Dr. J V Sharma IFS
REDD Plus is a financial incentive mechanism
for reducing emissions from deforestation and
forest degradation, plus signifying positive
elements of conservation, SFM, and enhancing
carbon stock through afforestation &
reforestation, with the potential of sustaining
livelihood of Forest Dependent Communities
(FDCs), maintenance of ecosystem services and
biodiversity conservation with safeguards of
people living in and around forests (their rights,
governance, and sustainable livelihood).






India has 1210 million human population (2011 census)
[population density 382 per sq. km up from 264 in 1991
& 325 in 2011]
464 million livestock (excluding Poultry).
21.8% population is below poverty line and more than
273 million people have dependence on forests for their
livelihood and some for subsistence needs
Forest cover is 21.05% & Tree Outside Forests is 2.76%
of GA.
In spite of vast pressure - forest cover has stabilized for
last decade
Total Growing Stock both in forests and TOF is
6047.158 Million M3 (4498.427 M M3 Forests &
1548.427 M M3 TOF)
Conservation Oriented Forest Management Under NFP 1988
 India has strong legal regime – Indian Forest Act,1927;
Forest Conservation Act,1980; Wild Life Protection
Act,1972; Forest Right Act, 2006; Environment Protection
act,1986; Biological Diversity Act, 2002; State Forest Acts,
Regulations for trees out side forests and forest based
industries and Judicial Decisions and Institutional
Mechanism to implement National Forest Policy,1988
 Community Participation - Joint Forest Management on the
principals of “care & share”. (More than 22 Million Ha. By
more than 1.2 lakh committees)
 TOF meet around 50% wood demand , 15-20 % from
Natural forests and 30-35% from Import.




Forest Carbon (AGB,BGB , Soil Carbon, Dead wood
and Litter) of Indian Forests was 6071 MT in 1994 and
6288 MTC in 2004
Forests in India are primarily environmental and social
resource, only secondarily as commercial resource
The Prime Objective of NFP,1988 is ecological security
of Nation and other objective of NFP is subordinate to
Prime objective
Local people, particularly tribals have first charge on
forests for their livelihood and sustenance need

“+” has been initiated by India at UNFCCC

Status Paper on REDD+ by MOEF

REDD+ Cell in MOEF

National Level Consultation on preparedness of
REDD+ jointly by MOEF and TERI

National Level Consultation on International
architecture on REDD+ jointly by MOEF and TERI
International consultation on International on
Architecture on REDD+ and its Relevance to
developing Countries during COP-11 of CBD jointly
by TERI and MOEF
 International Consultation on South Asian
Perspectives of REDD+ during DSDS, 2013 jointly by
TERI,MOEF and ICIMOD
 Regional Consultation on preparedness of REDD+ at
Banglore jointly organized by TERI,MOEF and KFD






Regional Consultation on preparedness of REDD+ at
Kohima, jointly organized by TERI,MOEF and NFD
Regional Consultation on preparedness of REDD+ at
Bhopal jointly organized by TERI,MOEF and MPFD
Regional Consultation on preparedness of REDD+ at
Agra jointly organized by TERI,MOEF and UPFD
Village level consultation at Renukoot, Chindwara,
Angul, Tehri,Sundarbans and Kohima by TERI and
SFDs
State Level Consultation in Odisha by TERI and
MOEF



Expert Committee for preparation of
reference document and Strategy for REDD+
in India by MOEF under the chairmanship of
Dr. Jagdish Kishwan
REDD+ cell established by IGNFA under the
chairman ship of Dr. Jagdish Kishwan
Initiatives has been taken by ICFRE and some
of the state governments like Nagaland, MP
and Karnataka


Objectives:
“Reducing emissions from land use, including deforestation:
cooperation on forests and land use, including reducing
emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and
enhanced sequestration, through afforestation, conservation
and sustainable management of forests.”
Expected Outcomes: Improved tools, methods and
approaches developed and deployed for taking REDD+
actions to scale. Forest-PLUS will:
 accelerate India’s transition to a low emissions economy
by taking REDD+ actions to scale.
 support Green India Mission and REDD+ activities.
 actively engage with communities and local governments
in supporting REDD+ activities.



Task 1: Develop tools, techniques and
methods for better ecosystem management
and to increase carbon sequestration.
Task 2 : Develop improved methods to
establish carbon inventory and reference
baselines.
Task 3: Analyze social and economic
incentives for promoting REDD+ policy and
practice.



Task1: Establish government and stakeholder
dialogue and communication processes.
Task2 : Engage stakeholders constructively in
REDD+ implementation.
Task3: Human and institutional capacity
development and strengthening of enabling
environment.
POLICY BRIEF
,PROCEEDINGS AND
REPORT

Policy Brief on International
Architecture on REDD+

Policy Brief on Institutional
Mechanism on REDD+ in India

Proceedings of Side Event on
International Architecture on REDD+
and its Relevance to developing
countries during COP-11 of CBD

Report on International Architecture
on REDD+ and its relevance to India
POLICY BRIEF
• Discussions and consultations lead to identification of many
issues:
 Unresolved issues of Definition of Sustainable Management of
Forests, Baseline, MRV
 In India, Sustainable Management of Forests is synonymous with
Sustainable Forest Management
 Determination of baseline at 1990 or later
 For MRV- GoI should identify a lead agency or verification of carbon
 For MRV- reporting should be carried out through the state
government to GoI
 For MRV- Monitoring by 3rd party designated by GoI
 Capacity building of Forest Departments, communities w.r.t. MRV
 Proposed an institutional arrangement after consultations and
discussions
Institutional Arrangement
A book on "Sustainable
Forest Management and
REDD+ in India“
launched during TERI’s
flagship event Delhi
Sustainable
Development Summit
2013
• Forest Governance:
 JFMC a sub-committee of Garma Sabha
 Gram Sabha –a centric Body where CFR under FRA
recognized
 Role of Women in decision making where pre-existing
Community –Based forest Governance
 Role of FD –Technical, Monitoring and enforcement
of Legislations (Regulatory)
• Project design:
 Small Scale at JFMC /Gram Sabha level
 Five Pool of carbon (AGB, BGB, Litter, dead wood
and Soil Carbon)
 Low Transaction Cost
 Simple methodology for carbon assessment which
should be validated with GIS Technology
Financing:
 Fund-Based Mechanism initially
 Exploring Voluntary Market
 National Level schemes /Funding Mechanism such as
GIM, CAMPA ,EAPs and Finance Commission may be
used for compensating conservation efforts of
community by way of carbon
• Ecosystem Services:
 Carbon sequestration is just like other ecosystem
service and it is treated as co-benefit , other services
and biodiversity conservation are key benefits
• Capacity Building:
 Capacity building of forest department officials
and community
 Capacity building of other departments related
to rural development
 Generating awareness among officials of other
line departments.
• Livelihood:
 Livelihood Based on sustainable harvest
 Un-sustainable harvest must be substituted with
alternate means of employment and opportunities

Recognition of Forest Principles

Decentralized Forest Governance

Protection of Rights of Forest dependent
Communities

Sustainable Livelihood and Poverty
Reduction




Avoid adverse impact on non-forest
ecosystems
Protection of Natural Forests from
degradation
Low carbon and climate resilient
sustainable development
Maintenance of Ecosystem services and
Biodiversity Conservation
Undertaking a comprehensive assessment for
designing a REDD Plus project at the field level
• Five pilot projects in Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Madhya Pradesh,
Odisha and West Bengal for designing REDD+ Project was
conducted
• Village Level Consultations conducted at Garhdarwa village,
Sonbhadra District of UP State, Jereng Village in Angul District of
Odisha, Jharkhali and Bakkhali villages in Sundarbans, 24
Parganas District of West Bengal, Suva Kholi village in Tehri
District of Uttrakhand and Delakhari village in Chindwara District
of MP State.
• Socio-economic survey completed in all the pilot sites
• Carbon assessment has been completed in UP, MP, Uttrakhand
and Odisha States, while it is under process in West Bengal,
Considering five pools of carbon
• Analysis of Socio-economic survey in UK, MP, UP and Odisha has
been completed
• Analysis of biomass data through GIS – Remote sensing
technology is completed except Sundarban site





