Developing and introducing Low Emissions Development Plans

Developing and introducing Low Emissions Development Plans A major challenge is how to balance the increasing demand for agricultural products and local biomass energy needs whilst improving the livelihoods of local communities, in a manner that does not continue the extensive clearing and/or degradation of forests Introducing more open, integrated and effective planning processes allows for better understanding, and balancing of the often conflicting priorities from the forestry, agriculture and energy sectors SNV, with partners under the USAID-funded Lowering Emissions in Asia‘s Forests (LEAF) Program, have developed a scalable and flexible framework to help governments’ factor GHG emissions into key sectoral and land use plans, in order to meet the dual goals of pro-poor economic development and sustainable and low emissions land and forest use planning, within a chosen sub-national jurisdiction The framework follows a number of steps in order to produce and introduce a Low Emissions Development Plan (LEDP) At each step guidance and user friendly tools are provided to help implementers SNV is supporting the introduction of such LEDPs at the sub national level to frame interventions within the agriculture, forest and energy sectors across key landscapes where we work Provincial REDD+ Action Plan in Lam Dong Province, Vietnam SNV, through the LEAF program, is working with the Provincial authorities of Lam Dong to build their Provincial REDD+ Action plan (PRAP) The PRAP is being developed as part of the National REDD+ Strategy and is closely aligned and feeding into the Provincial Forest Protection and Development Plan A number of consultation meetings have been organized to discuss the PRAP, organised by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) The Lam Dong People Committee has established a REDD+ Steering Committee, which consists of members of various departments including the key sectors of forestry, agriculture and energy The PRAP will be formally adopted in 2014 as described in the Decision 67/QD-UBND dated on January 13, 2014 SNV and partners are guiding the province though the steps outlined in the LEDP framework and providing training and support in applying the necessary tools to help determine low emissions development option Activities carried out in 2014 include setting the reference level and undertaking scenario planning exercises in order to better understand the emission profiles of different development pathways Different scenarios will be examined to explore the trade-offs between forest protection, agricultural expansion and biomass based energy use To ensure any plan produced fully engages stakeholders and adequately integrates environmental and social considerations a participatory environmental and social impact assessment (and monitoring) methodology is being devised (links Steves paper) The LEDP will follow standards set out in the National REDD+ Action Program and adhere to international guidelines established under the UNFCCC The outlook for LEDPs Based on the examination of different development scenarios and their associated emission trajectories it is possible to estimate GHG emission reductions and seek investment through REDD+ funds to support low emissions development In Vietnam a REDD+ Fund is being established which is being linked to the Forest Protection and Development Fund The hope is that domestic and international financing can be used to shift economic development onto a lower emissions pathway It will take a number more years for the plan to be introduced and implemented in Lam Dong Province However, lessons from Lam Dong are already being brought to other Provinces, helping them in their efforts to introduce low emissions rural development Under the LEAF program the LEDP Framework is also being applied to relevant government plans in other countries; for example the Provincial REDD+ Action Plan for Houphan, Lao PDR and the Madang Provincial Plan for Conservation and Sustainable Development in Papua New Guinea Contact Peter Stephen Senior Forest Management & Climate Change Technical Advisor, LEAF Project pstephen@snvworld.org Pham Thanh Nam Field Coordinator LEAF Project, Lam Dong nphamthanh@snvworld.org ... framework and providing training and support in applying the necessary tools to help determine low emissions development option Activities carried out in 2014 include setting the reference level and. .. linked to the Forest Protection and Development Fund The hope is that domestic and international financing can be used to shift economic development onto a lower emissions pathway It will take... development scenarios and their associated emission trajectories it is possible to estimate GHG emission reductions and seek investment through REDD+ funds to support low emissions development In Vietnam