CIGAREDD

CIGAREDD

martes, 17 de noviembre de 2015

Reduced degradation; the orphan child of REDD+

InfoBrief 3 introduced the importance of degradation in forest carbon emissions in Mexico, particularly in the case of tropical dry forest. In InfoBrief 5 (see side menu) we address the institutional framework that is developing in Mexico as regards finance and incentives for REDD+ activities, and highlight why inclusion of degradation is so difficult.

A national baseline has been set, but it includes only emissions from deforestation and forest fires. Under the national REDD+ strategy, activities coordinated from the public sector will use existing incentives and public programs to reduce emissions from these sources.

On a parallel track, activities promoting carbon removals and enhancements can be developed within existing voluntary carbon markets.

Reduced degradation however remains as the largely forgotten orphan child of REDD+. This is due to lack of historical data, which is a problem worldwide. One option for targeting degradation would be to allow the development of such projects in the carbon markets and to develop and accredit a methodology to create credible baselines at the level of individual forest properties.