REDD in the Real World

REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) is clearly one of the biggest subjects at COP15 and is very likely to be in the final resolutions here. Most of the presenters here all came from an agency who had just published a comprehensive study of REDD and were very knowledgeable on the subject:

REDD- A new way to manage forests by linking it with carbon markets to value its various services. Much of REDD was designed by looking at what wasn’t working to prevent past deforestation. However it isn’t a foolproof solution and is limited by weak tenure laws in some countries, corruption, decentralization of forestry management, and it really need to push for transformational reforms that won’t always occur.

GOFC- Again I was bad and never actually saw what GOFC stood for until I looked it up later (Global Observation of Forests and Land Cover Dynamics) but they ensure effective satellite measurement of global forests. They provide technical approaches to assess REDD, support countries developing programs, and link monitoring, reporting, and verification with national policy. They try to train people in lesser developed nations to monitor on their own.

Measurements- I found it very interests how many different aspect they try to monitor but it includes:
-deforestation rates
-reforestation rates
-permanence of carbon within designated conserved sites
-changes in forests carbon levels when management practice change

-Some other good points were that deforestation is easy to define but degradation is very broad and could include forest fires, agricultural damages to forests, poor forestry management, etc.
-Also the idea the REDD must not only monitor, report, and verify carbon but should apply those same principles to management and implementation plans too.