DISCLAIMER Indufor makes its best effort to provide accurate and complete information while executing the assignment. Indufor assumes no liability or responsibility for any outcome of the assignment.

Copyright © 2018 Indufor All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including, but not limited to, photocopying, recording or otherwise.

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework DRAFT

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS III EXECUTIVE SUMMARY V PREFACE VIII 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 REDD+ in the UNFCCC 1 1.2 REDD+ Preparation Process 3 2. NATIONAL CONTEXT 5 2.1 Cover and Change Trends 5 2.2 Drivers of and Forest Degradation 7 2.3 Social and Gender Context 15 3. LEGAL, POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK 19 3.1 International Commitments 19 3.2 Legal Framework 19 3.3 Policies 25 3.4 Institutional Arrangements 30 3.5 Assessment of Institutional Arrangements, Policies and Governance 32 4. STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK 34 4.1 Guiding Principles 34 4.2 Vision and Objectives 35 5. STRATEGY OPTIONS 38 5.1 Strategy Options 42 5.1.1 Restoration, and 42 5.1.2 Sustainable (SFM) 44 5.1.3 Payment for Ecosystem Services 46 5.1.4 Efficient Alternative Energy Sources 48 5.1.5 Silvo-Pastoral Sustainable Practices 51 5.1.6 53 5.1.7 Sustainable Tourism and Eco-tourism 55 5.2 Synergies and Conflicts 57 5.3 Feasibility analysis 61 5.3.1 Legal Feasibility of Strategic Options 63 5.4 Cost-benefit Analysis and Marginal Abatement Cost Curves 64 6. IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK 67 6.1 Institutional Arrangements 67 6.2 Governance (National, Provincial, Local) 70 6.3 Institutional and Cross Sectoral Coordination 71 6.4 Legal Adjustments 73 6.5 Finance 74 6.6 Research Requirements 77 6.7 Benefit Sharing Mechanism 79

~ i ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

6.8 National Forest Emissions Reference Level and National Forest Monitoring System 80 6.9 Capacity Building, Communication and Awareness Raising 82 6.10 Environmental and Social Safeguards 83 6.11 Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation 86 7. ROADMAP FOR IMPLEMENTATION 88 8. REFERENCES 97

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Elements of the Preparation Phase for REDD+ 2 Figure 2 Land Cover/ Land use of 5 Figure 3 Main Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation at National Level 11 Figure 4 Current Legal Structure 29 Figure 5 Current National Institutional Architecture 32 Figure 6 Strategic Framework for REDD+ in Pakistan 34 Figure 7 Marginal Abatement Cost Curves 66 Figure 8 Institutional Arrangements for REDD+ 68 Figure 9 Financial Sources for each REDD+ Phase 76 Figure 10 Structure of the National Forest Monitoring System 81

LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Land Cover/Land Use Change 1994-2004 (000 Hectares) 6 Table 2 Main Direct Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation at National Level 8 Table 3 Main Indirect Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation at National Level. 12 Table 4 Direct and Indirect Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation by Forest Type 13 Table 5 Forest Land Tenure and Stakeholders 18 Table 6 Legal Classification of in Pakistan 21 Table 7 Strategy Options 40 Table 8 Potential Synergies Among Strategy Options 58 Table 9 Main Risks Related to Implementation of Strategy Options 61 Table 10 Frequency of Monitoring and Evaluation Actions 87

~ ii ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

ABBREVIATIONS ACS Additional Chief Secretary ADP Annual Development Plan AJK Azad Jammu Kashmir BTTP Billion Tsunami Project CBA Cost-Benefit Analysis CBO Community Based Organisation CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CO2 Carbon Dioxide COP Conference of Parties CPEC China Pakistan Economic Corridor EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EPA Environment Protection Agency ESMF Environmental and Social Management Framework FAO Food and Organization of the United Nations FATA Federally Administered Tribal Area FCPF Forest Carbon Partnership Facility FGRM Feedback and Grievance Redress Mechanism FLEG Forest Law Enforcement and Governance (under WB PROFOR) FLEGT Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (under EU) FREL Forest Reference Emission Level FRL Forest Reference Level GB Gilgit-Baltistan GEF Global Environment Facility GHG Greenhouse Gas GIS Geographic Information System GoP HDI Human Development Index IEE Initial Environmental Examination IDP Internally Displaced Persons IGF Inspector General of Forest INDC Intended Nationally Determined Contribution INGO International NGO IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency KP MACC Marginal Abatement Cost Curve MACP Mountain Areas Conservation Project MBIGS Multiple Benefits, Impacts, Governance, Safeguards MDG Millennium Development Goals MoCC Ministry of Climate Change MT Mega Tonnes MRV Measurement, Reporting and Verification nd No date NDC Nationally Determined Contribution

~ iii ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

NFI National NFMS National Forest Monitoring System NFREL National Forest Reference Emissions Level NGO Non-Government Organisation NHA National Highway Authority NOC No Objection Certificate NPV Net Present Value NSC National Steering Committee NTFP Non-timber PC Participants Committee PEECH Promotion of Energy Efficient Cooking, Heating and Housing Technologies Project PES Payment for Ecosystem Services PEPA Pakistan Environmental Protection Act PFI Pakistan Forest Institute PKR Pakistani Rupees PMC Provincial REDD+ Management Committee PROFOR Program on Forests, World Bank based multi-donor programme. PSDP Public Sector Development Programme PURE Productive Uses of Renewable Energy in , Pakistan Project REDD+ Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries R-PP Readiness Preparation Proposal SDR Social Discount Rate SDGs Sustainable Development Goals SESA Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment SFM Sustainable Forest Management SIS Safeguards Information System SLMS Special Learning Management System Sq Square SUPARCO Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission TSP Targeted Support Program UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UN-REDD The United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries USAID United States Agency for International Development WAPDA Water & Power Development Authority WB The World Bank WPI Wholesale Price Index WWF World Wide Fund for Nature

~ iv ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Climate change is the single most important threat to humanity and ecosystems. It not only produces direct impacts such as temperature rise or change in the patterns of meteorological events, but these impacts will exacerbate many current problems we already face, including biodiversity loss, disruption in biogeochemical cycles, food insecurity, migration, and many others. With that recognition Pakistan is embraced to contribute the global mitigation goals through reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries; and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries, known as REDD+, and by doing so strengthen ecosystems and society’s capacity to adapt to climate change and to achieve multiple benefits. Pakistan has in only 5.01 % of the total country area1,2. The emissions related to land use, land use change and in Pakistan are estimated at 10.39 MT CO2 equivalent by 2015, which accounts for the 2.5% of the total country emissions. However, a consistent but gradual increase in the emissions had been noticed over the last two decades and is expected to grow threefold by 20303. Forests in Pakistan may be divided into two broad categories of Government owned forests and privately-owned forests. The legal framework of each province and the other territories provides for the further classification of Government owned forests with varying degrees of private rights and activity allowed within each such class of forest. Forests are important social and economic resource for local rural population, especially considering the high prevalence of poverty and lack of livelihood opportunities in the country, mainly in rural areas. In addition, there are several important policies that relate directly with forests and ecosystems, such as the National Forest Policy 2015, Climate Change Policy 2012 and Environment Policy 2005 that provide the foundation for the REDD+ Strategy. Many other policies outside forestry sector are directly or indirectly linked to or have influence over forests, and important sectors in this respect are climate change, agriculture, minerals, tourism, water and energy. Pakistan is a diverse country in terms of its ecosystems, social groups, governance systems, land tenure and cultures as well as conditions that provide the basis for the existence of a wide variety of drivers and causes of deforestation and forest degradation and barriers for conservation and enhanced forest carbon stock. Different ecosystems and forest types have different drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, however some of

1 Ministry of Environment, 2009. Pakistan Forestry Outlook Study, Office of Inspector General of Forests, Ministry of Environment, Government of Pakistan, Asia Pacific Forestry Sector Outlook Study-II, WP. No. APFSOS-II/WP/2009/28 2 There are more recent analysis to assess the land cover, however, up to date there is no systematic periodic analysis that could provide reliable information over time. 3 Government of Pakistan, 2016. Pakistan’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (PAK-INDC). Available at http://www4.unfccc.int/ndcregistry

~ v ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

them are similar across provinces and territories, ecosystems and forest types. There are several routes or mechanisms through which, deforestation and forest degradation occur. Some of these have similarities in various provinces and territories and can be grouped as: a) Poor law enforcement and governance, of existing laws and regulations through existing mechanisms, encouraging the encroachments on forest areas for agriculture, housing, grazing, illegal extraction of fuelwood, timber and the NTFPs. from the forests. This is also evident from the large number of pending legal cases in the courts in all the provinces and territories, which have been increasing over time. b) Unsustainable agriculture and cattle raising expansion: Larger population and low productive practices are imposing the need for the expansion of the land used for agriculture and cattle rising. This issue has been identified as a main driver of deforestation and forest degradation in most of the provinces and territories. The situation is being fuelled by the lack of productive alternatives, food insecurity and poor law enforcement and governance. c) Unsustainable timber extraction is considered to be the major cause of deforestation and forest degradation. This happens mainly due to illicit of by the and the extractions in excess to the ones prescribed in the management plans. d) Unsustainable fuel extraction. The rural population in particular largely depends on wood for cooking and heating due to easy and cheap availability and lack of alternative energy sources. The use of traditional cooking stoves and utensils and also inefficient heating systems are resulting in wasteful burning and subsequently increasing the pressure on the limited forest resource. e) Variability in water availability and quality due to the construction of reservoirs and barrages to feed the country’s canal irrigation network, and electricity generation. The situation worsened by the decreased amount and changed pattern of rains due to the climate change. The reduced water flow in the rivers also gave way to the sea to intrude into river channels as well as low lying coastal areas. The National REDD+ Strategy is based on the current state of the legal, institutional and policy framework, which provides the foundation for all the activities to be performed. There are also Guiding Principles that give direction to the Strategy. Under this framework and the Guiding Principles, the Vision and the Strategic Objectives were developed for the current process, being consolidated with specific activities to perform in the field to address the direct causes of deforestation and forest degradation, known as Strategy Options. The Strategy Options require a wide set of actions to address the underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation as enabling conditions, these are integrated in the Implementation Framework. As a culmination of the strategic framework a Roadmap for Implementation presents the next steps to implement the Strategy. In order to address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation and the barriers to increase forest carbon stocks, there are three broad alternatives

~ vi ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

available to the country to achieve REDD+ objectives, with at least one Strategy Option. Strategic Alternative Strategy Option Enhancement of forests capacity 1. Restoration, reforestation and to capture and maintain carbon afforestation 2. Sustainable forest management Reduction of pressure to forest 3. Payment for ecosystem services ecosystems 4. Efficient alternative energy sources 5. Silvopastoral practices and sustainable grazing Promotion of improved and integrated livelihood approaches 6. Agroforestry 7. Sustainable tourism and eco-tourism

Complementarily to the Strategy Options, there are several elements to address the indirect drivers of deforestation, forest degradation and barriers that prevent the sustainable management of forest and enhancement of carbon stocks. The respective actions included in the implementation framework are, probably, more challenging to implement than those performed directly in and around forests, however they establish the foundation to enable the strategy options. This is due to the diversity of sectors, aspects and complexity of multi-sector environment for the implementation framework to work in, in order to ensure that actions in forestry sector under REDD+ Strategy are implemented without a major challenge. These actions are grouped in the following categories: institutional arrangements; governance; institutional and cross sectoral coordination; legal adjustments; finance; research requirements; benefit sharing mechanism; national forest emission reference level and national forest monitoring system; capacity building, communication and awareness rising; environmental and social safeguards; and planning, monitoring and evaluation. The National REDD+ Strategy sets the direction towards the country (including federal and provincial governments, private sector, civil society and the rest of the stakeholders involved) should go to achieve the mitigation and adaptation goals. To do so, the Roadmap is an indicative set of actions that have to be performed either immediately or in the future.

~ vii ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

PREFACE Addressing drivers of deforestation and forest degradation has been at the heart of REDD+ discussions and UNFCCC negotiations since many years. Decision 2 of COP 13 in Bali already encouraged Parties “to explore a range of actions, identify options and undertake efforts, including demonstration activities, to address the drivers of deforestation”. Decision 1 of COP 16 reiterated the need for all parties to take actions to address drivers of deforestation (para 68) and requested developing countries, to address drivers of deforestation and forest degradation when developing and implementing their national strategies and action plans (para 72). The dynamics and causes of deforestation and forest degradation are multi- faceted, complex and vary from place to place. Direct drivers are associated with a complex set of underlying drivers that need to be tackled if efforts to address the direct drivers are to be successful in the long-term. Carefully and systematically analysing and comprehensively addressing all direct and underlying drivers of deforestation and degradation of forests is a priority and key prerequisite to effectively reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and thus, enhancing forest carbon stocks in every REDD+ partner country. A National REDD+ Strategy proposes measures and actions to address drivers harmonizing different development objectives, taking into account the need for increased food production and improved livelihoods, as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation, and enhanced environmental conservation. A cross-sectoral “landscape approach”, encompassing all land uses, would contribute to reducing both deforestation and forest degradation while meeting future demands for food and nutrition. Government of Pakistan (GoP) began its preparation for REDD+ (Reduction of Emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) in 2009. Pakistan became member of UN-REDD in 2011 to tap funds from its Targeted Support Program (TSP). Pakistan was selected as a REDD+ Country Participant under Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) of the World Bank in 2013, which allocated grant funding to enable Pakistan to move forward with preparations for readiness, and in 2017, additional funding was allocated to consolidate the preparation process. The National REDD+ Strategy is one of the four readiness elements for Pakistan to be able to participate in the REDD+ mechanism under the UNFCCC. This Strategy is the result of years of conversations across the country from provincial forest services, communities, academia, civil society organizations and other relevant stakeholders. The Strategy presents the international context from which, REDD+ had evolved, the current legal, policy and institutional framework. It also discusses forest cover and the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. After presenting the strategy framework, the Strategy presents the Options intended to address the main direct drivers of deforestation and forest degradation by modifying productive practices to improve sustainability; afterwards the document describes the actions required to address the indirect drivers of deforestation, forest degradation and barriers that prevent the sustainable management of forest and enhancement of carbon stocks, known as the implementation framework. Finally, the Roadmap for implementation presents a set of specific actions to be performed to make REDD+ happen in the country.

~ viii ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

1. INTRODUCTION Climate change is the single most important threat to humanity and ecosystems. It not only produces direct impacts such as temperature rise or change in the patterns of meteorological events, but because these impacts will exacerbate many current problems we already face, as biodiversity loss, disruption in biogeochemical cycles, food insecurity, migration, and many others. In this regard the United Nations Convention on Climate Change objective is to achieve the “stabilization of greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Such a level should be achieved within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner”.

1.1 REDD+ in the UNFCCC Recognizing that emissions coming from deforestation and forest degradation are a considerable source of GHG emissions in many developing countries, and recognizing that conservation of forests provide multiple social, environmental and economic benefits, the UNFCCC decided to create a mechanism to incentivize actions to prevent forest loss and encourage its conservation. The UNFCCC in its 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) adopted a decision, as part of The Cancun Agreements (Decision 1/CP.16), called Policy approaches and positive incentives on issues relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries; and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries, known as REDD+. Actions included in REDD+

~ 1 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

The same decision recognizes different national circumstances and capabilities and thus decides that the REDD+ activities “should be implemented in phases, beginning with the development of national strategies or action plans, policies and measures, and capacity-building, followed by the implementation of national policies and measures and national strategies or action plans that could involve further capacity-building, technology development and transfer and results-based demonstration activities, and evolving into results-based actions that should be fully measured, reported and verified”. In this regard, the preparation for REDD+ (first phase) should include: 1. A national strategy or action plan; 2. A national forest reference emission level and/or forest reference level; 3. A robust and transparent national forest monitoring system; 4. A system for providing information on how the safeguards are being addressed and respected.

