Morten Fauerby Thomsen CARE

Safeguards and Co-benefits in NepalPrepared by: Dil Raj Khanal, FECOFUN

Morten Fauerby Thomsen, CARE Denmark

Major initiatives in Nepal

1. Preparation of R-PP through FCPF (World Bank)2. Social & Environmental Strategic Assessment (SESA)3. Preparation of country specific REDD+ Social &

Environmental Standards (REDD+ SES)4. Forming a civil society alliance on REDD+5. Piloting REDD+ activities

• Capacity Building• Community based carbon monitoring• Benefit sharing mechanism

Safeguard mechanisms

• The R-PP includes 2 key safeguard mechanisms:• Social & Environmental Strategic Assessment – SESA

(comp. 2d)• Social & Environmental Standards - REDD+ SES (comp.

4b)• Coordination between the 2 processes is important – but

increase complexity

Design - Readiness Implementation

Strategic Environmental & Social Assessment (SESA)

An iterative process of analysis and consultation to improve designNo predefined content

Environmental & Social Management Framework

(ESMF)Framework for development of plans to mitigate and manage risks with respect to World Bank safeguards

Why: required for funding, improve design What: WB safeguards, negative impacts, rightsWho: government and delivery partner?

Why: improve design, build support What: governance, rights, positive/negative impacts,Who: multi-stakeholder, participatory

Design - Readiness Implementation

REDD+ Social & Environmental Standards (REDD+ SES)Inclusive multi-stakeholder process uses comprehensive framework

to define country-specific indicators, monitoring plan, review by stakeholders for ongoing monitoring and reporting of process and

impacts

Why: monitoring & reporting, build stakeholder support, improve designWhat: governance, rights, positive/negative impacts, adapted to country contextWho: multi-stakeholder, participatory identification indicators, assessment, review

Facilitation Team(REDD

cell/FECOFUN)

Technical Working Group

Standards Committee

Assessment report

(from 2013)

Equitable benefit sharing

• Established methods for monitoring carbon stocks in community forest

• Established an equitable benefit sharing mechanism:• The first years increase in carbon is only weighed 40%, the

remaining 60% is calculated based on social criteria such as poverty levels, number of indigenous people (Dalits).

• Payment based on plan from forest user groups specifying how they intend to use the funds.

• Funds are administered through a Forest Carbon Trust Fund to ensure transparency and participation.

• The system is based on national and district level advisory committees, who decides on how much money each watershed and forest user group should receive.

• A Watershed REDD Network, consisting of forest user groups, then act as a bridge between district level actors and local forest user groups, and also channel the funding.

Pilot project by FECOFUN, ICIMOD and ANSAB

Experiences and recommendations

• Clarity on land/forest rights is important. In Nepal government owns the land, but the communities own forest resources (or 50/50 in Collaborative systems). Who owns the carbon rights?

• Strategy to increase carbon stocks might conflict with local interests in forest products (firewood, construction material). How does this inflict on poor peoples income generation opportunities. How can REDD+ compensate?

• Empower communities to make their own management plans that consider the needs of the poor and marginalised (ownership)

• Ensure a transparent and equitable benefit sharing with, and also within, indigenous and local communities (avoid elite capture)

• Monitoring systems should be kept simple and prioritise local involvement, and reward mechanisms should consider social factors.

Communities:

Experiences and recommendations

• Participation of civil society is crucial, both in developing REDD strategies and safeguards (REDD working group), but also their involvement in implementation

• Build capacity of civil society/local communities to actively engage in REDD+ strategy development processes (REDD+ alliance in Nepal), and ensure wide consultation processes.

Civil society:

Thank you