Architecture of REALU: Reducing Emissions from All Land Uses
 A landscape in Sumatra, Indonesia clearly shows a mosaic of forest, oil palm and clearcut areas. A whole-landscape approach accounts for carbon in all of these areas. Photo: V. Meadu, ASB. |
The international community is still debating a new global climate deal, which will likely include a mechanism for Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, including recovery of carbon stocks within forests (REDD-plus). While REDD-plus can be a valid and viable mechanism for climate change mitigation, it only addresses part of the total emissions from land-use change. REDD-plus will be much more effective if constructed as part of a comprehensive architecture addressing all land use in developing countries. A broad-based approach of Reducing Emissions from All Land Uses (REALU) can lead to greater emission reductions and larger benefits for local people.
More attention is needed on the interactions between forest carbon stocks, other carbon stocks affected by land use, the major drivers of land use and forest change, and the livelihoods of the hundreds of millions of people whose actions shape those changes. Alone, REDD-plus will likely be hampered by methodological problems of leakage, unclear definition of ‘forest’, measurement methodology and equity issues between and within developed and developing countries with different agro-ecosystems.
The ASB Partnership is now in Phase II of implementing the REALU project which is a complimentary approach to understanding and dealing with drivers of deforestation within REDD .
Objectives and principles
The Project Goal is to develop through action research, a set of approaches, methodologies and national capacities to implement effective landscape-based strategies for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD-plus) within a context of rural sustainable development, national sovereignty, respect for community and indigenous rights, and the integrity of a global greenhouse gas accounting system.
Where Phase I focused on research activities at sites in Indonesia, Cameroon, Peru, Vietnam, and Nepal. Phase II is building up on research conducted in four of these countries; Indonesia, Cameroon, Peru, and Vietnam. The project is being implemented in collaboration with partner institutes. Project Partners
Resources
Donor credits:
| Objectives Various activities under phase II of the project are guided by the following broad objectives:
The REALU Architecture project will link knowledge with action by a) providing analyses of these cross-sectoral linkages in the tropical forest margins, based on long term engagement in Asia, Africa and Latin America; b) organizing multi-stakeholder events to explore implications for the design of an effective regime in the post-2012 context; and c) building the scientific and political basis for change through communicating and networking activities. Phase I country research reports
|
- Tag: