ISLAMABAD, (MILLAT/APP):Minister of Climate Change, Zahid Hamid has inaugurated two key studies of REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) here aiming to develop National REDD+ strategy and its implementation framework.
The project is aimed at making necessary technical, institutional and legal preparations needed for formally implementing 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 awareness raising.
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, Inspector General Forests Syed Mehmood Nasir, Director General WWF-Pakistan Hammad Naqi Khan, secretaries, conservators and deputy conservators of provincial forest departments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, FATA, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir were present.
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-days technical session would help
devising 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 was confronting devastating consequences of deforestation
and forest degradation badly needs to launch REDD programmes not only to
conserve its precious forest resources but also to compensate the forest
dependent communities.