Advancing Understanding of Forest Carbon Stock Enhancement as part of REDD+

General

For Vietnam and Lao PDR, which contain large areas of degraded forests the issue of forest carbon stock enhancement should be an integral part of any National REDD+ Strategy. To date, in these countries, like in most others, the focus of REDD+ efforts has been on deforestation and to a lesser extent forest degradation. Accordingly, there is a matching deficiency in guidance material and national approaches to forest carbon stock enhancement as part of the REDD+ Strategy. This project aims to advance understanding of forest carbon stock enhancement as part of any future REDD+ Agreement through exploring the technical and economic feasibility of different forest carbon stock enhancement strategies in pilot sites, across Vietnam and Lao PDR. The sites will be chosen to reflect representative forest ecosystems of the region. The results and operational guidance will feed into the National REDD+ Strategies, which will ensure their replication across the respective countries. The project also aims to better understand the economic feasibility of different options and the incentives which need to be in place to engage local communities and improve their living conditions. To bring the results to a wider audience, publications, regional and international workshops and communications platforms will be used to disseminate the lessons to the many individuals working on REDD+ and interested in advancing understanding of Forest Carbon Stock Enhancement as part of REDD+. The project has earmarked support to ensure the results can feed into the international discourse on REDD+.