Safeguard G
Criterion G1. When the feasibility and potential impacts of proposed REDD+ Policies and Measures are analyzed, an analysis of risks of displacement of emissions should be included; this should consider the possibility of indirect land use change (land use shifting from one area to another), as well as the overall impact of a PaM on greenhouse gas emissions (e.g. even PaMs that successfully reduce deforestation could have an adverse impact on emissions if land use is shifted to other ecosystems that are rich in carbon, e.g. peatlands, or if wood-based fuels or products are replaced with alternatives that themselves cause high emissions).
- The process to develop the National REDD+ Strategy has included an analysis of drivers of forest change (including indirect drivers) and extensive consultation with stakeholders, including discussions on the feasibility of PaMs. Inputs from stakeholders at national and subnational level were integrated into the design of PaMs (see also Criterion D1 on consultations).
- The national benefits and risks assessment included analysis of the risks of displacement, or leakage, for proposed REDD PaMs (see Criterion E2 for more information on the assessment ). In addition, further assessment of impacts will occur as part of ongoing planning for the implementation of REDD+ proposed policies and measures (PaMs). For some PaMs, this may include impact assessment (eg. IEE/EIA) (in accordance with the EIA Procedure 2015), and Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC ) processes.
- Aspects related to other ecosystems considered relevant to this Criterion have been discussed with stakeholders, and potential priority other ecosystems for consideration include carbon-rich ecosystems like peatlands and specific forest ecosystems like mangroves, and other ecosystems that may be at risk of displacement of agriculture and livelihood pressures, such as grasslands and wetlands.
- The National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS) is national scale and potentially able to detect displacement within the national land area, if dimensions and physical expressions of displacement are large and frequent enough to be measured (see also Criterion G3 for more information on the expected operation of the NFMS).
- The national assessment of benefits and risks, carried out in the Readiness Phase, included identification of risk of displacement (such as shifting of agricultural pressures, carbon footprint of alternative fuels, demand for illegal/unsustainable forest products from other areas, etc), suggested possible measures to reduce these risks, and generated recommendations for the design of PaMs.
As yet there is no systematic or formal process for updating information on the benefits and risks of REDD+ PaMs, or for consideration of risks of displacement during regular reviews of the National REDD+ Strategy. Capacity-building is needed for REDD+ implementing agencies on assessing and managing risks of displacement.There is also a lack of information, including spatial data, on the location, extent and health of other ecosystems considered important for conservation/sustainable management (see also Principle E).
Recommendations to address these challenges include:
- Guidance for REDD+ implementing agencies should includ e information on requirements related to all safeguards, including identifying and managing risks of displacement, including in forest and other ecosystems.
- Information on priority ecosystems in Myanmar should be identified and shared where relevant and possible, such as information on key biodiversity areas, Red List of ecosystems, protected areas, etc.
The REDD+ monitoring & evaluation (M&E) framework should include selected indicators related to the risks of displacement from REDD+ PaMs.
| Respect | G1.1. Number of assessments/processes carried out to identify and analyze risks of displacement, including those related to indirect land use change, shifts of pressures to non-forest ecosystems and shifts to emissions from non-land-based sources such as fossil fuels |
Criterion G2. Where risks of emissions displacement have been identified, these should be addressed through appropriate selection, design and implementation of Policies and Measures.
- Please see Criterion F1 for information on how risks related to REDD+ Policies and Measures (PaMs) have been identified so far, including assessment of the potential benefits and risks of REDD+ (including those related to displacement), the development of suggested measures to reduce risks and enhance benefits, and the formulation of recommendations to be incorporated into the investment plan/action plans for PaMs.
- Instruments to be adopted for REDD+ implementation in Myanmar will also help to reduce the risks of displacement, such as: the development of an equitable benefit sharing system; and the application of Free ,Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for PaMs expected to have impacts at the local level.
- There are also elements of the legal framework (such as the targets in the Myanmar Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) related to forest cover, clean energy and low carbon development), as well as a number of PaMs, which will contribute to reducing displacement risks.
- The processes to develop the National REDD+ Strategy and to assess the potential benefits and risks of REDD+ have included the participatory development of suggested measures to reduce risks and enhance benefits, and the formulation of recommendations to be incorporated into the investment plan/action plans for PaMs.
