climate-related trends, progress, and action;, track wider impacts; and support activities on reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (mitigation) and building resilience to a changing climate (adaptation).
Article 5 of the Paris Agreement invites countries to take action to conserve and enhance sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases, including forests. The article also encourages actions to implement and support – including through results-based payments – the existing Warsaw Framework for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation while fostering conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+) adopted during the 19th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP-19), and alternative policy approaches such as sustainable management of forests.
Central Africa is one of the regions where REDD+ can enable member countries to achieve their commitments under the Paris Agreement. To capture and integrate emission reductions from REDD+ into national MRV and Transparency systems will depend on the strength of its own such systems. As such, improved REDD+ MRV and Transparency systems will attract partners and investors for climate action in the region.
Countries in the region have been making efforts for more than a decade to develop REDD+ MRV systems. REDD+ MRV initiatives have been piloted and tested at the local, sub-national, and regional levels, through a range of projects and programs. Results from these initiatives have been mixed, with both successes and failures. As the forest ecosystems in the region are gaining visibility as critical to the fight against climate change globally, there is a need to look for ways to improve REDD+ MRV. As such, in this session, we will review and share lessons learned from more than a decade of REDD+ MRV in Central Africa, in order to take stock and map the way forward for improving MRV and Transparency systems in the region.
CIFOR-ICRAF speaker
Agenda
Introductory note
Denis Sonwa, CIFOR-ICRAF
Presentations
MRV process at the subnational level in the Congo Basin
Dr. Sufo Richard, University of Mans
MRV process at the subnational level in the DRC
Vincent Boyemba, FONAREDD, DRC , TBC
MRV process at the national level in DRC
Cleto, FAO, TBC
MRV process in Gabon
Vince Medjibe, Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux, Gabon , TBC
MRV/Transparency in Central Africa in the context of the Paris Agreement
Eugene Chia, Senior Climate Expert , FOKABS
Panel discussion
Moderator: Denis Sonwa, CIFOR
Organizers
