Minister for Climate Change Zahid Hamid has inaugurated two key studies of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) aiming to develop National REDD+ strategy and its implementation framework.
The project is aimed at making necessary technical, institutional and legal preparations needed to formally implement the REDD+ programmes in Pakistan. The studies would help management and institutional arrangements for REDD+, development of baselines (Forests Reference Emission Levels/Reference Levels), development of the national forest monitoring system including measurement, reporting and verification systems, development of social, environmental safeguards and capacity building outreach and raising awareness.
The REDD+ Readiness Preparation Project has been launched with the financial support of Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) of World Bank.
Federal Secretary Ministry of Climate Change Syed Abu Akif, Forests Inspector General Syed Mehmood Nasir, WWF-Pakistan Director General Hammad Naqi Khan, secretaries, conservators and deputy conservators of provincial forest departments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir were present on the occasion.
Participants from other government institutions, academia, NGOs, UN agencies and private sector, including federal ministries, Survey of Pakistan, PFI, SUPARCO, UNDP, IUCN, GCISC, World Bank, South Punjab Forest Company and Urban Planning Unit also attended the inaugural session.
The discussion during the two-day technical session would help to devise a roadmap for developing REDD+ strategy, National Forest Monitoring System, Measurement Reporting and Verification System and Forest Reference Levels.
These assignments have a pivotal role in successful implementation of REDD+ programmes in Pakistan.
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is a mechanism of creating financial value for the carbon stored in forests, offering positive incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development with developed countries’ adequate and predictable support (UNFCCC).
Pakistan has been suffering from devastating consequences of deforestation and forest degradation and badly needed to launch REDD programmes not only to conserve its precious forest resources but also to compensate the forest dependent communities.