Figure 1 Elements of the Preparation Phase for REDD+

The Cancun Agreements go further to ensure social and environmental integrity, establishing seven safeguards to take into account when undertaking REDD+ implementation: (a) That actions complement or are consistent with the objectives of national forest programmes and relevant international conventions and agreements; (b) Transparent and effective national forest governance structures, taking into account national legislation and sovereignty;

~ 2 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

(c) Respect for the knowledge and rights of indigenous peoples and members of local communities, by taking into account relevant international obligations, national circumstances and laws, and noting that the United Nations General Assembly has adopted the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; (d) The full and effective participation of relevant stakeholders, in particular indigenous peoples and local communities; (e) That actions are consistent with the conservation of natural forests and biological diversity, ensuring that the actions are not used for the conversion of natural forests, but are instead used to incentivize the protection and conservation of natural forests and their ecosystem services, and to enhance other social and environmental benefits; (f) Actions to address the risks of reversals; (g) Actions to reduce displacement of emissions. During the COP 17 in Durban, countries agreed to provide financial support for REDD+ by 2020 for results-based payment from REDD+. Also during COP17 a decision was adopted to establish the functioning principles for the safeguards information system, and modalities related to the reference level and reference emission levels. It was until 2013, in Warsaw during COP 19, that the full methodological package for REDD+ was adopted in seven decisions. In 2015, in Paris during COP 21, the decisions adopted include alternative policy approaches, such as joint mitigation and adaptation approaches for the integral and sustainable management of forests, further guidance for informing on how the safeguards are being addressed and respected

1.2 REDD+ Preparation Process Pakistan is committed to contribute to the global goal to mitigate climate change. Country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) state that Pakistan intends to reduce up to 20% of its 2030 projected GHG emissions subject to availability of international financial support. Even though the land use change and forestry sector contributes less than 3% of the overall national emissions, prevention of forest loss and recovery of forested areas could provide benefits for the country in the long run. According to the NDC, the projected emissions for the land use change and forestry sector for year 2030 are 29 MT CO2- equivalent. In addition, the country is interested particularly to participate in the REDD+ mechanism. In 2013, Pakistan submitted its Readiness Preparation Proposal (RPP) to the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF)4, to receive support for the preparation for REDD+. It was until 2015 that country signed the

4 The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility is a multi-donor partnership designed to assist developing countries in their efforts on reducing emissions from deforestation and/or forest degradation”, conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+) by building their capacity and developing a methodological and policy framework that provides incentives for the implementation of REDD+ programs. More information can be found at www.forestcarbonpartnership.org

~ 3 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

agreement for US$3.8 million to implement the project. In 2017, based on the advances on the implementation, the country was granted an additional US$4,014 million to continue and consolidate the REDD+ readiness process. The year 2010 is considered as the beginning of the preparation process for REDD+ in the country. During that year, the Government of Pakistan (GoP) initiated consultative workshops and awareness raising events that provided stakeholder’s opinions and concerns that were later used to prepare the Readiness Preparation Proposal (RPP) which set the base for further discussions and coordination. As part of the REDD+ Readiness process, a National Steering Committee was established to ensure multi-sectoral coordination and cooperation for the planning and implementation of REDD+ activities. The Provinces and Territories also established Provincial REDD+ Management Committees (PRMCs) and appointed Provincial Focal Points. The readiness preparation process included actions to ensure organization and consultation about REDD+ consolidation in the country, preparation of the National REDD+ Strategy, development of the national forest reference emission level and the design of the National Forest Monitoring and Safeguards Information Systems. These components had several mechanisms for consultation with pertinent stakeholders in order to ensure that their opinions and needs are fully incorporated in the design of the products. The development of the National REDD+ Strategy took into account the characteristics and needs established by the UNFCCC and incorporated the best practices, technical standards and guidance available at international level to consider and incorporate the current institutional and legal framework as well new information and decisions made during consultation and preparation process. During the preparation of this Strategy, a comprehensive consultation process was designed which included communities, government departments at the federal and provincial level, civil society organizations, academia, forest owners, mining and agriculture sector, market players among others. Apart from these stakeholders, consultation meetings were also held with the PRMCs in the provinces, as these are responsible for REDD+ affairs in their respective provinces, and also the Working Groups of the National Steering Committee. This process used several techniques to acquire information using focus group discussions, key informant interviews, questionnaires and consultative workshops5. There have been also meetings and discussions around the way the country is addressing and respecting the Cancun Safeguards, the Safeguards Information System, the National Reference Emission Levels and the National Forest Monitoring System. Decisions and endorsement included a wide variety of topics including the national forest definition, national interpretation of safeguards, REDD+ activities and strategy options, characteristics of the safeguards information system and the national forest monitoring system, among others.

5Annex 2 Contains a synthesis of the consultation process undertaken for the development of the National REDD+ Strategy.

~ 4 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

2. NATIONAL CONTEXT The design and implementation of a strategy to address deforestation and forest degradation entails understanding of the policy framework, environmental, economic and social conditions as well as dynamics that enable the deforestation to occur; only with this understanding the strategy would succeed. This chapter describes the trends and current environmental and socioeconomic situation around forests and land use changes.

2.1 Forest Cover and Change Trends The basis to address deforestation and forest degradation is, not only knowing the drivers but also the way land is used and how those uses change over time and space. In the case of Pakistan, land tenure and natural resources rights have an important influence on how the land is used.

Figure 2 Land Cover/ Land use of Pakistan

Source: GoP (2009) As of the time of this study, a comprehensive land cover and land cover change assessment of Pakistan with a good degree of accuracy was not in existence. In 2004, the Ministry of Environment (now Ministry of Climate Change) launched a National Land Use Plan Project under which, the Land Use Atlas of Pakistan was developed. The data for the Atlas was obtained

~ 5 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

from Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), National Agricultural Research Centre, International Water and Salinity Research Institute, Soil Survey of Pakistan and Survey of Pakistan. In addition to the location of different land uses and land cover, the RPP presents the changes in the period from 1994 to 2004, with a small increase in the total area of 0.39% for the decade, however, the positive change is due to an increase in farmland that masks out the reduction of the land covered by natural forests in 14,700 hectares per year (GoP, 2014).

Table 1 Land Cover/Land Use Change 1994-2004 (000 Hectares) Category of Forests 1992 2004 % Annual Change Natural Forests 3,587 3,440 -0.36 Farmland Plantations 466 781 7.50 Others (Linear +Misc) 171 171 0 Overall 4,224 4,392 0.39 Percent of Total Area 4.8 % 5.01 % Source: GoP (2014) The emissions related to land use, land use change and forestry are estimated on 10.39 MT CO2 equivalent by 2015, which account for the 2.5% of the total country emissions, however a consistent but gradual increase in the emissions had been noticed over the last two decades and is expected to grow threefold by 2030 (GoP, 2016). The absence of a national forest inventory applying systematic forest data collection methods across all provinces means that the only research available is GIS, remote sensing or localized inventory data. However, the thresholds have recently been defined while adopting (GoP, 2017) a national forest definition through an iterative and consultative process:

National Forest Definition: A minimum area of land of 0.5 ha with tree crown cover of more than 10% comprising trees with the potential to reach a minimum height of 2 meters.

This definition6 is the basis for the establishment of the National Forest Reference Emissions Level (NFREL) and the National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS), which will provide information for a better understanding of

6 This definition includes existing irrigated plantations as well as areas that have been defined as forests in respective legal documents and expected to meet the required thresholds.

~ 6 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

the current situation and extent of the forests in the country. The NFREL, is based on remote sensing and field information obtained systematically for the whole country and will provide a robust estimate of the amount of historical deforestation and forest degradation its related emissions, and removals, as well it will set the base for future comparisons.

2.2 Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation Pakistan is a diverse country in terms of its ecosystems, social groups, governance systems, land tenure and cultures as well as conditions that provide the basis for the existence of a wide variety of drivers and causes of deforestation and forest degradation and barriers for conservation and enhanced forest carbon stock. Even though currently there does not exist a study with a nation-wide approach analysing drivers and underlying causes of deforestation, there are several localized studies and publications addressing the land use change or drivers of deforestation, whose results are aligned with the results obtained from the consultations with stakeholders performed for the development of the Strategy. Different ecosystems and forest types have different drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, however some of them are similar across provinces and territories, ecosystems and forest types. The next figures show the drivers according to the perceived importance from stakeholders.

~ 7 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Table 2 Main Direct Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation at National Level

Drivers of Deforestation Drivers of Degradation

 Unsustainable fuel wood extraction.  Unsustainable fuel wood  Unsustainable timber extraction. extraction  Free and uncontrolled livestock grazing  Unsustainable timber  Infrastructure development (roads, extraction dams, transmission lines,)  Agriculture expansion for  Urban and rural expansion / habitation subsistence  Agriculture expansion for subsistence  Livestock grazing, Over-  Commercial agriculture expansion (Fish grazing and browsing ponds, cash crops, and subsistence  Changes in water availability, crops) mainly scarcity by water  Encroachment by communities and diversions upstream, drought, other government agencies. Mainly for climate change). (important in agriculture, lower degree for and riverine) infrastructure, housing  Salinity and water  Mining  Drought- changes in rainfall  Forest fires (natural and anthropogenic) and climate patterns  Extreme weather events (landslides,  Infrastructure (roads, power , snowfall) lines)  Oceanic intrusion  Mining  Forest clearing for security in conflict prone borders/areas (FATA, AJK)

During consultations, stakeholders in provinces and territories identified the unsustainable use of forests as the most important driver of deforestation and forest degradation, including extraction of fuel wood, timber and free and/or uncontrolled livestock grazing and browsing. These activities have their roots in complex situations from poverty and lack of livelihood alternatives to weak governance, inefficient law enforcement and poor or inexistent demarcation of forests, among others. There are several routes or mechanisms through which, deforestation and forest degradation occur. Some of these have similarities in various provinces and territories and can be grouped as follow: Poor law enforcement and governance: These issues have been identified as drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. These have encouraged the encroachments on forest areas for various uses including agriculture, housing and habitations, among others, and also the illegal extraction of fuelwood, timber and the NTFPs from the forests. Other impacts of the same include the wide spread unlawful grazing, massive illegal mining/stone quarrying, increased number of fire incidence etc. This is also evident from the large number of pending legal cases in the courts in all the provinces and territories which are multiplying with the passage of time.

~ 8 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Unsustainable agriculture and cattle raising expansion: Larger population and low productive practices are imposing the need for the expansion of the land used for agriculture and cattle rising. This issue has been identified as a main driver of deforestation and forest degradation in most of the provinces and territories. The situation is being fuelled by the lack of productive alternatives, food insecurity and poor law enforcement and governance. Unsustainable timber extraction: The demand for timber has been on the rise due to the country’s quickly growing population. The conifer forests, mainly feeding the booming construction industry in particular, have suffered badly. The unsustainable wood extraction is considered to be the major cause of deforestation and forest degradation. It is estimated the unsustainable removals to be 15.15 million m3 in 1993 (Anon, 1992). This happens mainly due to illicit felling of trees by the timber mafia and the extractions in excess to the ones prescribed in the management plans. The prescriptions of the management plans are not followed in true letter and spirit neither for extraction of timber nor other operations including the planting of trees in lieu of the trees removed during felling. Whereas, many forests still don’t have any management plans and as such not managed on scientific basis. Deforestation and degradation of these forests have multiple effects on environment and economy as they occupy the fragile upland watersheds that drain into the river systems; the major source of water for irrigation in the plains. The situation would have been worse, had the supplies been not supported by the timber imports and use of alternate material by the construction industry like steel and aluminium, among other products, even though these alternatives are not free of environmental impacts. Unsustainable fuel wood extraction: The intensifying pressure from unsustainable fuel wood extraction has badly affected all types of forests including farmland trees in the country as almost all the fuel wood needs are met from the local resources. The rural population in particular largely depends on it for cooking and heating due to easy and cheap availability and lack of alternate energy sources. The use of traditional cooking stoves and utensils and also inefficient spacing heating systems are resulting in wasteful burning and subsequently enhancing pressure on the limited forest resource. Variability in water availability and quality: One important driver of deforestation and forest degradation is the decline of water flow in the rivers that is affecting the coastal and riverine forests as these depend massively on fresh water for their growth and survival. The situation arose initially due to construction of reservoirs and barrages to feed the country’s canal irrigation network, one of the largest in the world and also to run the powerhouses to generate electricity. The issue is worsened by the decreased amount and changed pattern of rains due to climate change. This reduced water flow in the rivers also gave way to the sea to intrude into river channels as well as low lying coastal areas and to inflict further damages on the forests and associated biodiversity in these areas. An additional problem in mangrove areas around arise from the sewage entering the mangrove channels leading to high pollution levels.

~ 9 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

~ 10 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Figure 3 Main Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation at National Level

~ 11 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Table 3 Main Indirect Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation at National Level.

Main indirect Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation  Weak governance and law enforcement in forest management.  Weak Judicial system, having large number of pending legal cases and with legal cases taking long time to resolve and is an incentive to people to deforest or degrade the forest.  Low penalties are not in accordance with current situation and are unable to deter illicit cutting.  Weak monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.  Forest Management plans not enforced or are obsolete in terms of their design.  Lack of coordination among sectors and departments. Perverse incentives in other sector leading to deforestation or degradation. There is a general disharmony among the direction and implementation of sectorial policies.  Low preference for investing in ecosystems: Poor understanding of the importance of ecosystems for development of economic activities, causing each sector acting with narrow approach, and low financial support for conservation and sustainable management of ecosystems.  Lack of land use plans and demarcation.  Population increase: Increased demand of timber, for construction, housing, furniture, flooring, . This is coupled with the social and economic dimensions of the population including poverty, unemployment, food security and lack of awareness regarding importance of forests.  Unclear and complex tenure/ forest user rights (including carbon rights) and having weak management by Government of these rights;  Reduced use of forest resources imposed by ban on harvest  Dependence on forest for livelihood/  Lack of livelihood diversity.  Misuse of lease policy (e.g. in )  Infrastructure development (roads, dams, transmission lines etc) with little consideration for forests and ecosystems  Less trained-unskilled officials7 of forest department  Security related factors putting pressure on forests in AJK and FATA.  Refugees and IDPs adding pressure for fuel wood and timber in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA

During consultations these drivers and dynamics were discussed and ranked according its importance at provincial levels. That information was further refined with references in the literature, and synthesised to be coherent for the

7 Forest department staff below Officer cadre.

~ 12 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

national level, combining findings from provinces by importance or influence on overall deforestation and degradation. More detailed information on the location and extent of the changes in the land cover, including deforestation and degradation will be available with the forest reference emission level and NFMS.

Table 4 Direct and Indirect Drivers of Deforestation and Forest Degradation by Forest Type

Forest Type Indirect Drivers Direct Drivers

Dry Temperate Natural: Scarcity of water, natural Natural: Drought, calamities, Diseases Human Induced: Scarcity of Human Induced: water, poverty, unemployment, Demand of fuel wood, political influence, nomads, less fodder and timber, grazing funds. and browsing pressure,

Natural: Gradually changing weather pattern, Drought Human Induced: Poverty, unemployment, population pressure, lack of alternatives, Unwise use of timber, Revenue Natural: Floods, Moist temperate and Chir Pine based management, lack of landslides, forest fire, Forests awareness, Political influence, diseases, unplanned , lack of human and financial resources, Human Induced: ineffective monitoring, Issues of Demand for fodder, fuel land tenure, non-execution of wood and timber. management plans, weak Conversion of forestland execution of laws, deteriorated to agricultural land and law and order situation, shortage infrastructure (roads and of energy for domestic use, buildings), Timber urbanization, lack of livelihood smuggling, , alternatives, roles not clearly defined within different institutions, less aware and less organized tourism, poor law enforcement, conflicts between stakeholders on forest and its use

~ 13 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Forest Type Indirect Drivers Direct Drivers

Natural: Natural fires, Natural: Drought, changing land sliding and soil weather patterns, Scrub erosion, Human Induced: Poverty, Human Induced: unemployment, population Demand for fuel wood, pressure, lack of livelihood fodder and timber (mainly alternatives, lack of awareness, by contactors), conversion poor governance and policy to agricultural land, making, political influence, intentional forest fires urbanization on forest lands, especially during summer, combustion-based industries diseases and drought, around scrub forests, nomads / leasing of mining sites graziers leading to forest fires, within the forest area, over mining activities grazing, soil erosion Natural: reduced rains leading to less water in river system, Human Induced: Poverty, political Natural: diseases, forest fire, drought, Riverine influence, population increase and subsequent pressure on forests, Human Induced: unemployment, scarcity of water Demand for timber, fuel (excessive taping of underground wood and fodder, water), upstream barrages and making, overgrazing, dams leaving less water for forest fire, forest land downstream riverine forests, lack leased and misuse of of facilities, lack of funds, lack of lease policy, Illegal use of awareness, lack of research, lack forest land for agriculture, of education, shortage of staff, agriculture expansion, lack of alternatives, natural livestock grazing hazards, poor law and order, misuse of forest land lease policy, grazing pressure by nomads Natural: less fresh water due to reduced rains in upstream areas Mangroves Human Induced: Absence of Natural: Algal growth, rights of communities (mangroves are state own forests), increase in Human Induced: salinity, sea intrusion, sea Demand for fuel wood, pollution, lack of ownership, less fodder, browsing and regeneration activities, lack of trampling especially by fresh water flow, increase camels, conversion of population (migration towards forests to agriculture land delta and coastal areas), construction of dams and barrages on river system

~ 14 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

2.3 Social and Gender Context According to the census report of 2017, the total population of Pakistan is 207.7 million (excluding AJK and GB, which is estimated to be 1.8 million). Population density is about 250 persons / km2 (UNSD, nd) with Punjab as the most populated province while Karachi is the most populated city of Pakistan. This makes Pakistan fifth most populous country in the world, accommodating 2.63% of world population. The annual growth rate is 2.4% with 57% increase in population since 1998. This is one of the highest in south Asia. The male to female ratio is 51.2% to 49.8% respectively (GoP, nd-a). Pakistan hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world as well as a young population. About 60% of its population is between the age group of 15 to 64 years. Over 97% of the population of Pakistan is Muslim while remaining 3% is Christian, Hindus and others. Literacy rate is at 60% with male at 69% and females at 45% (GoP, nd-b). According to the 2009 Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 60.3% of live on less than $2 a day. Pakistan National Human Development Report gave Pakistan an HDI score of 0.541 whereas the Human Development Report 2006 gave it a score of 0.539 (UNDP, 2016). Labour force participation (male and female) in formal sector is approximately 24 percent in rural areas and 30 percent in urban areas. Agriculture and its allied sectors is one of the primary sources of livelihood for about 42 percent population in Pakistan which is mostly rural population. , construction, trade, transport, social and person service are among other major sources of livelihoods (GoP, nd-b). There is high rate of unemployment in both rural and urban areas. Rural to urban migration is high in Pakistan in search of better social and economic opportunities including employment, access to electricity, gas, sanitation, education, health and housing facilities. This is why Pakistan has experienced rapid urbanization in last few decades. The current urban population of Pakistan is 38.8 percent while 50 percent of Pakistanis reside in towns of 5,000 people or more (UN Data, nd). Rural population, which is about 60 percent is experiencing higher level of poverty than the urban population both on social and economic indicators. They have high dependence on green sector sources for their livelihoods including forests. They take multiple benefits offered by forests. Local communities including men, women, nomads and seasonal migrants have formal and informal rights in forests as forest owners and forest users under various land tenure arrangements and are heavily dependent in its products and services. Local communities particularly women collect fire wood, fodder, graze their animals and collect NTFPs.

