Download Indicator Potential to measure

FOREST MONITORING IN THE
CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Don Wijewardana
United Nations Forum on Forests
Secretariat
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SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT
AND THE U.N.
• World concern over rapid loss of forest
cover led to UNCED in 1992
• IPF (1995-97) and IFF (1997-2000)
produced 270 proposals for action to
help achieve SFM
• UNFF was set up in 2000.
• First five years of UNFF limited
progress in SFM.
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NON-LEGALLY BINDING INSTRUMENT
ON FORESTS (NLBI)
• In 2006-2007 intense negotiations
on the way forward
• GA/UNFF adopted the NLBI
• Aims of the NLBI to:
a) implement SFM, and
b) make progress in achieving 4
global objectives
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FOUR GLOBAL OBJECTIVES
1. Reverse the loss of forest cover
worldwide
2. Enhance forest based economic,
social and environmental benefits
3. Increase significantly the area of
protected forests worldwide, and
4. Reverse the decline in ODA for
SFM and mobilize significantly
increased additional financial
resources from all sources for
SFM
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UNFF AND CLIMATE CHANGE
•
FAO/ Faidutti/CFU000368
Forests and climate change closely
linked
–
Carbon sequestration one of many
functions of forests
–
Forests as a cause and impact
–
Forests in mitigation and adaptation
•
NLBI is aimed at SFM, therefore
include climate aspects
•
UNFF8 next year will address forests
and climate change specifically.
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MONITORING, ASSESSMENT AND
REPORTING (MAR)
• UNFF emphasis on well developed
MAR system (e.g. C&I)
• C&I Processes are international and
regional voluntary organisations
promoting SFM (e.g. MPCI, MCPFE,
ITTO)
• Cover all aspects of SFM – 7 themes
and over 67 indicators
• They all have indicators relating to
carbon absorption role of forests.
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CLIMATE CHANGE RELATED
INDICATORS OF C&I PROCESSES
• ITTO criterion 4.4: Total amount of
carbon stored in forest stands;
• Montreal Process criterion 5:
Maintenance of forest contribution to
global carbon cycles;
• MCPFE Indicator 1.4: Carbon stock of
woody biomass and of soils on forest and
other wooded land.
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LOOKING AT THE FUTURE
• DSD’s paper useful background for examining
climate change issues in the context of
sustainable development
• UNFF working with FAO and other CPF
members to develop indicators for monitoring
progress in achievement of NLBI.
• Forests are a key sector for climate change
mitigation (carbon sinks, reduced
deforestation and degradation)
• So, it is possible to use a number of the
indicators that are being considered for NLBI,
for climate change purposes.
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SOME PROPOSED INDICATORS
Indicator
Potential to measure
Extent of forest and other
wooded land
Carbon sinks, potential reduced
emissions
Forest area under sustainable
management
Reduced emissions, enhanced
sequestration
Biomass stock (above ground,
below ground, deadwood)
Amount of carbon
Carbon stock
Changes over time
Forest degradation (need
measurable indicators
Level of emissions
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CONCLUSIONS
• Aim of UNFF is to promote global SFM
• There are no climate change-specific
indicators in the NLBI
• But a number of the forestry related
indicators can be used for this purpose
• Working in cooperation will help develop
forest based indicators to bridge other
gaps.
• C&I Processes also have useful
indicators.
FAO/ Faidutti/CFU000820
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Thank You
FAO/ Faidutti/CFU000304
United Nations Forum on Forests
www.un.org/esa/forests
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