Assessment of actual harvest of forest produce
(fuelwood, fodder and minor forest produce)
Quantification of sustainable harvest
Assessment of unsustainable harvest and leakages
Unsustainable harvest is largely due to
unemployment/ lack of livelihoods/ severe poverty
Identification of options for the substitution of
dependence on forest through alternative livelihood
from sectors other than forest with the activities such
as poultry, tasar cultivation, lac and MNREGA







Establishment of simple methodology for biomass
assessment
5 pools of carbon(AGB, BGB, Soil Carbon, Dead Wood,
Leaf Litter)
In mangrove forests, we are thinking to add 6th pool of
carbon i.e. Phytoplanktons
Biomass asessment has been completed in four sites
except Sundarbans
Biomass in comparison to 1990 has been enhanced
with the conservation efforts of the community in
Renukoot, Angul, Chiandwara and Reduce in case of
Mussoorie
Project should be small scale i.e. JFMC/Village level
Baseline for carbon estimation should be 1990







Establishment of simple methodology for biomass
assessment
5 pools of carbon(AGB, BGB, Soil Carbon, Dead Wood,
Leaf Litter)
In mangrove forests, we are thinking to add 6th pool of
carbon i.e. Phytoplanktons
Biomass asessment has been completed in four sites
except Sundarbans
Biomass in comparison to 1990 has been enhanced
with the conservation efforts of the community in
Renukoot, Angul, Chiandwara and Reduce in case of
Mussoorie
Project should be small scale i.e. JFMC/Village level
Baseline for carbon estimation should be 1990
Biomass estimation (1990 and 2012)
Change (t/ha)
Site
AGTB
BGTB
Angul
14.166
3.825
Chindwara
89.451
24.152
Renukoot
53.29
14.388
Mussoorie
-2.695
-0.728
Harvest Sustainable/Unsustainable
 Fodder
 Total Harvest: 320T/y
 Sustainable Limit:
117T/y
 Unsustainable harvest:
203T/y

Fuel wood
 Total harvest: 146T/y
 Sustainable Limit:
77T/y
 Unsustainable harvest:
69T/y
Unsustainable harvest is being substituted by Natural/Non-Natural/Forest
Resource Based Livelihood






Enhancing &
strengthening the
forestry based
livelihood practices
such as tasar and lac
culture
Lac culture practice
saves the beutea treesa representative of
degraded forests
Raising tasar
plantations on land
vulnerable to
encroachment has
saved the land
Poultry Farming
MANREGA
With the help of SHGs




Natural resource Based
Livelihood
Rural Development
Schemes such as
MANREGA
JICA Projects for improving
livelihood of FDCs along with
SFM in UP,WB, Rajasthan,
Karnataka, Tamilnadu
Green India Mission
One of the Eight Missions under
National Program on Climate Change

GOALS:
Responding to climate change - combination of A&M
measures

Enhancing carbon in sustainably managed forests and other
ecosystems
 Adaptation of vulnerable species /ecosystems to the changing
climate
 Adaptation of forest dependent communities



OBJECTIVES:
Increase FTC on 5 M ha. plus Improve quality of forests on 5 M ha.
Improve ecosystem services including biodiversity, hydrological and
carbon sequestration from 10 M ha. of above forests.
 Increase forest based livelihood of 3 million FDCs
 Enhance annual CO2 sequestration of 50-60 MT by 2020

Core principles
 First charge on forests/ecosystem good and services of local




communities
Empowerment of communities & decentralized forest
governance
TEK of communities along with forestry science and state off
the art technologies
Restoration of eco-systems and habitat diversity – incl.
degraded forests, grasslands, mangroves, wetlands
Participatory planning and execution of interventions –
integrated action at village-cluster of villages in in around
forests/watersheds in selected landscapes
Thank You