~ 15 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

With high prevalence of poverty in the country especially in rural areas and lack of livelihood opportunities, forests are important social and economic resource for local rural population. However, mostly women and children are responsible for collecting fuel wood, fodder and animal grazing at the household level, especially when forests are located within close proximity of the village or house. This is a time consuming and heavy labour work for both women and children directly affecting their health, energies, and education opportunities. In addition, women are also responsible for other household chores including fetching water from long distances. Reduction in forest cover and forest resources has therefore impacted women more severely than men, especially in terms of covering long distances to reach forest resources. The consultation process highlighted that women generally do not participate in the decision-making processes in forest management, projects and programs. Men, among the communities are the decision makers and point of contact for forest authorities. Lack of female staff in the forest departments at the provincial levels has further complicated the situation. Culturally men from outside the communities are not allowed/appreciated to interact with women. Thus women, as an important forest user and stakeholder remain outside the ambit of consultation and decision-making process. In addition to resident local communities, nomads and seasonal migrants also have high dependency on forest resources. These are mostly livestock rearing communities who settle in areas with forest and grazing resources. The presence of seasonal migrants and nomads is more prominent in KP, FATA, Baluchistan and GB. However, provincial forest departments do not have community outreach component in their routine operations which limit their ability to engage with these stakeholders. Moreover, there are few to no active community-based forest management committees in the provinces. It therefore becomes imperative to mainstream rights and benefits of local communities; women and men forest users, right holders, nomads and seasonal migrants in the strategy to achieve REDD + objectives. There have been several donor-funded projects implemented in almost all provinces in forestry sector with community based participatory approach. These projects also engaged vulnerable groups including women, and nomads and seasonal migrants through projects staff including men and women. These projects have shown positive results both in terms of forest conservation and management as well as in diversification of communities’ livelihoods and social and economic status. Consultation process highlighted that engagement of women as forest users and mangers has added value to projects impact. Further, engaging women in technical capacity building programs such as forest conservation and management can particularly improve results. Expanding on these positive results, KP forest department

~ 16 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

has mainstreamed community outreach and gender development components in their core operations focusing on both men and women community members. In order to mainstream all stakeholders in the REDD+ process, provincial departments need to allocate additional resources to reach out to forest dependent communities. FAO recommends allocation of at least 30 percent of the budget to women development in programs and projects. Considering the importance and role of women in forests in Pakistan, 30 percent allocation of budget is appropriate at this stage which should be increased gradually to meet SDGs target of 50 percent by 2030.

To better understand the complex dynamics of and use and land use change, which is closely related to land tenure and rights to access natural resources, the next table presents an overview of the different land tenure modalities and their relation to use natural resources, formal and informal. Next table pretends to illustrate the complexities and differences present in the country, and also helps to understand the diverse dynamics that occur.

~ 17 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Table 5 Forest Land Tenure and Stakeholders

Stakeholder

Classification

Formal Rights Informal Rights

Baltistan

Legal Category Legal

Balochistan KP Punjab Sindh AJK FATA Gigit Local Communities benefit from forest Resources such Forest Department, local communities (collect seeds) Reserved Forest as collecting falling branches and controlled grazing and lessees during season Forest Department, and board of revenue and resident

State Forest Communities and nomadic and seasonal groups. community (fuel wood, HH timber, fodder/grass lands) Forest Department and local communities Do Demarcated Forest Un-demarcated Forest      Do Do Forest Department, Board of revenue, and local De facto rights of graziers/landless over grazing, fuel Protected Forest communities (collection of fuel wood, grazing, wood collection and NTFPs. fishermen in case of fallen/dead wood, HH timber). mangroves

Government Forest Government Do Do Village Forest Local communities Nomads and seasonal migrants Community Forest   Forest Department and Private owners Local communities Unclassed Forest Forest Department, Guzara owners (HH construction Guzara Forest Landless timber, fuel wood and NTFPS Forest Department and communities. Do

Protected Wasteland

Community Forest Forest Department and local community. Do Local communities; Forest Department have the right Section 36 Forest to declare it as reserved forest with mutual Do understanding or compensation to the owner Local communities with rights given to Forest

Private Forest Private Section 38 Forest department to treat certain portion or all land as Do reserved forest Forest Department and local communities (as allowed Chos Act Areas Do by the government).

~ 18 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

3. LEGAL, POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK Current policies and legal and institutional frameworks are the foundations for the REDD+ Strategy. This chapter presents an overview of the current policies and laws relevant to REDD+ as well as the institutional arrangements in place.

3.1 International Commitments Widely adopted treaties present the closest option available to international norms for resource management and environmental protection. Pakistan has made political commitment to address sustainability issues through the ratification of international treaties on the environment and climate change that have intended positive implications for its forests, ecosystems and land management. Pakistan has signed and ratified, inter alia, the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (including its decisions and agreements), United Nations Convention to Combat , the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Convention of Migratory Species, the Vienna Convention on the Protection of the Ozone Layer, the Montreal Protocol on Ozone Layer Depleting Substances and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Given that Pakistan is a dualist state, even though international agreements may be signed, compliance with these domestically is not mandatory or binding until it is ratified through translation into national legislation.

3.2 Legal Framework Pakistan, a federated country of four provinces and three territories (G-B, AJK and FATA), has an extensive set of regulations regarding natural resources, land tenure and institutional arrangements that are relevant to REDD+, and this section presents the most relevant ones. Legislative and executive powers are divided between the Federation and the Provinces by the , 1973. The Federation is also imbued with all legislative and executive powers in respect of the FATA whereas AJK and GB, although not de jure provinces of Pakistan are under the de facto administrative control of the Federation with legislative and executive function between them and the Federation being regulated by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Interim Constitution Act, 1974 (AJK Interim Constitution) and the Gilgit-Baltistan (Empowerment and Self Governance) Order, 2009 (G-B Order) respectively. After the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan, the subject of environment, including forests and all matters related thereto, including the implementation in Pakistan of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Cancun Agreement on Reduction of Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) thereunder, are within the exclusive purview of the Provinces of Pakistan, both within the legislative and executive policy space. The role of the Parliament and the

~ 19 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Federal Government in relation to this subject, at least in a direct sense, has been reduced to legislation and policy making only to the extent of such areas in the Federation as are not included in any province (i.e. the Capital Territory and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas). In respect of the territories of AJK and G-B, the forests of AJK are within the exclusive legislative domain of the Legislative Assembly of AJK and the executive domain of the AJK Government as per the AJK Interim Constitution whereas under the G-B Order the forests of G-B are within the exclusive legislative and executive domain of the Gilgit-Baltistan Council with the Prime Minister of Pakistan as its Chairman, who may exercise the executive authority vested in the Council directly or through the Secretariat of the Council. The primary legal regime determining the legal categories of forest land in Pakistan and their governance is the Forest Act 1927 (“Forest Act”). The Forest Act is applicable in three of the four provinces, as well as having been extended to Gilgit-Baltistan. While KP has repealed the Forest Act and replaced it with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forest Ordinance, 2002 (“Forest Ordinance”), the Forest Ordinance co-opts the major legal categories of forests laid down in the Forest Act itself. The other provinces have made periodical amendments to the Forest Act, with Punjab having made the most significant overhaul of its provisions. The primary legislation with respect to AJK is the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Regulation [No.2 of 1936] (“AJK Forest Regulation”) which retains in essence the same legal categories of forest land as the Forest Act, although under different nomenclature.

Classification of Forests The forests in Pakistan may be divided into two broad categories of Government owned forests and privately owned forests. The legal framework of each province and the other territories provides for the further classification of Government owned forests, as notified by the relevant Government, with varying degrees of private rights and activity allowed within each such class of forest. In addition, the relevant laws for each province and the territories, and the rules and regulations made thereunder, also provide for the regulation and management of certain classes of private forests. The specific classification of forests within the larger categories of Government Forests and Private Forests are as follows:

~ 20 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Table 6 Legal Classification of Forests in Pakistan

Classification Legal Provision

Legal Category

Section 3 of the Forest Act; Section 4 of Reserved Forest the Forest Ordinance

Section 3 of the Forest State Forest Regulation Demarcated Forest Section 3 of the AJK Forest Regulation Un-demarcated Forest Section 10 of the AJK Forest Regulation Section 29 of the Forest Act; Section 29 Protected Forest of the Forest Ordinance Section 28 of the Forest Act; Section 28

GovernmentForest Village Forest of the Forest Ordinance; Section 14-A of the AJK Forest Regulation Community Forest Section 101 of the Forest Ordinance Unclassed Forest Section 28-A of the Forest Act Punjab Guzara Rules; Section 35 of the Guzara Forest Forest Ordinance Section 36 and 37 of the Forest Protected Wasteland Ordinance Section 13-A of the AJK Forest Community Forest Regulation Section 36 Forest Section 36 of the Forest Act Section 38 of the Forest Act; Section 38 PrivateForest Section 38 Forest of the Forest Ordinance Punjab Land Preservation (Chos) Act Chos Act Areas 1900

The various categories of Government Forests and Private Forests may be clubbed together as below to allow for the analysis of legal categories of forests and their governance mechanisms at a national level as opposed to a sub-national level.

Government Forests 1. Reserved Forest, State Forest and Demarcated Forest These three categories are similar in that they are the strictest categories of forests from the perspective of governance. These forests generally exclude all private rights and privileges unless the Government has specifically sanctioned these. As such almost any act that harms the forest in general, including the trees and other forest resources therein, is prohibited within these forests.

~ 21 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

2. Protected Forest and Un-demarcated Forest In terms of governance of forests, these two classes of forests are similar. Within these forests, all activities are permitted unless these have been specifically proscribed either through a notification by the relevant Government in this respect or through the promulgation of rules in respect of such matters. However, any contravention of such notification or rules, once issued, is a punishable offence. 3. Village Forests and Community Forests (“Assigned Forests”) Throughout Pakistan, the relevant Provincial Government may assign to any village community the rights of the Government to or over any land which has been constituted a reserved forest (or in the case of AJK over land which has been entered into settlement records as khalsa (“crown”) land). Such forests would be called village forests. The Forest Ordinance goes further in this respect and also provides for the formation of community forests in KP whereby the Divisional Forest Officer may assign to any village forest community, village organization or Joint Forest Management Committee, all or any of its rights of management over any protected forest, Guzara forest and protected wasteland. Such assigned forests would be governed by the assignee subject to any rules formulated by the relevant provincial government for the management of the assigned forests.

Private Forests 1. Guzara Forests, Protected Wasteland and Community Forest Guzara Forests, Protected Wastelands and Community Forests are similar with respect to the fact that these are lands within the common ownership of a village in whose vicinity these are located, however, the law provides that these will be managed by the Forest Department including the regulation of private rights and prohibition of certain acts within these types of private forests even by the right-holders to such forests. By and large, most acts that may harm the forest or certain types of valuable trees are prohibited within these types of forests, even by the village owners of these forests. However, the village owners are granted certain subsistence rights within these forests to meet their genuine domestic needs as determined by the relevant Provincial Government such as the right to a quota of trees from these forests for the purpose of residential construction, fuelwood and grazing etc. 2. Section 36 Forests With the exception of KP and AJK, for certain specified public purposes such as protection against natural phenomenon e.g. floods and avalanches, protection of public works and preservation of public health, among others, the Government may regulate or prohibit certain acts in any forest or wasteland including a private forest. In the case of a violation of such prohibition, under Section 36 of the Forest Act, the Government may place such forest under the

~ 22 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

supervision of a forest officer and declare that the provisions of the Forest Act in respect of a reserved forest shall apply to it. 3. Section 38 Forests With the exception of AJK, the owner(s) of any land (specifically wasteland, however, in the case of KP) may hand over management of such land (or wasteland) to the Government to be managed by the Forest Department as a reserved or protected forest on such terms as may be mutually agreed or that all the provisions of the Forest Act (or Forest Ordinance in the case of KP) be applicable thereto.

Uses of the Forests The permitted uses of the forests are connected to the legal category within which a particular forest may fall and where the Government does regulate a particular category of forest it does so through the prohibition of certain acts within those forests rather than by positively defining the rights that a private person may enjoy within those forests. With the exception of Reserved Forests (and the equivalent legal categories of State Forest and Demarcated Forest above described) all forest categories at least allow for private persons, such as forest dependent communities, to make subsistence use of the forests and forest produce subject to regulation by the Government. So, for example, unless the Government specifically prohibits this through a notification or by making rules in this regard, within a Protected Forest, private persons may, inter alia, use the trees by felling and lopping them, extract and use forest produce, as well as clear the forest for cultivation and use it for the grazing of animals. Within Reserved Forests (and other equivalent categories under other provincial laws) however the very fact that a forest has been notified as Reserved, most uses of that forest by private individuals are prohibited unless specifically sanctioned by the Government. Of course, the Government itself enjoys apparent carte blanche, subject to its own administrative regulation, with regard to the uses that it may make of the forests under its ownership. With regard to private forests, to the extent that these are not regulated by the Government under a relevant provision of the prevailing legal regime in each of the provinces and territories (as above delineated), the private owners of these forests enjoy all the rights that come attached with ownership including the harvesting of trees and forest produce. It is noteworthy that while the above is the position under the law, regardless of legal classification of forests and the concomitant rights of the Government and private persons, effectively, since 1993 there is a general ban on commercial timber harvesting in Pakistan, put into effect through a cabinet decision of the Federal Government.

~ 23 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Other Laws and Regulations Environmental Protection Act The Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997 (PEPA) provides that parties desiring to commence a project must submit an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and/or an Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) to the Federal Agency and obtain approval thereof from the Federal Agency. A project is very widely defined as “any activity, plan, scheme, proposal or undertaking involving any change in the environment” including “mineral prospecting, mining, quarrying, stone-crushing, drilling and the like” and “any change of land use or water use”. The IEE is a preliminary environmental review of the reasonably foreseeable impacts of a project to evaluate if it will have an adverse environmental impact and therefore require an EIA. The EIA is a detailed environmental study comprising collection of data, prediction of qualitative and quantitative impacts, comparison of alternatives, evaluation of preventive, mitigatory and compensatory measures as well as formulation of management and training plans and monitoring arrangements. In addition, PEPA provides for several penalties for the contravention of its provisions, including fines, imprisonment, closure of the project and the confiscation of project assets involved in contravention of PEPA provisions. Each of the provinces, AJK and G-B have enacted their own Environmental Protection Acts which mirror the provisions of PEPA in respect of the above requirements in relation of the environmental impact of a project. As such any project to be carried out within forest land which may have an adverse environmental impact would have to satisfy the above requirements in order to proceed, including mining operations within forest land. In addition, some of the provincial environmental legislation provides for periodic environmental monitoring as well as environmental audit and review of projects that have been granted approval to operate.

