Transcript Why forestry is a key sector for Liberia Major climate

National Inter-Ministerial Dialogue on Climate
Change
Evaluating investment and financial flows
for mitigation options in the forestry sector
in Liberia
Samuel N. Koffa
Cape Hotel,
Monrovia
24 - 26 June, 2009
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Why forestry is a key sector for Liberia
Major climate change impacts
•
Sequestration of carbon (above & below ground biomass,
deadwood, litter, soil organic matter)
•
Substitution of steel, aluminum, plastics and other materials
(contributing to reduced emissions)
•
Forest-based bioenergy (fuelwood, charcoal , other forms) can
substitute fossil fuels, with similar effects of climate change
mitigation
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Why forestry is a key sector for Liberia
Environmental significance
• Sheltering of agricultural crops against drought
• Conservation of watersheds and maintenance of water quality
(purification)
• Protection of humankind against nuisances (noises, fumes, smells
, storm)
• Flood regulation and recreational opportunities
• Spiritual and cultural fulfillment
Social,health and livelihood importance
• Reduction of the quality and quantity of surface water
• Displacement of indigenous populations who normally reside in
the forest
• Scarcity/depletion of forest products(food,medicinals,etc)
upon which forest-dependent communities depend
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Description of the forestry sector
Contribution
•Economic significance (USD20M in revenue,USD100M in timber export
earnings,2002;USD42M NTFPs,1999)
•GDP and employment (Contributed 20-22% of GDP, delivered 7000-8000 jobs,
2008)
•Major physical impact of climate change on forestry (Expanding forest pests,
reduced growth of certain forest tree species ,i.e. Tetraberlina tubmaniana)
•Expanse of forest( about 50% of the country now , but was over 90% in 1959)
•Biodiversity and habitat functions(Biodiversity both in themselves and as habitat
for other species-fauna, flora, microorganisms)
• Carbon sequestration(Unquantified volume of carbon dioxide and other GHGs
are sequestered)
•Has the strongest potential to serve as additional carbon sinks
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Proposed forestry mitigation options
Principal mitigation options
•Reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation
(REDD), by committing forests as carbon pools (protection and sustainable
management of existing forests)
•Enhancement of carbon sinks through enhancing the sequestration rate in
existing and new forests
•Provision of wood fuels as a substitute for fossil fuels (biofuel plantations
for fossil fuel substitute)
•Provision of wood products for more energy-intensive materials
(gasification, etc)
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Activities preparatory to conducting I&FF
assessment
Institutional arrangements
Institutions
Duties and functions
Ministry of Land, Mines Mineral resource development and energy, land
administration, issuance of mining licenses, monitoring of
& Energy (MLME)
the quantity and quality of water (surface, ground)
Forestry Development
Authority (FDA)
Formulation of forest policies, supervision of adherence
to forest legislation and agreements, management of state
forests, evaluation of investment proposals and collection
of revenue
Ministry of Planning &
Economic Affairs
(MPEA)
Provision of technical guidance to all government
agencies in project preparation, and the major stakeholder
in general environmental and developmental issues.
Functions as a formal link between implementing
ministries and the international community and functions
as a key holder of environmental data
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Activities preparatory to conducting I&FF
assessment continued
Institutional arrangements continued
Institutions
Duties and functions
Ministry of Finance
(MoF)
Management ,direction and coordination of financial
affairs of the country
National Investment
Commission
Promotion, encouragement and coordination of all
investments in the country
Ministry of Agriculture
(MoF)
Regulation of agricultural and forestry activities;
conservation/protection of soils
College of Agriculture
& Forestry
Teaching and research in soil science, forestry , wood
science and agriculture
Environmental
Protection Agency
(EPA)
Coordination, monitoring and supervision of
environmental issues and projects on the national level
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Activities preparatory to conducting I&FF
assessment continued
Key stakeholders and coordination scheme
Key stakeholders
Duties and functions
Government institutions Development of legal, policy and performance
management frameworks, planning and coordination
of national climate change mitigation activities, and
support and enforcement of international climate
change mitigation initiatives
Inter-governmental
institutions
Development, enforcement, monitoring and
evaluation of notional, regional and global climate
change mitigation standards and initiatives
International financial
and investment
institutions (climate
change )
Generation and provision of funds for global climate
change mitigation initiatives, and setting verifiable
standards for funds (grants, loans)
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Activities preparatory to conducting I&FF
assessment continued
Key stakeholders and coordination scheme continued
Key stakeholders
Duties and functions
Private sector
Creation and support for awareness creation
mechanisms and investigation of climate impact,
contribution to sustainable investment by matching
government funds for climate change mitigation
projects
Academic and research
institutions
Conduct and dissemination of results of research on
various areas in forest management , and design and
testing of climate change methodologies, etc
Ordinary citizens and
civil society
Organized to serve as a climate change project
planning, design, monitoring and evaluation body
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Potential sources of finance and investment for the
proposed climate change mitigation options
Potential sources of finance and investment
Mitigation options
A brief description of sources of
finance & investment
CDM (UNFCCC)
USD94.7billion (2008)
REDD (Norwegian Climate & USD600million annually (since 2008)
Forest Initiative)
Forest Carbon Partnership
Facility (World Bank)
USD250million (for REDD readiness
since 2007)
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Key issues for assessing I&FF
Information and man power constraints
•Lack of definition of the scope of I&FF assessment (land tenure and access
rights, existing forest ecosystems and their conditions, extent and nature of
forest resources, land available for reforestation and/or afforestation, etc)
•Absence of preliminary mitigation measures (researchers need to identify the
preliminary set of forest/land management options for the country; this
preliminary list of measures is needed to assess which analytical approaches
can incorporate the measures
•Absence of any analytical approach for the assessment of I&FF
•Lack of appropriate manpower
•Deforestation and illegal logging
•Ill-defined land tenure system and confused land use and property rights
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