- REDD+ PaMs that can contribute to addressing the risks of emissions displacement include but are not limited to those related to legal and sustainable timber production, amending investment regulations to address unauthorized forest clearance, supporting diversified protected area arrangements, and accelerating rural electrification and renewable energy sources.
High level political processes, such as changes in national policy, and socio-economic trends may still have a negative impact on the permanence of REDD+ results (but may be outside the sphere of influence of the REDD+ initiative).At sub-national level, political processes and coordination between different agencies may also affect displacement risks for REDD+. Recommendations to address these challenges include measures proposed under Criterion G1, as well as the implementation of REDD+ PaMs related to legal and coordination between sectors (e.g. on energy and land use) and to the improvement of livelihoods.
| Respect | G2.1 Percentage of PaMs for which adjustments or accompanying measures were identified to reduce risks of displacement |
| G.2.2. Percentage of PaMs where it is documented that identified measures to reduce displacement risks were carried out during implementation | |
| G2.3. Link to indicator on sustainable livelihoods schemes (E4.2)indicator | |
| G2.4. Link to indicator on planning instruments (B3.2) |
Criterion G3. The National Forest Monitoring System should be designed to allow the detection and management of emissions displacement caused by indirect land use change.
- A 5-year project to design, develop, plan and implement a National Forest Inventory (NFI) and National Forest Monitoring and Information System (NFMS) is currently underway (see also Criterion B4). The NFMS will encompass two components: the strengthening of the satellite-based land monitoring system, including the use of modern open source and open access-based remote sensing capacities and techniques; and the enhancement of field inventory capacities including the establishment of a new comprehensive NFI.
- According to the National REDD+ Strategy, Myanmar will be able to monitor land use changes of key land cover classes and can calculate activity data with approach 2 according to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines. The goal is to measure activity data with approach 3 capabilities in the future, i.e. also be able to express detected changes in a spatially explicit manner. Although specific capacities and methodologies for the detection and management of displacement have yet to be developed, these will be proposed in the future development of the NFMS.
- The REDD+ monitoring & evaluation (M&E) framework should include selected indicators related to the sustainability and impacts of REDD+ PaMs; this is expected to be reflected in the SIS.
- Information related to this criterion is not yet available.
There is as yet no explicit methodology to define, detect, and manage reversals in the draft design of the Myanmar NFMS. Capacities and methods for detecting and managing displacement, as well as for further developing activity data and for more detailed emission factor calculations, based on existing data in the Forest Department, need to be strengthened. To address these challenges, guidance/standard operating procedures for the NFMS should incorporate a) a definition of displacement and criteria for detecting potential incidences of displacement, and b) protocols for the reporting and subsequent management of such incidences.
| Respect | G3.1 Number of incidences of displacement detected and area affected; number of incidences of displacement addressed through subsequent management steps, and area concerned |
Criterion G4. Lessons learned from the detection of emissions displacement should be reflected in the design of future Policies and Measures.
- The implementation of REDD+ proposed policies and measures (PaMs) and the results achieved will be monitored and evaluated through a number of processes, including: regular monitoring and review of REDD+ implementation (see also Criterion E6); monitoring of forest and land cover change through the National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS), and calculation of REDD+ results (see Criterion F3); and racking how all safeguards are addressed and respected through the SIS. Although methodologies and capacities still need to be developed, it is expected that any detection of displacement will be analyzed to determine its causes and appropriate response measures, and such occurrences will be reported transparently. The lessons learned from such analyses would be incorporated into the regular review of the National REDD+ Strategy.us
- Information related to this criterion is not yet available.
Monitoring and review processes for the National REDD+ Strategy are still under development, as are capacities and methodologies for the NFMS. Terms of reference for the regular review of the Strategy should specify the documentation and analysis of lessons learned from any occurrences of reversals and/or displacement (see also Principle F). This review may also draw on information collected through the M&E framework related to the sustainability and impacts of REDD+ PaMs (see also Criterion G1).
| Respect | G4.1Number of modifications to PaMs and/or REDD+ processes to avoid futureincidences of reversals |