Mining Concession Rules Each of the provinces have mining concession rules/mineral rules formulated under the Mineral Development (Government Control) Act, 1948 and the National Mineral Policy 1995. In addition, AJK and G-B have also promulgated their own mining and mineral concession rules along similar lines as those of the provinces. In each of the mining concession/mineral rules for the Provinces, there are certain provisions in relation to mining concessions being granted within reserved and protected forest areas which require, in general, that it shall be the condition of every mineral title that before the commencement of exploration operations within a reserved or protected forest, thirty (30) days’ written notice shall be given to the Forest Department, and operations may commence only subject to any condition regarding the use of land that may be prescribed by the Government, the Licensing Authority and/or the Forest Department, (as applicable depending on the nature and scale of the mining to be carried out within the scheme of the rules for each Province); Generally speaking, the mining concession rules/mineral rules do not envisage a significant role for the Forest Department in relation to the grant of mining

~ 24 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

concessions within public forests as it should have be the custodian of public forests, instead vesting this authority in the respective Licensing Authorities of the Province.

Legal Provisions for Carbon Rights Formally, there is no explicit provision in the legal and policy framework around forests in relation to the rights of ownership to the carbon stored in trees. Presumably, the carbon rights in a forest are subsumed within the larger ownership rights in relation to a given forest. This would mean that the Government retains the carbon rights in forests that are Government owned whereas the carbon rights in private forests belong to the private owners (individual or community) of such a forest, subject to the law. Since REDD+ only countenances the participation of the national government in the carbon market, amendments are required to the legislative framework to allow for the seamless vesting of all carbon rights, whether from Government forests or private forests, within the territory of Pakistan to the Federal Government for the specific purpose of participation in the international carbon market. A legislative amendment may be necessary in this respect as the same may not be achieved through a policy instrument given Article 24 of the Constitution of Pakistan regarding the protection of property rights which stipulates that a person’s property rights may not be acquired by the Government, even temporarily, save in accordance with the law.

3.3 Policies National Forest Policy 2015 Most of the policies outside forestry sector are directly or indirectly linked to or have influence over forests. Important sectors in this respect are climate change, agriculture, minerals, tourism, water and energy. Among the national policies approved by competent forum include the Climate Change policy 2012, Environment Policy 2005, Minerals Policy 2013 and Power Policy 2014. After the 18th constitutional amendment on provincial subjects, Pakistan’s provinces have developed their own policies for some of these sectors. The following provides an overview of policies influencing forests. The National Climate Change Policy 2012 includes necessary provisions to address climate change related issues for various sectors, such as water, agriculture, forestry, coastal areas, biodiversity and other vulnerable ecosystems. It also discusses industrial emissions and carbon footprint in different industries and its implications for climate. The policy proposes various alternatives to mitigate possible effects of climate change on vulnerable and other ecosystems. It also reflects on coping with the challenges emerging from climate change. The policy has extensively covered forestry and a range management sectors. Specific recommendations have been given to take benefit of the REDD+ mechanism. The REDD+ Strategy can bank on the Climate Change Policy as an important supporting instrument within the complex policy framework of Pakistan. This support includes forest

~ 25 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

management, mitigating drivers of deforestation, and working on technological improvements to reduce carbon and other emissions. The National Environment Policy 2005 provides comprehensive guidelines for natural resource sectors including forestry, biodiversity and protected areas, agriculture and livestock and water, and also other important sectors like energy efficiency, renewable energy, climate change and ozone depletion. The policy encourages the protection and preservation of biodiversity including forests, use of energy efficient technologies, handling the climate change issues, improving the agriculture and livestock productivity under a changing environmental scenario. Pakistan’s National Mineral Policy was developed in 2013 after a long consultation process with sector stakeholders. One of the themes of the National Mineral Policy 2013 is environmentally sustainable exploration, development and production of minerals. It also envisages mitigation of adverse environmental effects of mineral development, facilitation of access to private or public lands and of forest reserves, and resolution of issues with other public department functionaries. Section 7.3 deals with the environment and binds the explorative companies to observe safeguards on protection of environment, highlighting CSR. However, it was observed that while some sections work toward mitigating adverse environmental impacts including those on forests, their implementation is not very effective due to low inter- departmental coordination and inefficient monitoring and control. Pakistan National Power Policy was promulgated in 2013. The National Power Policy recommends generation of inexpensive and affordable energy sources and focus on shifting Pakistan’s energy mix toward low-cost sources, such as hydro, gas, solar, nuclear and . The policy also mentions coal as a source of energy and recommends coal with appropriate mitigating measures for reducing carbon and sulphur emissions. Cheap electricity supply may reduce pressure on forests, however, generation of energy from biomass may be carefully carried out. The National Renewable Energy Policy (2006) underlines the importance of renewable energy resources and emphasizes on benefiting from the enormous potential of solar, hydro, wind and biomass (bagasse, crop residues, livestock manure, etc.). Appropriate strategies in this respect can reduce pressure on forests due to fuelwood extraction. As far as tourism policy is concerned, work was initiated on formulation of new National Tourism Policy. However, the policy issued in 1990 and updated in 2007, has not been able to propose any tangible preventive or mitigation measures, despite recognition of the environmental spoilage by tourism. In addition, the reviewed policy from 2007 overcame a phase of terrorism between 2007-2012, when tourism dropped significantly. Later after 2014, it has failed to envisage the expanded scale and challenges of local tourism. The latest National Agriculture and Food Security Policy (draft) wherein recommending the adoption of climate smart agriculture practices, has emphasized on improvement of rangelands for healthy livestock and increased production of dairy products. However, it does not discuss forestry, farm forestry or agroforestry. In addition, it does not discuss the issue of livestock grazing having an adverse impact on the forest regeneration.

~ 26 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Pakistan National Rangeland Policy was drafted in 2010. It discusses rehabilitation, management and mitigation of the impacts of global warming and climate change on the rangelands. It has remained as draft and has not been approved yet. The policy supports protection and rehabilitation of scrub forests for better forage production but does not provide for improvement of tree growth on rangelands. However, it urges the need for practicing agroforestry and farm forestry on farm lands near rangelands and pastures. A comprehensive National Water Policy (December 2016) was drafted. It discusses concerns for increase in water scarcity and emphasizes judicious use of the limited water resource in all sectors. It provides measures for climate change adaptation, improving watershed management through extensive soil conservation, catchment area treatment, preservation of forest, increasing forest cover, and also restoring and maintaining the health of the environment and ecology. It provides for protection of wetlands and Ramsar Sites for the prevention of , flora and fauna, and stopping further sea water intrusion into Sindh (upstream from coastline) for the sustenance of coastal environment, flora and fauna and mangrove growth. The policy has thus far remained a draft, however, its recommendations can be critical for some of the important forest ecosystems of Pakistan, including mangroves, juniper and northern alpines. Provincial Policies All the provinces, as well as AJK and GB, accord high priority to the subject of climate change due to its impacts on almost all sectors of life. Some of the provinces have drafted their own policies regarding climate change, while others have either developed or are developing strategies and plans for implementation of the National Climate Change policy to cope with the possible impacts of climate change. The draft climate change policies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (2016) and Punjab (2017) emphasize protection and conservation of existing forest resources and enhancing the forest carbon sinks through pursuing afforestation and reforestation programs. KP policy has proposed both adaptations as well as mitigation measures. Azad Jammu and Kashmir Climate Change Policy was approved in 2017. GB is proposing similar actions and activities in the plans and strategies prepared/being prepared as follow up of the National Climate Change Policy. The Agriculture Policy of KP offers a ten years perspective (2015-2025) and has attributed the recent natural disasters in the province to climate change and proposed measures to handle them. However, no specific recommendations for enhancing tree cover on farm lands or elsewhere have been given. Although references have been made to one particular project i.e. Billion Tree Tsunami. However, no institutional mechanisms are recommended. Measures for soil, water and biodiversity conservation and rangelands development have been proposed. The Punjab Agriculture Policy 2013 (draft) suggested addressing the issues of climate change and the environmental pollution due to burning of crop residues, particularly the rice straw, which in recent years have contributed to smog. Measures for encouraging farm forestry have also been proposed. The Punjab Environment Policy 2015 (draft) gives guidelines and proposes actions for the protection of environment and the natural resources. It also

~ 27 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

recommends measures for coping with the challenges posed due environmental degradation. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan have drafted Rangeland policies for sustainable management of rangelands and pastures in various ecological zones. Measures for mitigation of climate change impacts and protection of environment have been recommended in these policies. KP Mineral Development Policy 2014 urges for elimination and mitigation of adverse environmental degradation of mining. No mining operations will be permitted without an IEE (Initial Environmental Examination Report) or EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment Report), as the case may be, having been compiled, evaluated and approved by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Environmental Protection Agency (KP-EPA). The KP Mines and Mineral Development and Regulation Ordinance 2016 directs that a holder of a mineral title shall not cut or injure any tree on Government land or on reserved forests without the prior permission in writing of the Licensing Authority or of such officer as the Government may authorize in this regard, and such cutting is also permissible under the relevant law. Operations in reserved and protected forests shall be conducted subject to such precautions regarding prevention of fire and conservation of forest as the licensee or the lessee may from time to time, be required by the Licensing Authority. The Draft Punjab Mineral Policy, 2017 envisions to have a modern, innovative, dynamic and private sector driven mineral sector that is environmentally responsible, socially sustainable and safe. Under the policy, it requires that the Punjab Forest, Wildlife and Fisheries Department shall provide No Objection Certificate (NOC) for carrying out the mineral activity in the areas marked under Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries land. Similar policies requiring NOC from forest department also exist in other provinces and AJK, GB, etc. The Punjab Tourism Policy 2009 is based on the principles of building environmental and cultural awareness and respect and provides positive experience for both visitors and hosts. It proposes the promotion of that would involve a selective approach, scientific planning, effective control and continuous monitoring. However, due to various departmental reasons, the policy and its different aspects have not yet fully materialized for the tourism sector as a whole. The KP Tourism Policy 2015 values the principle of sustainable development, which dictates that the level of development does not exceed the carrying capacity of an area. Tourism development needs to be properly guided and regulated to avoid any adverse impact on the natural environment. A conscious balance needs to be maintained between development and conservation. For this reason, it envisions adding additional tourist spots to reduce tourism burden on existing hot spots. The AJK and GB tourism departments also believe in sustainable tourism development that assures conservation of the environment and natural resources in their respective area. Keeping in view the available potential, ecotourism is considered to be the most appropriate option for adoption in these areas.

~ 28 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Figure 4 Current Legal Structure

~ 29 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

3.4 Institutional Arrangements As stated above, the executive power between the Federal Government and the Provincial Governments is delineated by the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973. Since forests are a provincial subject the provincial governments have exclusive executive authority in this respect. Under the AJK Interim Constitution and the G-B Order, the executive authority in respect of the subject of forests resides with the AJK Government and the Gilgit-Baltistan Council respectively. In the case of FATA the executive authority remains with the Federal Government under Article 247 of the Constitution of Pakistan. Under the current system, there are several constitutional and statutory bodies in existence that can play a role in the implementation of the REDD+ strategy in Pakistan. The Council of Common Interests under Article 153 consisting of, inter alia, the Prime Minister and the Chief Ministers of the provinces, is one such constitutional institution. The Council is empowered under Article 154 to formulate and regulate policies in relation to matters enumerated in Part II of the Federal Legislative List as well as the power and supervision and control over related institutions. Since Part II of the Federal Legislative List includes national planning as well as inter-provincial matters and coordination, this body is well suited to playing a supervisory role in the national planning and coordination of the implementation phase of the REDD+ strategy. Furthermore, the National Finance Commission established under Article 160 of the Constitution which comprises of, at the very least, Ministers of Finance of the Federal Government and the Provincial Governments, may act as the supreme supervisory authority in relation to the implementation of the benefit sharing mechanism devised for the purposes of implementation of REDD+ in Pakistan. This function can be an extension of the defined role of the National Finance Commission of making recommendations to the President with regard to, among other things, any matter relating to finance referred to the Commission by the President. The Climate Change Council to be formed under the Pakistan Climate Change Act, 2017, which would count amongst its members the Prime Minister (or his nominee), Federal Ministers for various divisions including climate change, finance, agriculture, water and power etcetera, the Chief Ministers of the provinces and the Ministers-in-charge of the departments concerned with environment within a province, among others, could most certainly play a key role in the implementation of REDD+ in Pakistan. This is especially so since the specific functions of the Council include implementation of international agreements relating to climate change including the UNFCCC and coordinating, supervising and mainstreaming climate change concerns into decision making by the Federal and Provincial Governments.

The Climate Change Act also envisages the creation of the Climate Change Authority which would comprise of scientists, academicians, professionals, serving or retired government servants, industrialists, and other technocrats with at least fifteen years of experience in fields related to climate change. This Authority would work under the aegis of the Pakistan Climate Change

~ 30 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Council and among other functions will provide a framework for mitigating and adapting to the effects of changing climate. This includes formulating comprehensive adaptation and mitigation policies, plans and programmes designed to address the effects of climate change within the framework of the national climate change policy. These two bodies could prove to be key in the implementation of the REDD+ in Pakistan given their specific mandates. Within the Federal Government, the MoCC which is responsible for the national policy, plans, strategies and programmes with regard to disaster management including environmental protection, preservation, pollution, ecology, forestry, wildlife, biodiversity, climate change and desertification as well as the coordination, monitoring and implementation of international environmental agreements obviously has a coordinating role to play that it also currently fulfils. While direct executive authority in relation to forests and related matters vests in the Forest Department of each of the provinces and the territories and this department8 would be at the vanguard of any push towards implementing REDD+ in Pakistan. Unfortunately, a dearth of inter-departmental coordination is on display when it comes to issues that affect the forests within a province with the result that decisions within other departments such as mining, livestock and agriculture etcetera can have deleterious effects for forests as these decisions may not have been taken with the necessary input of the forest department. This could include, e.g. the grant of mining concessions and a push towards expansion of agricultural land without accounting for the externalities faced by forests as a result. Better interdepartmental coordination could be ensured through a supervisory role to be played by an interdepartmental coordination body such as the Climate Change Council. Currently REDD+ issues are coordinated in the MoCC under the Office of the Inspector General of Forests, who is also the national focal point for the UNFCCC on REDD+. The IGF office has in place a team organized in the National REDD+ Office, leading the Preparation for REDD+ Readiness project, financed by the FCPF. However, this is not a permanent structure. As part of the Project, additional arrangements had been created, as a National Steering Committee, technical Working Groups, and equivalent structures at the provincial level.

8 The formal Forest Service in the subcontinent including Pakistan was created in the British era in 1864 where as the forestry school was established in 1878 in Dehra Dun. Soon after the first Inspector General of Forests was appointed who laid the foundation of scientific forest management in this part of the world. Preparation of forest working plans was started to manage the forests on sustainable basis. The forest service in Pakistan began soon after its creation in 1947. Initially it was called West Pakistan Forest Service that terminated with the creation of four provinces namely Balochistan, North West Frontier Province (NWFP) now Khyber Pakhtukhwa, Punjab and Sindh in July 1970. (Iqbal, et al, 2014)

~ 31 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Figure 5 Current National Institutional Architecture

3.5 Assessment of Institutional Arrangements, Policies and Governance Pakistan has updated forest and climate change policies at national level. However, the provinces are yet to come up with approved forest policies. Only two provinces have approved forest policies and one territory has an approved climate change policy. The land use policies have not been developed so far by the provinces and at national level. Forest laws are not always consistent and clear, in almost all the provinces are out-dated and don’t take into account climate change issues. Conservation of forests and ecosystem services have been assigned lesser priority over economic gains from forests over the time.

National, sector and forest development plans do not address drivers of deforestation. Forest management plans which somewhat address the drivers of deforestation, are not available for many forest divisions in the country. The situation is relatively better in KP. However, the plans are neither regularly updated, nor the prescription of the plan are applied in true letter and spirit. Private sector involvement has been minimum and mainly confined to planting trees on private lands. Only in Punjab province private sector has been involved in forestry under public private partnership, that too very recently. It is perceived that existing laws are not difficult to comply with, however there is no full compliance. Additionally, the forest laws and policies are apparently

~ 32 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

gender neutral but in practice women seldom participate in forest related decisions. Tenure regarding carbon and genetic resources is unclear in the existing laws. The traditional and indigenous rights of grazing, firewood collection, NTFPs collection are recognized by the law and are practiced differently in different legal types of forests and at different locations, however the law does not fully harmonize formal and informal rights to forest resources everywhere. The laws tend to unilaterally empower government officers and there is little in the way of absolute protection for indigenous and traditional rights under the currently existing legislative framework. The mechanisms of tenure related dispute resolution are ineffective, sluggish and expensive. The law expressly allows the government to share or transfer management authority of public forest to local communities. The national development policies are not always entirely supportive to the sustainability in the forest sector. The sectors which directly depend on forest or which affect forests are not providing for tree related activities. Only NHA and WAPDA have been provided for forest related activities but much less than desired level. The official mechanisms for cross sectoral coordination are almost non-existent. In case of donor supported development projects the coordination mechanism exists in the form of project steering committee or other similar body. The government development policies overlooking forests and lack of cross-sectoral coordination are adding to drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. Mandates of national agencies are not always in conformity with each other. Mandates of national and subnational government are also contested. The budgets are not always based on national/provincial goals for sustainable management of forests and are somewhat biased toward high-revenue- producing resources or toward donor-funded projects, or other narrow issues, perhaps to the detriment of sustainable management of all resources. Most of the provincial forest agencies have a serious lack of appropriate information technology and trained staff to use it. Lack of financial resources is another major constraint impeding the implementation of laws. It is considered that the collection, sharing, and redistribution systems of taxes, royalties, charges and rents are largely ineffective. The government is implementing less than half of the laws. As far as the budget spending is concerned, spending mostly follows the published budget, but there are sometimes shortfalls, or changes in allocations among programs.

~ 33 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

4. STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK The complexity of REDD+ cannot be addressed with a narrow or project based approach, but with broad understanding of all the conditions and particularities that are involved in land use and forests ecosystems. This section provides the framework from which the Strategy will work. The National REDD+ Strategy is based and aligned in the current state of the legal, institutional and policy framework (detailed in the previous chapter), which provides the foundation for all the activities to be performed. There are also Guiding Principles that give direction to the Strategy. Between these boundaries, the Vision and the Strategic Objectives were developed for the current process, being consolidated with specific activities to perform in the field to address the direct causes of deforestation and forest degradation, known as Strategy Options (described in the next chapter). The Strategy Options require a wide set of actions to address the underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation as enabling conditions, these are integrated in the Implementation Framework. As a culmination of the strategic framework a Roadmap for Implementation presents the next steps in order to implement the Strategy.

Figure 6 Strategic Framework for REDD+ in Pakistan

Guiding Principles

Implementation Framework Roadmap for implementation

Legal, Institutional Vision

and Policy Strategy Options Strategy

Foundation Objectives Strategic

4.1 Guiding Principles The National REDD+ Strategy, and its development, is based on a set of guiding principles that align with the vision. The guiding principles developed were based on stakeholder consultations with numerous government forest officials, several NGOs working specifically on REDD+ and several donors that have been supporting Pakistan’s REDD+ efforts. These guiding principles are common to all provinces and ensure coherence between the objectives and vision of the national REDD+ Strategy and its provincial actions.

~ 34 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Guiding Principles • Safeguard forest dependent livelihoods • Recognize ecosystem services • Ensure equitable distribution of benefits • Improve forest and land governance • Guarantee transparency and accountability • Abide national and international obligations, and local culture & values. • Ensure inclusiveness and gender sensitivity • Foster partnerships and coordination • Harmonize methodologies & practices among all federating units.

4.2 Vision and Objectives The ultimate goal of a National REDD+ Strategy is the effective reduction of greenhouse gases emissions coming from deforestation and forest degradation, the conservation and enhancement of carbon stocks, and the promotion of sustainable forest management. To achieve such goal, and the related multiple benefits associated, including adaptation to climate change, the efforts should be circumscribed in a broad policy framework, which at the same time is integral and has a long-term scope. In this sense, the national vision for REDD+ is oriented to incorporate these characteristics. Vision 2025 (Ministry of Planning Development & Reform 2014) is a document that provides the vision for Pakistan for the coming decades. Pakistan’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) is also based on the Vision 2025. Vision 2025 sets out important elements that prioritize people, inclusive growth, governance, water, energy and food, as well as recognises the high priorities of developing knowledge economy, regional connectivity and having the private sector participate in the economy. In this sense, there is a strong alignment between Pakistan’s Vision 2025 with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Ministry of Planning Development & Reform 2014). Pakistan’s forests can play an important part in the country’s ability to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Additionally, it is the social values that forests have historically provided its people that create the need to craft a vision that acknowledges the potential of both forests and people. Pakistan has been working on REDD+ readiness for several years, different stakeholders have been discussing views and expectations for the implementation, process and results arising from REDD+. Pakistan’s vision for forests and people is a culmination of extensive consultations that seek to align the national REDD+ vision with the vision of Pakistan. As a result, the national REDD+ vision is based on Vision 2025 and the SDGs, in which

~ 35 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

relevant stakeholders should play a key role in the target and goal setting of the national REDD+ Strategy.

National Vision for REDD+: Forests in Pakistan provide ecosystem services and livelihood support on sustainable basis.

This Vision considers forests ecosystems as public good, source of multiple benefits and development. With this Vision Pakistan contributes to the global objective of mitigate climate change, and also ensures resilience for the ecosystems and the population. In order to achieve this vision, several aspects and sectors need to be addressed. For this reason, the strategic objectives designed to accomplish the vision cover various topics. These Strategic Objectives reflect the concerns, expectations and needs from different stakeholders as well as the current policy and legal framework, including the decision directing implementation towards the incorporation of the five activities from REDD+, achieving in parallel multiple benefits, including adaptation to climate change.

Strategic Objectives • Contribute significantly to reduce country emissions through avoided deforestation and forest degradation & to enhance forest carbon stocks in order to mitigate climate change • Provide sustainable environmental services from forest ecosystems. • Make available alternatives for sustainable livelihoods to people dependent on forest. • Provide the required institutional, legal, and economic conditions to ensure the sustainable management of forest resources and ecosystems. • Create the necessary governance for the implementation of cross-sectoral policies. • Ensure awareness of stakeholders about the role of forest in sustainable development, climate change and REDD+.

~ 36 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

With this Vision and Objectives, Pakistan embraces its commitment with the global community to take action to implement the five activities of REDD+: (a) Reducing emissions from deforestation; (b) Reducing emissions from forest degradation; (c) Conservation of forest carbon stocks; (d) Sustainable management of forests; (e) Enhancement of forest carbon stocks; To do so, the country will need to make efforts directed to ensure coordination, not only across sectors (horizontally) but also between the federal government, provinces, districts and communities (vertical). Only with strong coordination, based on the correct institutional arrangements and legal framework, the country will be able to integrate efforts from communities to the whole country in a nested approach and with full support and promotion of environmental and social safeguards.

~ 37 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

5. STRATEGY OPTIONS The development of a National REDD+ Strategy entails the analysis of the different drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, including indirect or underlying causes, in order to remove them to ultimately reduce or even stop the loss and degradation of forests, and to conserve and enhance forest carbon stocks. Due to the diversity and complexity of drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in the country, there is no one size fits all solution, so a combination of alternatives should be designed in order to effectively and sustainably achieve REDD+ objectives, including multiple benefits and ensuring long term resilience and adaptation to climate change. Additionally, Pakistan already has successful experiences and projects, at various scales and funding sources; in the topics proposed as strategy options. The National REDD+ Strategy needs to be built on that basis in order to support, expand, scale-up or adjust current initiatives and projects. Some of these initiatives include (but are not limited to): Sustainable Forest Management to Secure Multiple Benefits in High Conservation Value Forests by GEF, Green Pakistan Project at the national level, and the Billion Tree Tsunami Afforestation Project in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Most of the anthropogenic drivers of deforestation and forest degradation occur because the economic, legal and social conditions favour activities that result into deforestation. In other words, currently it is easier to behave unsustainably than in a sustainable manner. Strategy options are intended to modify productive practices to improve sustainability and are designed with the logic of creating appropriate incentives, encouraging the owner or user and other stakeholders to behave sustainably. This requires not only a good design of the activities per se, but also a complex set of supporting conditions to make them occur and sustain over time, known as implementation framework and presented in the next chapter. These actions might include, but are not limited to, changes in legal framework, improved governance, land use planning at national, provincial, district and local level, awareness raising and capacity building, which also have to be province-specific and related to forest categories and land tenure. Acknowledging the different conditions across provinces and territories, not all strategy options are suitable for all of them, or at least not at the same level or having same supporting actions to perform them. The same strategy options might need to be implemented through different mechanisms in different provinces according to their circumstances. It could also be the case that some provinces or territories come out with additional actions or strategy options that could support REDD+ objectives. It is important to highlight that any action undertaken for REDD+ must also take into account and respect traditional practices and cultures. In order to address the direct drivers of deforestation and forest degradation and the barriers to increase forest carbon stocks, there are three broad alternatives available to the country to achieve REDD+ objectives:

~ 38 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

1. Enhancement of forests’ capacity to capture and maintain carbon. Keeping the carbon stored in the forest is the most important environmental service related to REDD+. This alternative would provide mechanisms to ensure current (and new) forests maintain and increase their health and functioning in order to keep the carbon stock from being released into the atmosphere. 2. Reduction of pressure to forest ecosystems. The drivers related to the unsustainable use of forest products and services are among the most important, causing forest deterioration and over time, forest loss. This alternative would reduce the pressure and risk of deforestation and forest degradation through the promotion of sustainable activities related to the forest use. 3. Promotion of improved and integrated livelihood approaches. Some of the most important drivers of deforestation are related to land use change due to economic and livelihood activities around forest areas. Some of these activities in practice impose risks and pressure to ecosystems. This option would promote sustainable activities around forest areas.

Each of these proposed alternatives could be implemented through specific set of actions known as Strategy Options. Even though the Strategy Options are classified to fit only one Strategic Alternative, depending on how they are implemented, could have impacts in other alternatives as well. In similar fashion each Strategy Option has at least one REDD+ activity, which can also have impacts on others. For example, a restoration project that is aimed to enhance forest capacity to capture carbon, could also help reduce pressure on adjacent forest, and could produce medium to long term conditions to serve as source of alternative revenue through ecotourism. Planning for the implementation of the Strategy Options must consider, not only the direct drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, but also, equally important, the current economic activities performed in the territory, cultural practices and other social aspects, as gender equity or land tenure. This way Strategy Options should enhance people’s ability to ensure a sustained livelihood without compromising their income-generating capacity. In other words, REDD+ implementation respects and fully addresses environmental and social safeguards. In this regard, it is assumed there are risk and benefits associated with the implementation of each Strategy Option. The SESA (Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment) process identifies potential risks and benefits related to the implementation, as well as sources of complaints and grievances for each Strategy Option. The Environmental and Social Management Framework establishes mechanisms to manage and address the risks and enhance the benefits from REDD+ implementation. The following table shows the strategy options for the country. These options have to be refined, when implemented in the provinces and territories to effectively incorporate local conditions and needs, including specific drivers of

~ 39 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

deforestation and forest degradation, and institutional, legal, economic (among others) circumstances.

Table 7 Strategy Options

Strategy Option

Alternative

Strategic Reducing emissions deforestation from Reducing emissions forest from degradation Sustainable managementforests of Conservationforest of carbonstocks forest of Enhancement carbonstocks

1. Restoration, carbon reforestation and

afforestation

to and capture

forestscapacity

maintain Enhancement of Enhancement of

2. Sustainable Forest

Management 3. Payment for Ecosystem

Services forest

4. Efficient alternative

pressure to ecosystems Reduction of energy sources 5. Silvopastoral practices

and sustainable grazing

6. Agroforestry livelihood

integrated 7. Sustainable tourism and approaches

Promotionof improvedand eco-tourism

Land uses and economic and social activities are complex and interrelated; strategy options should also be implemented complementarily according to local conditions and aspirations with a landscape approach. Considering all land uses and activities in a territory, as an integrated landscape instead of individual activities, and taking into account the social and economic conditions. Activities from the three strategic alternatives could be performed at the same time in the same landscape; for example a place where forests are degraded

~ 40 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

by extraction of fuel wood and the remaining land is used for subsistence agriculture, it is possible to restore the forest with the purpose of harvesting firewood sustainably and at the same time, apply agroforestry practices to generate additional wood resources and thus reducing pressure on the forest. Considering the territory as a whole landscape during planning, not only enhances the results for the actions undertaken, but also might provide a new perspective to diversify income sources. Implementing the Strategy Options not only requires design of the specific intervention but also enabling conditions as described in the Strategic Framework. As a result, the strategy will certainly provide benefits beyond carbon stocking, such as increased biodiversity, enhanced capacity to address impacts of climate change and improved livelihood opportunities among many others. A special emphasis in the implementation framework is the governance at different levels. Good governance is an enabling condition for REDD+ and is considered in the Implementation Framework. This is reflected in the discussions as governance has been treated separately as well as engrained in all other strategic options. Governance issues (deficiencies in legislation and rules and sometimes their inadequate enforcement, capacity of the courts to process legal cases, forest administration capacity, land tenure issues, institutional mandates and capacity, etc.) have a considerable contribution to the conditions responsible for the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. Thus, correctly addressing governance issues, as underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation, is fundamental for the REDD+ Strategy. The seven strategy options are described in more detail in the following section.

~ 41 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

5.1 Strategy Options

5.1.1 Restoration, Reforestation and Afforestation

Description Forest’s capacity to capture and store carbon depends on its health and extension. More forested areas and healthier forests will contribute to REDD+ objectives of enhancing forest carbon stocks. Restoration of degraded forest areas, recovery of recently lost forest cover, and creating new forested areas are the activities that could be used to improve the country’s forest’s capacity to capture and store carbon. This can be applied on any type of forest, from high altitude forests to mangroves, in lands with different current uses and levels of degradation and could be a transformative tool for harnessing of wasteland in several areas in the country. Additionally, new or restored forest represents source of goods and services, including fuel wood, biodiversity, among many others. The process of restoring, reforesting or afforesting, could also serve to promote local governance if developed with the concept of social forestry. Restoration of forest should be undertaken in a manner that it returns the resource to its healthy or undisturbed condition. This could be achieved through incentivizing and assisting natural regeneration or enrichment planting. The of trees on land, that were cleared in relatively recent past, with the aim of recovering lost forests’ functions and dynamics is known as reforestation. This could be used to increase forest areas. Similarly, afforestation has a similar purpose but applied in areas where forests were not covering the land in a long period of time.

A well-designed project or program for restoration, reforestation and/or afforestation should take into account, not only the ecological conditions of the areas to be restored or recovered, but also the social and economic conditions of the people who live, use or own the land. Though restoration and reforestation could be perceived as a single activity process; the success in

~ 42 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

terms of reproducing healthy forests largely depends on removing the causes that lead to degradation or forest loss, and ensuring protection of the areas where activities are undertaken (condition that is also needed in case of afforestation). Activities to restore or establish a new forest generally requires low investment however; the opportunity cost might be considerably high if the land is being used for other productive purposes.

Feasibility Analysis Fuel wood consumption by the local communities is one of the main drivers of deforestation in all provinces particularly the upland mountain and cold areas of KP, AJK, GB and Balochistan, where this is the cheapest and most easily available mean for cooking and heating. Inclusion of local fast-growing species, in addition to a broader species pool, in the restoration, afforestation and reforestation projects/activities, can cater to the needs of the local population while being able to conserve and restore the natural forests. Coordination with other relevant projects such as Green Pakistan Project at national level and Billion Tree Tsunami Project (BTTP) in KP will further supplement the efforts of REDD+ Strategy.

Stakeholders

National Level Provincial Level Local Level

Ministry of Climate Provincial Forest Forest Department Change Departments Local communities (owners Planning Commission Timber Merchants or users) Ministry of Finance Planning and Timber merchants Ministry of Planning & Development Land owners Development Department Livestock owners and UN agencies Academia and graziers Research institutions NTFP collecting communities

Key Challenges - Ensuring protection and recovery of forest’s dynamics in the long term. - Ensuring financing for the long term. - Ensuring that opportunities for forest users are not reduced or compromised in terms of income and subsistence sources.

~ 43 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

5.1.2 Sustainable Forest Management (SFM)

Description Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) of forests is a proven mechanism through which it is possible to obtain specific products and services (including non-timber products) from the forests, while ensuring their ecological integrity and sustainability. Currently unscientifically use of forest for timber, fuel wood and other products, is eroding the ecosystems and even eradicating them. SFM entails a planning phase to develop a management plan, which states the amount of timber (or other products) that can be harvested without damaging the ecosystem; a treatment period in which silvicultural treatments are applied to the stands to maximize productivity; a harvesting phase with practices that minimize the impact on the environment; and finally a phase of inducing or providing the means to ensure restoration of the eco system. Although there are experiences and mechanisms in place to promote SFM (for example the GEF funded project Sustainable Forest Management to Secure Multiple Benefits in High Conservation Value Forests), there is a need to expand them to ensure most forests in the country are sustainably managed for production or conservation purposes. In some areas, the management would be oriented for timber extraction, whereas in others to non-timber forest products or even to provide ecosystem services of local, national or international interest.

High levels of technical expertise are needed to ensure correct SFM, therefore, capacity building is a key component for this strategy option, not only for designing management plans, but also to implement the plans effectively, which might include road building, harvesting, planting, and silvicultural practices among others.

~ 44 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Feasibility Analysis SFM should be a well-accepted approach to the local communities as it promises availability forest products and services to the local communities. However, a comprehensive capacity building programs on SFM needs to be carried out with all stakeholders including local resident communities (men and women), nomads and seasonal migrants to ensure maximum benefits from the approach and implement it an effective manner. The capacity building program will need to focus on both awareness raising on the importance of SFM and its long-term benefits as well as on technical aspects. Nevertheless, the success of SFM will also depend on the availability of alternative energy sources to meet immediate local needs for energy sources. As mentioned in earlier section, the proposed strategic options will multiply benefits and impact of results if implemented in complementarity to each other.

Stakeholders

National Level Provincial Level Local Level

Ministry of Climate Provincial Forest Local communities (owners Change Department or users) Research institutions Livestock Department Livestock herders and and universities Agriculture graziers Department Other users of forest e.g. Other relevant NTFP collectors departments Nomads

Key Challenges - Capacities to perform SFM. - Awareness rising to promote the use of forest products coming from sustainable sources. - Ensure correct incentives are in place to promote SFM. - Ensure mechanisms and conditions to articulate value chains and added value to production. - Institutional arrangement of communication and coordination with other departments, where needed - Create conditions to ensure traceability of legal timber and other forest products.

~ 45 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

5.1.3 Payment for Ecosystem Services

Description A Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) Scheme is aimed to compensate forest owners or users to ensure certain level of health in specific ecosystems in order to maintain or improve environmental services that the forest provide. The basic idea of a PES scheme is that forest owners or direct users can ensure the provision of an environmental service for the enjoyment and use of those who can compensate for it. A PES scheme would create a positive incentive to keep or improve forested areas (quality or extension) and to avoid other activities that destroy or degrade the forest. A PES scheme should also promote alternative sustainable activities to provide additional income to forest owners or users. To implement a PES scheme, there is a need to clearly define the environmental service to consider, the persons, groups or institutions that can ensure the provision of the service, and the beneficiaries of the service, and establish a relationship between them in order to set a level (price) and type of compensation (cash, non-cash). The design of a PES scheme requires considering forest characteristics, ecosystem services, land tenure, economic conditions of providers and users, among other conditions. Establishing PES requires considerable levels of coordination and governance among the involved stakeholders, so it is required to fully plan and pilot the scheme before making a national or province-wide program. It is also crucial to have a sustained and reliable financial mechanism to ensure the scheme functioning in the long term. In the case of REDD+, as the beneficiaries of the ecosystems services are the population as a whole, the provincial or federal government might consider funding the scheme in the long term.

~ 46 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Even though REDD+ results are going to be measured in terms of carbon stocks for the whole country, a PES scheme might not be based on carbon stocks but on other services that can be easily observed and measured by the users and providers, assuming conservation of forest ecosystems will effectively contribute to REDD+ objectives. The benefits from PES schemes are observable not only for the environmental service that is involved in the transaction but also for the benefits beyond conservation, for example, as additional income for the household, improved governance, among others.

Feasibility Analysis The strategic option can be effective if PES is managed in such a manner that economic returns reach the forest dependent communities directly (including users, owners, nomads and seasonal migrants). However, overall socio- economic feasibility of PES will largely depend on alternative energy options available to local communities at local level in easy to access manner. Therefore, as mentioned in the early part of the section, the impact of strategic options can be multiplied by many folds if they are effectively linked with each other.

Stakeholders

National Level Provincial Level Local Level

Ministry of Climate Provincial Forest departments local communities Change Other relevant provincial (owners or users) Ministry of Finance departments particularly revenue Right holders Ministry of Planning department and Development Finance department Planning departments Communities living downstream

Key Challenges - Development of equitable and inclusive benefit sharing mechanisms. - Valuation of environmental services - Establishing system of financial transactions between different institutions - Ensure equitable participation of users. - Ensure financing for the long term. - Inter-institutional coordination to avoid policy and implementation contradictions and guaranteeing synergies. - Governance strengthening at local, provincial and federal level.

~ 47 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

5.1.4 Efficient Alternative Energy Sources

Description Unsustainable firewood extraction was identified as a major driver of deforestation and/or forest degradation. This strategy option is aimed to reduce the pressure on forest ecosystems by providing an alternative energy source or reducing the amount of fuel wood needed. The alternate energy sources are intended to develop off-grid or small grid systems by generating electricity by micro hydel, photovoltaic, biogas, solar or other available technologies. Using electricity from sustainable sources for heating, cooking and lighting would reduce the pressure on forest by eliminating or reducing extraction for fuel wood. Additionally, implementing these technologies can reduce the pressure on forest ecosystems by reducing the amount of wood needed to produce the same amount of energy. These technologies might bring also other benefits, such as reduced fuel wood collection time, reduced indoors pollution, and thus less respiratory illness and health care expenses, or improved governance at local level in the case of small grid systems. These will have particular positive impacts on women and girls in terms of reduced workload and health conditions. The introduction of alternative energy sources, as well as cook stoves and kilns have to be designed jointly with final users, because not one single model can provide a feasible solution for energy needs in all areas. It is important to highlight that efficient stoves are considered as a high priority mitigation alternative in the NDC. Other important alternative for energy could be the introduction of solar technologies, wind turbines where possible, and hydel. There is huge potential of hydel technologies due to the rich gradient and large number of rivers and streams in Pakistani northern regions, where most of forests exist. This also becomes important in view of the decreasing prices of such technologies. Another alternative is to provide technical support to local construction industry to improve construction designs and use of technologies e.g. insulation requiring less energy for heating in winter. Planning for the promotion and implementation of small and off-grid electricity generation systems requires coordination and certain level of financial resources. Local communities' engagements for awareness raising and capacity building for planning, implementation and maintenance of these projects should be an important element in the process.

~ 48 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Pakistan already has good experiences to learn from, for example the project on Promotion of Energy Efficient Cooking, Heating and Housing Technologies (PEECH) financed by GEF and finished in 2013, Promoting Sustainable Energy Production and Use from Biomass in Pakistan finished in 2016, Productive Uses of Renewable Energy in Chitral District, Pakistan (PURE- Chitral) finished in 2012, among others. The lessons from these can be capitalized towards implementation of this Strategic Option.

Feasibility Analysis Fuel wood from forest resources is the major energy source in all rural areas and in some urban and peri-urban areas of the country. Alternative energy sources at the local level, which are planned and implemented jointly with local communities including women (who might be responsible for managing them at the household level), should reduce pressure on forest resources. Coordination with other similar projects as mentioned above and private sector (which is currently budding industry in the country) including public private partnerships can make the strategic option socially and economically feasible and give promising results.

Stakeholders National Level Provincial Level Local Level Ministry of Climate Change Provincial Forest Local Ministry of Energy Departments communities Alternate Energy Development Industrial sector involved in (owners or Board, Pakistan Council for alternate energy appliances, users), Renewable Energy Technologies Small and Medium Enterprise Technical Ministry of Federal Education and Development Authority professionals Professional Training Provincial Energy and workers Ministry of Law and Justice Development organizations Market Ministry of Planning and (e.g. PEDO etc.) players Development Chambers of Commerce and Ministry of Water Resources industry

~ 49 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Key Challenges - Awareness raising and capacity building to switch and adopt new technologies. - Develop tailor made packages to meet the local needs and implement alternative energy packages/technologies. - Market development, by creating local demand and ensure availability of suppliers, in new technologies to ensure timely provision and accessibility. - Access to people in remote scattered areas around forests. - Costs of changing to alternatives. - Availability of technologies in remote forested areas. - Professional expertise of alternative technologies in forested areas.

~ 50 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

5.1.5 Silvo-Pastoral Sustainable Practices

Description The current practice of free grazing has several impacts on the environment, including deforestation and degradation of forests and lands. There could be also negative effects on soil fertility, erosion, and pollution. Uncontrolled livestock grazing often results in low productivity, partially due to lack of management practices that ensure ecosystem integrity.

Livestock grazing when managed sustainably can provide economic and environmental benefits. This strategy option is intended to promote:

• Silvo-pastoral systems combining trees (or other woody species) and animal production, allowing for enhanced ecosystem productivity and stability through integrated management of soil and water resources and animal diversification.

• Intensive animal husbandry (ranching), combined with sustainable pasture and rangeland management.

• Use of environmentally friendly technologies to intensify production on high-potential land already converted to pasture.

These alternatives could also be used in combination with management practices and investments aimed to improve livestock quality. The success of silvo-pastoral practices depends on model that incorporates social, economic, and environmental conditions in order to be effective and provide an advantage to the farmers/ranchers over their current practices. Technology packages have to be developed to fit regional conditions.

~ 51 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Feasibility Analysis There is high dependency on forests for grazing by a large number of forest users including local communities, seasonal migrants and nomadic groups across the country. In order to make silvo-pastoral practices successful and effective, large scale awareness raising and capacity building of all these stakeholders will have to be carried out on regular basis. Local arrangements might be needed to meet additional grazing demands in high seasons such as stall feeding and provision of high mineral supplements. In many cases, success stories exist for managing grazing land to foster improved conditions of pastures, which can be used to upscale for improve silvo-pastoral activities.

Stakeholders

National Level Provincial Level Local Level

Ministry of Climate Provincial Forest local communities (owners Change departments or users) Ministry of National Livestock Livestock herders and Food Security & department nomads Research Agriculture Women as a key custodian department of livestock

Key Challenges - Development of technology packages to fit local regional conditions, and development of demonstrative areas and pilots to show results. - Capacity building of livestock owners and forest owners to switch to sustainable practices. - Coordination between Ministry of Climate Change, Ministry of National Food Security & Research, and similar provincial departments to develop mechanisms to create positive incentives for the activities. - Ensure suppliers in local livestock markets to meet additional demand for feed in high seasons when nomads/seasonal migrants visit the area.

~ 52 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

5.1.6 Agroforestry

Description Productive practices that combine trees (or other woody perennials) with agricultural crops in the same land is known as agroforestry. It is a proven system to increase benefits from the land, as they can provide equal or higher yields than traditional practices with the added environmental and economic benefits from the forests. These include carbon capture and storage in the areas where it is implemented and reduce pressure on other forested areas. Agroforestry systems can be an important alternative for smallholder farmers as they can improve agricultural yields and provide additional income from other forest products. Agroforestry particularly proves beneficial in agricultural lands adjoining forest lands, by producing benefits to compensate for those from the forests, reducing pressures on forest ecosystem.

There are several proven models of agroforestry systems that can be customized for the regional conditions in the country, including alley cropping, multilayer tree gardens, multipurpose trees on crop lands, shelterbelts and windbreaks, live hedges, fuel wood production, among others.

Because agroforestry systems incorporate multiple dimensions (environmental, agricultural, silvicultural, economic, cultural) it is important to design them according to the local circumstances and include specialists from different disciplines. This might be the biggest challenge to implement agroforestry systems.

There are some successful experiences in the country with agroforestry systems and it is already considered a high priority mitigation option for the agriculture sector in the NDC.

~ 53 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Feasibility Analysis Forest resources remain to be important source for fodder and fuel for local communities and farmers. Promotion of integrated farming practices and agroforestry besides economic gains, brings many other benefits to the local farmers including easy access to fodder and fuel wood. This will not only reduce pressure on existing forests but also reduce workload for women and girls who cover long distances to collect fuel and fodder.

Stakeholders

National Level Provincial Level Local Level

Ministry of Climate Provincial Forest departments local communities Change Provincial agriculture (owners or users) Ministry of National department Land owners and Food Security & Irrigation department tenants Research Academia and research Migrant institutions communities e.g. Private sector nomads

Key Challenges - Development of technology packages to fit regional conditions, and development of demonstration farms to show results. - Capacity building of extension workers and farmers to switch to sustainable practices. - Governance and coordination at local, provincial and federal level between forest department and agriculture department.

~ 54 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

5.1.7 Sustainable Tourism and Eco-tourism Description Large areas in the country in most of the provinces present a very good conservation state, even with the presence of activities such as free grazing or fuel wood collection. Some of these areas are covered with attractive landscapes and ecosystems and even very fascinating species. These conditions are the basis to attract domestic and international visitors. Promotion of eco-tourism could be performed in these areas with other economic and productive activities and could be an additional source of income. There are different types of activities that can attract tourists to natural landscapes, including hiking and mountaineering, natural hotspots visiting, trophy hunting, photographic safaris, cultural tourism to rural areas, among others. All these types of sustainable tourism and eco-tourism entail different actions to attract interest of visitors. However, there are several commonalities in the preparation process for an ecotourism project. In order to develop a successful ecotourism project there are several steps to undertake, including, but not limited to: a) Clearly identify attractive features to advertise (specific hotspot, species, landscapes, ecosystems, cultural attraction), b) Identify potential tourist (location, social and economic characteristics, time and budget available, interests), c) Services to provide and logistics arrangements (transportation, equipment, accommodation, meals), d) Capacity building for service providers and guides, and e) Marketing and outreach strategy. Ecotourism could be an attractive alternative for local communities in several areas of the country. However, their consented involvement in any project should be guaranteed. The potential for eco-tourism can be enhanced by the respective region by identifying type of tourism or other characteristics to reduce cost by advertising and some operational costs.

~ 55 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

The country already has experience at the project and policy level to support the development of eco-tourism like the Mountain Areas Conservancy Project (MACP), completed in 2006, National and Provincial Tourism Policies or the National Conservation Strategy.

Feasibility Analysis Eco-tourism has great potential to enhance income opportunities of local communities through diversification of livelihood opportunities. This should be a welcome initiative in areas where tourism is not yet in practice while other areas need further attention to promote it in a systematic manner. Nevertheless, there might be resistance from local communities from social and cultural point of view where national or international tourists might be considered as intrusion in the privacy of local communities. The eco-tourism strategies with focus on conservation approaches, need to pay special attention to local social and cultural aspects to address the concerns of the local communities. The potential tourism volumes can be easily over- estimated, and realism must be kept in mind, with special reference to international tourism.

Stakeholders

National Level Provincial Level Local Level Ministry of Climate Change Provincial Forest Local Ministry of National Food departments, communities Security & Research, Pakistan Culture and Tourism (owners or users) Tourism Development departments Hotel industry Corporation Finance department Tourist operating Ministry of Interior (for supporting Planning department companies international tourism Guides and porters

Key Challenges - Governance strengthening and coordination at local, provincial and federal level. - Perceptions among potential (international) tourists regarding the safety situation in Pakistan in general, and in scenic and environmentally attractive rural areas in particular. - Ensuring security to both local communities and tourists. - Capacity building of service providers. - Creating an ecotourism friendly environment including basic infrastructure development at local level which requires certain amount of financial resource allocation. - Acceptance from local communities. - Cultural conflict between local communities and visiting national or international tourists. - Influencing the policies and strategies of other departments e.g. tourism departments.

~ 56 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

5.2 Synergies and Conflicts As mentioned before, Strategy Options are designed with multi-fold purposes: They contribute to climate change mitigation, enhance people and communities’ capacity to adapt to climate change, ensure their livelihoods, and contribute to the provision of diverse ecosystem services, among many others. The Strategy Options, even though can be performed in isolation, might have additional or synergic benefits or positive impacts if implemented complementarily with a landscape approach. Having a landscape approach in addition to a land use plan and correct demarcation, the Strategy Options do not present conflicts to be implemented together; on the contrary they might increase the positive benefits. Some alternatives could be:  Land restoration performed aligned with agroforestry or silvo-pastoral practices could create a more diverse landscape that promotes higher possibilities of having a healthy ecosystem in the long term and could create a buffer zone between agricultural and pastoral practices and remaining forest.  Agroforestry practices could be performed around an area with Sustainable Forest Management or area devoted to conservation under a Payment for Ecosystem Services scheme, creating a buffer zone between the forest and other land uses, providing income diversification and biodiversity protection.  Eco-tourism to be successful requires a well-preserved forest, improved with restoration activities. The area could also benefit from Payment for Ecosystem Services scheme or enhance it with incorporation of other cultural attractions that might be related to agroforestry. The next table presents potential synergies and conflicts between Strategy Options, showing the most logical relations. An empty box does not mean absence of synergy or conflict but low opportunities for the strategy options to be developed together.

~ 57 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Table 8 Potential Synergies Among Strategy Options Restoration Introduction of Silvo-pastoral Sustainable Strategy Reforestation Sustainable Forest Payment for Eco- efficient practices and Agroforestry Tourism and Option and Management System Services alternative sustainable Eco-Tourism Afforestation energy sources grazing Restoration Sustainable forest Will incentivize Introduction of Necessary to allow Increased yields and Awareness raising Reforestation management will stakeholders to efficient restoration, availability of certain from sustainable and allow for the willingly participate in alternative energy reforestation and forest products on tourism can Afforestation restoration of restoration, resources will afforestation, agricultural land itself create drive for degraded forests reforestation and reduce pressure Sustainable grazing will decrease burden restoration and afforestation in order on existing forests will reduce pressure on forest land for afforestation. to benefit from PES. aiding the process on existing forests agricultural of restoration allowing for expansion thereby restoration of forests allowing for reforestation and afforestation of forest land. Sustainable Restoration and PES will support Will reduce Will directly aid Pressures on the Revenues from Forest afforestation/ SFM through pressure on sustainable forest forest lands will be tourism can Management reforestation can generating revenues existing forest management by reduced through compliment SFM contribute towards for community resources and reducing pressure agroforestry as fuel activities. SFM as a welfare and their thereby allow on existing forest wood needs will be Engagement of component and engagement in SFM sustainable forest resources addressed. tourists in forestry contribute towards activities management by activities and also improving the mitigating a driver create demand green cover. of unsustainable pull forest use Payment for Enhancing health Sustainable forest A long term Reduced pressure Reduced pressure Sustainable Eco-System and extension of management is supplementary on ecosystem to on forests tourism itself Services forest areas will necessary to contribution contribute to gradual generates lead to greater guarantee the towards improved improvement in towards PES and availability of Eco- continued availability payments with payments in long therefore system services of valuable eco- improvement in term, improved complementary to that may be system services ecosystems carbon stock the to the larger monetized strategic option of PES.

~ 58 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Restoration Introduction of Silvo-pastoral Sustainable Strategy Reforestation Sustainable Forest Payment for Eco- efficient practices and Agroforestry Tourism and Option and Management System Services alternative sustainable Eco-Tourism Afforestation energy sources grazing Introduction Better understanding PES may assist in Silvo-pastoral Gasification of The tourism of efficient of the defraying the cost of practices can biomass and industry can be alternative and its importance, adopting efficient contribute in methanol production used to promote energy through SMF, might alternative energy providing opportunity can contribute efficient sources create awareness and sources and of bio gas and other towards alternative alternative energy willingness to use incentivize the energy sources. energy sources. sources. alternative efficient adoption of energy sources to alternative energy reduce pressure on sources to allow for forests healthier eco- systems and thereby a larger flow of revenue to forest users. Silvo-pastoral Increased fodder SFM contributes PES may incentivize Alternative fodder practices and available for towards managing the adoption of silvo- available for local sustainable grazing, increased livestock and grazing pastoral practices community. grazing grazing area on sustainable basis and sustainable available, and hence would also grazing allowing for contribute towards healthier eco- improved livestock systems and thereby productivity. a larger flow of Possible conflicts can revenue to forest arise when livestock users. grazing disturbs regeneration or is not undertaken according to SFM or when it is undertaken in the same area.

~ 59 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Restoration Introduction of Silvo-pastoral Sustainable Strategy Reforestation Sustainable Forest Payment for Eco- efficient practices and Agroforestry Tourism and Option and Management System Services alternative sustainable Eco-Tourism Afforestation energy sources grazing Agroforestry The reforestation The reforestation and PES may incentivize Overall Benefits to the and afforestation afforestation can be agroforestry if the dependence on livestock from can be supported supported through revenue from PES trees for energy agroforestry will through agroforestry practices, outweighs will be reduced. incentivize this and agroforestry which will reduce subsistence needs will be promoted in practices, which pressure from forests previously fulfilled by other areas. will reduce through reduced forests. Possible conflicts pressure from grazing and fuelwood can arise when forests through collection etc. livestock grazing reduced grazing disturbs and fuelwood regeneration or is collection etc. not undertaken according to SFM or when it is undertaken in the same area. Sustainable Enhancing health Enhancing health and Sustainable tourism Reduced pressure Tourism and and extension of extension of forest will itself generates on forests for fuel Eco-Tourism forest will lead to lead to greater towards PES and wood in areas greater opportunities for therefore with high tourist opportunities for sustainable tourism complementary to flux sustainable tourism and eco-tourism the to the larger and eco-tourism strategic option of PES.

~ 60 ~ National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

5.3 Feasibility analysis Achieving REDD+ objectives and stabilizing GHG concentration in the atmosphere, is a global benefit that will reduce future risks and impacts at national and sub-national levels. However, the actions undertaken on the ground usually involve changing the production methods and procedures, including those at household level or in small-scale production. Creating the conditions to implementing these changes, though designed to provide economic, social and environmental benefits, poses some risks. The next table summarizes the key findings that might prevent the full implementation of the Strategy, including some actions to prevent the occurrence or to minimize the impact.

Table 9 Main Risks Related to Implementation of Strategy Options

Risks Management Mechanism Low level of interest Technical and organizational capacity building of without external concerned communities in REDD+ strategy to be able to incentives draw maximum benefits. Awareness rising and capacity building on the strategy and implementation process to ensure the positive economic and environmental impacts are well demonstrated and understood. Involving stakeholders from early stages to recognize and meet their needs and expectations. Lack of political will to Involving political leaders/parliamentarian and associated incorporate REDD+ into stakeholders from early stages in the National Steering practices in non- Committee and through bilateral coordination. environmental sectors Demonstration of benefits of a landscape approach and REDD+ implementation for other sectors. Weak governance and Create a mechanism for coordination for policy and institutional framework, strategy implementation with higher authorities including including the lack of political leadership, senior management bureaucracy. capacity to address Promote, through adequate channel the strengthening of forest land institutions and human resources to combat to corruption. encroachments, and the high amount of open cases in courts Exclusion or limitation Identify and plan to involve local communities from early for the effective stages through proper institutional arrangement. participation or Build awareness on the strategy, program planned incidence of local interventions and long-term benefits. communities. Build technical skills of local communities to enable them to participate effectively on the implementation process.

~ 61 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Risks Management Mechanism Increased social Identify local stakeholders, their roles and rights around conflict, as ethnicity, forest and land uses. cultural heritage and Design of the implementation should incorporate their traditions may be needs and views and respond to their local social, negatively affected. cultural and traditional practices. Establish a proper grievance redressal mechanism. Limitation or exclusion Create conditions to include non-right holders, so they of certain right holders are eligible to benefit despite of existing land tenure or (nomads, women, legal deficiencies. This should ensure non-right holders indigenous, among can participate in and benefit of strategy options, thus the other vulnerable implementation mechanisms need to include them. stakeholders) to access Institutional mechanism will have to be put in place to projects. access to women, nomads and seasonal migrants. In this regard, the provincial forest departments may have to establish community outreach component with women extension workers/officers in mainstream institutional mechanism. On ad hoc basis, forest departments may take benefits from services of local NGOs to access women and engage them on extension programs and decision-making process. Exacerbation of Creation of an institutional mechanism or procedure to marginalization of promote access to women to decision making processes. women, particularly in In this regard, the Provincial Forest Departments may land tenure rights, and have to establish community outreach component with decision-making. women extension workers/officers in mainstream institutional mechanism. On ad hoc basis, forest departments may take benefits from services of local NGOs to access women and engage them on extension programs and decision-making process. Displacement of National Steering Committee and its Working Groups unsustainable practices need to ensure Provincial Strategies are aligned with the (and emissions) National Strategy and coordinated with those from the other provinces and territories, to ensure there is no displacement. Promote the participatory preparation of land use plans at national and provincial level to be used as a planning instrument. Promote demarcation of forest lands to provide certainty on the limits and tenure of forest lands. Create a mechanism to ensure the design of implementation for the strategy options respect cultural and economic practices and promote the enhancing of

~ 62 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Risks Management Mechanism those activities instead its limitation. Non-permanence of the Provincial Strategies and the implementation of activities achievements need to be carefully planned and designed, to ensure the drivers and underlying causes are fully addressed. This should include mechanisms that guarantee income generation activities are maintained over the long term. Ensure coordination mechanisms across sectors to maintain actions in the long term, and ensure new activities implemented in the same areas are designed with a landscape approach for REDD+

The previous risks that might prevent the full implementation of the Strategy. Additionally, as Pakistan’s preparation process for REDD+ is supported by the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), it is required to ensure compliance with World Bank safeguards established in its operational policies. The Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment is a process to identify potential risks and benefits arising from REDD+ implementation, and then the Environmental and Social Management Framework establishes principles, rules, guidelines and procedures to address the potential impacts that might arise from the undertaken activities.

5.3.1 Legal Feasibility of Strategic Options None of the strategic options is impeded by the extent legal and policy framework as far as these are applied to Government forests such as reserved or protected forests. Certain regulatory measures may have to be taken by the Government in certain cases as provided in the relevant legislation itself to meet the ends of these strategic options, e.g. with protected forests where rights of access and use of the forest previously enjoyed by the public may have to be curtailed through a notification by the relevant Government in this respect or in the case of unclassed forests in Punjab which may have to be notified by the Government to have the provisions related to reserved or protected forests made applicable to them. In the case of private forests, the implementation of the strategic options would necessarily have to be subject to the agreement of the forest owners except if this need is circumvented through the necessary introduction of legislative provisions in the existing legal framework (always subject to the constitutional provisions regarding property rights under Articles 23 and 24 of the Constitution of Pakistan). In addition, where a proposed strategic option breaks new ground, such as proposing payment for ecological services, even though this may be feasible within the current legal and policy framework in that it is not specifically prohibited therein, the need to create transparency and acceptability around

~ 63 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

an option that will create a financial burden on the public at large would dictate that this and other such strategic options be introduced specifically through rules and regulations under the existing legal regime, where possible under the provisions of the law in this respect, or at the very least through a policy instrument. It must be taken into account that where a strategic option requires the curtailment of rights that stakeholders may currently enjoy or otherwise require a modification or abandonment of hitherto prevalent practice, even if not specifically protected in the relevant legal code, this is likely to elicit resistance from the affected public beneficiaries of the existing governance system, including resort to litigation. If the judiciary is not sensitized to the provisions of the legal and policy framework around forests in Pakistan (which is currently severely lacking in most parts of the country), REDD+ and the systemic changes being made there under at the national and provincial level, the strategy for the implementation of REDD+ in Pakistan may potentially be foundered in a of court cases given a judicial system prone to glacial litigation progress coupled with a propensity for granting of ad interim injunctions during the early stages of a case. Most importantly, even assuming the required political will to undertake the task, the process of legislative changes to the currently existing legal framework is likely to be lengthy and tedious. However, where a change in the legal foundation is necessary for the achievement of a particular strategic option this should be sought to be introduced through policy measures in the first instance as policy instruments can be created and amended with much less relative effort as compared to changes in legislation. In certain instances, however, the promulgation or amendment of appropriate legislation may be unavoidable where for example a policy measure cannot be introduced without contradicting an existing provision of law. In such a case, under the constitutional scheme of Pakistan, the policy measure even if introduced would be void because of such contradiction. A sustained programme for the education of the legislators in the national and provincial assemblies, and other relevant stakeholder, on issues surrounding REDD+ may assist in expediting the passage of required legislation.

5.4 Cost-benefit Analysis and Marginal Abatement Cost Curves Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) was conducted for two baseline situations which represent the most typical business-as-usual land uses, i.e. baseline situations, in Pakistan and for three strategy options for which it was possible to obtain data. The baseline situations that were considered are:  Livestock model with goat rearing  Agriculture model with wheat cultivation  Abandoned land that has been previously under cultivation

Cost and benefit data was obtained for strategy options 1, 5 and 6, reforestation, sustainable silvo-pastoral practices and agroforestry models, respectively. The analysis was conducted by calculating one-hectare models ~ 64 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

for the baseline situations and strategy options. The benefit of one-hectare models is that the analysis commeasures the options while it still allows the scaling up of the models as considered necessary. The CBA included the following general assumptions:  Calculation period of 15 years.  Financial discount rate of 10% based on the technical proposal.  Social discount rate (SDR) of 7.47% calculated considering methodology developed by Valentim and Prado (2008). The SDR’s country specific parameters were updated by applying World Bank estimate for Pakistan’s population growth rate between 2018-2050 and household expenditure consumption trend of the previous five years.  Social cost of carbon of 40 USD/tCO2e as estimated by United States Environmental Protection Agency for 2018 with a discount rate of 3%.  The calculations are in real terms without taxes.  In case of monetary assumptions based on historical figures, wholesale price index (WPI) by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics was used to convert those items to current money.

The financial analysis was extended to economic analysis by including social benefits arising from impacts and by applying the SDR in the net present value (NPV) calculation. Instead of social benefits, social costs were considered to occur in case the option increases carbon emissions. In addition, financial and economic benefit-cost ratios were calculated for each model. The carbon sequestration (or emission) calculations considered the additional biomass of implementing the option. For example, in the case of reforestation the additional biomass were the trees, branches, foliage and roots, or in the case of goats the added carbon dioxide emissions from the activity.

Baseline/Strategy Financial NPV, Financial Economic NPV Economic Option (USD/ha) B/C (USD/ha) B/C B-1 Livestock (goats) 325 1.9 239 1.43 B-2 Agriculture (wheat) 545 1.1 5 499 1.85 B-3 Abandoned land - - 908 - SO-1 Reforestation 2 326 1.49 15 991 3.94 SO-5 Silvo-pastoral 3 321 2.05 11 091 3.84 SO-6 Agroforestry 2 638 1.6 13 096 3.56

Marginal abatement cost curves (MACC) of strategy options 1, 5 and 6 are shown in Figure 7. The y-axis represents the NPV per metric ton of CO2e per hectare over the calculation period and the x-axis shows the absolute amount of metric ton of CO2e saved per year per hectare. Evidently strategy option 1 sequestrates 40% more carbon dioxide per hectare than strategy option 6 and 85% more than strategy option 5. However, the strategy option 6 exhibits 10%

~ 65 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

higher economic NPV per saved metric ton of CO2e and strategy option 5 results in 28% higher economic NPV than strategy option 1. The results suggest that well-known forestry activities, such as reforestation, have larger CO2e benefits per hectare, whereas less known models that combine forestry with other livelihoods produce higher economic value per CO2e. Mapping of areas where the strategy options are suitable can be used for calculating the indicative economic and climate benefits when the options are scaled up.

Figure 7 Marginal Abatement Cost Curves 40 35

30

2e 25 SO#5 - Silvopasture 20 SO#6 - Agroforestry 15 SO#1 - Reforestation 10 BL#2 - Agriculture

5 Economic NPV/tCO Economic 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 tCO2e saved/year/hectare More detailed information on the cost-benefit analysis can be consulted in Annex 3.

~ 66 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

6. IMPLEMENTATION FRAMEWORK In order to make REDD+ a reality in Pakistan, there are several elements to address the indirect drivers of deforestation, forest degradation and barriers that prevent the sustainable management of forest and enhancement of carbon stocks. The actions included in the implementation framework are, probably, more challenging to implement than those performed directly in and around forests. However, the implementation framework establishes the foundation that enable the strategy options. This is due to the complexity of multi-sector environment of the implementation framework necessary for REDD+ activities.

6.1 Institutional Arrangements One of the most important elements of the implementation framework for REDD+ is the arrangements needed to effectively establish a structure that allows complex institutional processes to occur e.g. open discussion between interested and relevant stakeholders; decision making at different levels; cross sectoral coordination, among others. The institutional arrangement is the foundation from where decisions will be made, and from where the implementation will take place. As forestry is a provincial subject under the 1973 constitution, each province and territory therefore has its own forest service called the Forest Department with the mandate to handle all matters related to forests and forestry within its jurisdiction. Major responsibilities of these departments are conservation and protection of forests and their sustainable management, creation of new forest resources, rangelands and watershed management and conservation of biodiversity among others. Since the country has begun its preparation for REDD+, there have been important advances to establish adequate institutional arrangements based on current capacities, legal mandate and REDD+ scope. According to the Constitution, forests are responsibility of the provinces except for those issues requiring coordination among provinces, territories and international relations, for which the federation is in charge. This is a crucial fact to build on a structure that supports the implementation of REDD+ Strategy in the country with a nested approach. A central platform is essential for planning, coordinating, supervising and communicating REDD+ Strategy and its implementation under the overall supervision of Office of Inspector General of Forests, within Ministry of Climate Change. The design of architecture is explained below. National Steering Committee (NSC): Even though REDD+ is a forest subject, it has strong links with other sectors. The National Steering Committee should incorporate high-level representatives from sectors and ministries such as Agriculture, Communication, Energy, Housing and Works, Food Security and Research, Law and Justice, and Water Resources, among others, and function as a platform for interministerial coordination and decision making, not only for forest issues but also aspects with some impact on forests. It should also have representation from the Climate Change Authority. The NSC has to be led by the Minister of Climate Change or one of its Secretaries. The NSC should serve as the highest-level platform to discuss

~ 67 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

and make decisions on REDD+. It should facilitate the coordination across sectors and between the federal, provincial and district levels.

Figure 8 Institutional Arrangements for REDD+

National Steering Committee

Office of the Inspector General of Forest

Working National National REDD+ Office Groups Participation Platform

Provincial Management Committee

Provincial Provincial Provincial Management Working Participation Unit Groups Platform

NSC Working Groups. Because the NSC is a decision-making platform, the thematic Working Groups should serve as platforms that engage in scientific discussions, plan and organize research, collect data and serve as platform for providing NSC with validated data and information. In early stages the working groups should include mandates to discuss and safeguard implementation, stakeholder engagement, NFMS, FREL/FRL, SIS, governance and management, REDD+ pilot projects, benefit-sharing mechanisms; and should evolve to incorporate emerging issues. The working groups should also evolve to meet independently and should have resources for their operations to be able to provide evidence-based data and information for decision-making by NSC. Inspector General of Forest (IGF): The IGF as the national focal point for REDD+ under the UNFCCC, at the Ministry of Climate Change is in charge of designing and implementing national policy, plans, strategies and programmes regarding ecology, forestry, wildlife, biodiversity and desertification, as well as coordinating, monitoring and implementing international environmental agreements with other countries, international agencies and forums. The IGF should lead the incorporation of the REDD+ agenda through National REDD+

~ 68 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Office and for coordination not only inside the MoCC but also across ministries and at international fora. National REDD+ Office: Under the Office of the IGF, the National REDD+ Office, will take forward the REDD+ agenda in Pakistan, for which, it is indispensable to ensure its permanence in the long run at an integrated institution. In this regard, it is important that it is a financially sustainable institution and it is desirable to incorporate as a permanent office inside the MoCC under office of IGF. The National REDD+ Office should be responsible to: o Engage with other sectors at the highest level possible (at least secretary level), thus sufficient internal capacity for engagement is needed. o Coordinate with and among provinces issues related to REDD+. o Coordinate and monitor REDD+ readiness activities at the national level. o Plan the implementation of the National REDD+ Strategy. o Coordinate the participation in international REDD+ dialogue and negotiations under UNFCCC, and other forums. o Capacity building of its office and Provinces through training and awareness raising workshops and seminars. o Lead the design and implementation of the NFMS, including the SLMS, NFI, carbon registry, MBIGS and SIS. o Engage in raising funds from international (multilateral, bilateral or other) sources, private sector and government.

National Participation Platform: The inclusion of non-government stakeholders, as civil society, forest owners, academia, private sector, among others, is crucial element to succeed. This platform should serve as a forum to incorporate concerns, opinions, aspirations and needs from all the relevant stakeholders to facilitate discussions and feed the decision-making process. While the current working groups and NSC have some representation of women (associated with forests, as users, owners or forestry sector experts), UN agencies and academia, it has been observed that their participation is not regular and often ceremonial. The objective of National Participation Platform will contribute towards formalizing the participation of such stakeholders in the consultation and decision-making processes. The selection of the members for the national participation platform should come from provinces and territories. However, the criteria should include legal and effective representation of their relevant institutions including representation of women. Even though each province and territory should decide the exact composition and arrangement for the decision-making and implementation of REDD+, it is strongly recommended to use the following structure:

~ 69 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Provincial REDD+ Management Committee: This committee is the highest decision-making platform for the province or territory, should be led by the ACS-Development so the group has enough influence in other sectors and provincial departments (agriculture, mining, among others) to ensure fruitful discussion and coordination for action. The committee should include participation from different sectors related to the land use, land use change, drivers of deforestation and the underlying causes of deforestation and forest degradation.

Provincial REDD+ Management Unit: This is the body responsible for the implementation and monitoring of REDD+ activities at the provincial, district and local levels. It should also serve as the main contact for operational coordination between the province and the federation (National REDD+ Office) and should draft provincial standards for REDD+ in conformity with the national standards, as well as developing the NFMS (with all its components) for the respective province in conformity with the national system. The Unit is also responsible to resolve grievances on flexible problem-solving approaches to dispute resolution through options such as fact finding, dialogue, facilitation or mediation, conducting rapid assessment of existing formal and informal feedback and grievance redress mechanisms

Provincial Participation Platform: As with the national participation platform, this should serve as a forum to incorporate concerns, opinions, aspirations and needs from all the relevant stakeholders, in order to facilitate discussion and feed the decision-making process. This forum should have representation from forest communities including women, civil society organizations and academia.

Additional arrangements should be incorporated in the future as they emerge over time, these might include, the NFMS, SIS and its related information mechanisms.

6.2 Governance (National, Provincial, Local) Governance, understood as the process by which, people and institutions make decisions (according to formal regulations or customs), follow-up and enforce them. Governance has its pillar in the policy, legal and institutional arrangements; a clear and agreed planning and decision-making process; and mechanisms for implementation, enforcement and compliance. The governance for REDD+ requires institutional arrangements with these three pillars clearly defined. Pakistan already has history of good governance at different levels. However, the challenge REDD+ imposes, requires improved mechanisms and even new forms of governance that enables discussions and agreement between stakeholders to ensure effective and sustained results. Some of the aspects, in which good governance has to be ensured, include (but is not limited to) the following:  Functioning of the National Steering Committee, including a clear mandate in the regulatory framework, mechanism to incorporate

~ 70 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

different sectors and ministries ensuring their active involvement reflecting the NSC’s decisions into their institutions.  Functioning of the National REDD+ Office, established permanently inside the MoCC, with a clear mandate, and enough human and financial capacity.  Coordination at different levels and across sectors, as shown in the next section.  Improved procedures for implementing current policies and regulations, including those for unsolved cases, for lack of demarcation and land use plans, implementing and managing timber bans, among others.  Designing and implementing funding alternatives through adjustments in money allocation from the federation to provinces, new economic instruments and other mechanisms to support implementation of the Strategy. REDD+ is a multi-layered topic related to the conditions that make people decide on how to use (or not to use) the land. As the land and ecosystems do not recognize the artificial boundaries human activities establish, there is need for new instruments to agree on the destination and land use, considering multiple dimensions, thus improving governance at different levels. Such instruments include:  Land use plans at national, provincial, district and even village levels.  Land demarcation system transparent and accessible enough for making decision for different levels, including law enforcement.  Provincial REDD+ Strategies. These institutional instruments will help in improving the overall relevance and conformity to REDD+ and will also help overall improvement in management practices.

6.3 Institutional and Cross Sectoral Coordination REDD+ as an approach cannot be implemented in isolation. The diversity of issues that REDD+ touches upon and needs addressing, entails involvement of spectrum of stakeholders at every level. For this purpose, a multi- stakeholders nested approach must be followed at national, provincial/sub- national and at local community level (vertical and horizontal levels) to ensure effective implementation and to enhance participation in sustainable forest conservation and improved forest governance. The coordination mechanism will entail coordination within forestry sector and also with other relevant ministries, national and provincial authorities at vertical level. Coordination among forest department and agriculture and its allied departments and communities needs to be ensured at horizontal level. Further, coordination with private sector at all levels including nation, provincial and local levels is essential to ensure smooth implementation;  At national level, with other ministries and sectors for formally including them in NSC for their inputs and also to ensure positive contribution to their sectors to make them more forest friendly and sensitive to REDD+

~ 71 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

priorities, including nation-wide projects as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).  At national level, coordination mechanism needs to be established with parliamentarians, including women parliamentarians, to guide policies and budget allocation to support women forest users, nomads and seasonal migrants.  MoCC, IG Forest office, and National REDD+ Management Committee will provide coordination and broad guidelines to provincial and national stakeholders.  The NSC and PMC will need to coordinate closely to steer, monitor and assess impact of REDD+ implementation at national and provincial levels. o There are number of projects that are already being implemented that should be aligned to the REDD+ Strategy. Additionally, all new projects should be conceived and developed in the same coordinated manner. o Ensure coordination with international donors so all the money they invest is aligned with country needs and priorities.  National and provincial participation platforms to coordinate for effective representation and participation of the genuine stakeholders of forests and their ecosystems.  Provincial Planning & Development Departments need to develop programs and fiscal policies to invest in climate change mitigation including proposed strategy options such as PES, promotion of eco-tourism, etc.  Provincial REDD+ Management Committees can provide recommendations to Provincial Planning & Development Departments, sectoral planning and other non-government stakeholders  At horizontal level, cross-sectoral coordination mechanism has to be developed, particularly with Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock departments. Integrated natural resource management projects and programs can ensure food security, diversification of livelihoods options and alternative energy sources through promotion of agroforestry and improved silvo-pastoral practices. In addition, introduction and adoption of intensive and new agricultural practices and promotion of eco-tourism should also be promoted through horizontal coordination at all levels with relevant ministries and departments.  Coordinate and plan programs and projects under the Strategy with international organizations, NGOs and environmental organization and private sector focusing on community development projects particularly alternative livelihood options and energy sources.  Coordination with academia at provincial level to build knowledge base among stakeholders by developing academic curriculum for schools, colleges and universities and brochures and extension material for participating stakeholders including local communities.  Involve private sector in implementation, value addition, and skills building under government regulations particularly in areas of alternative energy sources and eco-tourism.  Develop functional collaboration and cooperation with security forces, media, and civil society to promote sustainable activities and practices, benefits and its importance for the country. ~ 72 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

 Last but not the least, build on the current and future coordination opportunities with parliamentarians, influence their opinion for stronger legal cover for forests and climate change agenda particularly providing forest communities with livelihood opportunities and energy.

6.4 Legal Adjustments Direct legal adjustments and the role of the Climate Change Authority As noted above, the proposed strategic options themselves are not impeded by the existing legal and policy framework in the case of Government forests. In fact, the current legal framework facilitates the necessary actions required for the implementation of REDD+ in Pakistan in that, the Climate Change Act, 2017 was specifically passed with the purpose of meeting Pakistan’s obligations under the international conventions relating to climate change, including the UNFCCC, and addressing the effects of climate change. The Climate Change Act creates the Climate Change Authority which would comprise of scientists, academicians, professionals, serving or retired government servants, industrialists, and other technocrats with at least fifteen years of experience in fields related to climate change. This Authority would work under the aegis of the Pakistan Climate Change Council and among other functions will provide a framework for mitigating and adapting to the effects of changing climate. This includes formulating comprehensive adaptation and mitigation policies, plans and programmes designed to address the effects of climate change within the framework of the national climate change policy. Given the composition of the Climate Change Authority and the fact that it derives support from and makes recommendations to a high-powered Climate Change Council, this would be the most appropriate body for the purposes of introducing the relevant changes to the legislative and policy framework as determined by it. As yet, the Authority has not been constituted and therefore one of the first steps towards an effective implementation of the REDD+ strategy would be to constitute a functionally diverse and effective Climate Change Authority as envisaged under the Climate Change Act, 2017. The Climate Change Authority may then assess and propose relevant changes to the extant legal and policy landscape that may be pushed through the auspices of the Climate Change Council at the provincial level. However, given the constitutional protection in terms of property rights under Articles 23 and 24 of the Constitution of Pakistan if the strategic options are to be exercised in relation to private forests either the express consent of the private owners would be required or introduction of legislative provisions in the existing legal framework would be necessitated to circumvent the issue of consent from private forest owners in a manner that does not violate the Constitution. In addition, where a proposed strategic option breaks new ground, such as that proposing payment for ecosystem services, even though this may be feasible within the current legal and policy framework, in that it is not specifically prohibited therein, the need to create transparency and acceptability around an option that will create a financial burden on the public ~ 73 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

at large would dictate that this and other such strategic options be introduced specifically through express rules and regulations under the existing legal regime, where possible under the provisions of the law in this respect, or at the very least through a policy instrument. Changes Required for Enabling Environment for Strategic Options and Compliance with REDD+ Requirements The implementation of the strategic options also requires a legal, institutional, financial and safeguards (social and environmental) framework that creates an enabling milieu allowing the strategic options to be put into effect in consonance with the requirements of REDD+. This may only be done through appropriate adjustments to the legal and policy landscape. The following are just some of the high level legal and policy adjustments required to implement the strategic options, which will in turn have knock on effects on the entire forest governance structure, from the federal to the provincial, and thereafter the local level, necessitating further changes at those levels: (a) Definition and clear delineation of carbon rights in forests and creation of framework that allows the Federal Government to represent the entire cache of carbon rights in Pakistan, regardless of nature (private or public) and actual ownership (federal or provincial); (b) Expressly provide for the social and environmental safeguards required under the UNFCCC for the implementation of REDD+, where such safeguards are missing or inadequate under the current legal and policy regime; (c) Creation of the institutional architecture, detailed above, and development of interface mechanisms at the Federal, provincial and local level required to effectively monitor and implement the strategic options; (d) Creation of a formal funding and financing policy and mechanism, including results-based payments aimed at tapping multiple funding sources as well as strategic reallocation of Government funds at the federal and provincial level to enable the implementation of the strategic options; The institution best suited to undertake this work within the existing legal framework would again be the Climate Change Authority, whose mandate specifically includes this function as per the Climate Change Act 2017. The Climate Change Authority would be ideally situated to assess the legal adjustments required based on a critical analysis of the proposed strategic options as compared to the practical knowledge and field experience of the existing and proposed implementing institutions at the Federal and Provincial level, assimilate the information and data so gathered into draft policy and legal measures and push for its formal promulgation by escalating it to the high powered Climate Change Council for legislation and policy initiatives.

6.5 Finance One of the critical challenges Pakistan faces in implementing this Strategy is access to sustainable, predictable and adequate finances for its forests. Multiple reports in recent years have noted the challenge, estimating official

~ 74 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

development assistance covers only 1% of the USD 70 billion needed globally per year (Castren et al 2014). As part of the Warsaw REDD+ Framework, a work programme on results- based finance to progress the full implementation of the REDD+ activities was agreed under COP decision 9/CP.19. The decision, among other things reaffirmed that results-based finance may come from a wide variety of sources, public and private, bilateral and multilateral, including alternative sources including the Green Climate Fund (GCF). However, implementing actions and activities needed to achieve those results also need to be financed. Being a poorly forested, highly populated and a developing country, Pakistan is not in a position to allocate sufficient resources for undertaking REDD+ activities from current internal resources. A two-prong approach will therefore be needed to meet the funding requirements for REDD+; one, to look for potential new resources and second to reallocate and economize spending. Although efforts for benefitting from REDD+ are under way, yet it may not solve the problem immediately and adequately as benefits from REDD+ are not expected in near future and even if so, they may not alone meet the needs of the country to effectively undertake the REDD+ activities. Therefore, it is important to conduct a thorough research and analyse the situation both at federal as well at federating units level to devise an effective mechanism that may quickly cater for harnessing financial resources to achieve the identified strategic objectives in minimum possible time. The currently available sources include domestic and foreign donor funding including support from donor agencies and generating financing through prudent use of the available natural resources. Although very small, yet the most reliable and readily available financial source is the domestic funds maintained by federal and provincial governments and the federating units. Most of the developmental works in forestry sector are financed through these funds. Such works targeted at the improvement of forests, rangelands and biodiversity are linked with the REDD+ objectives in one way or the other. These however have to be made more REDD+ oriented. Provinces have already started financing REDD+ activities and such actions can pave way for more funds from the provinces for diverse REDD+ actions. The share for the forestry sector in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) and provincial Annual Development Plans (ADPs) may therefore be substantially increased. The government and semi- government organizations supporting research and development projects from endowment funds may also be urged to assign some amounts for REDD+ related activities. Quite a few national and provincial organizations are operating such funds.

~ 75 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Figure 9 Financial Sources for each REDD+ Phase

The bilateral funding sources like JICA, GIZ, USAID, Australian Aid, etc. offer reasonably good opportunities for the implementation of REDD+ Strategy. Similarly, multilateral support is also available through World Bank, GEF, FAO, UNDP, ADB, and others. Pakistan is already benefitting from these mechanisms in various fields including forestry. However, being competitive in nature and project based, strong funding proposals are needed to secure financing from these arrangements. A strong drive to build capacity of the concerned national, provincial and territorial institutions and their work force is needed to get quick and adequate funding to move ahead for grounding the implementation framework of the REDD+ Strategy. One of the big challenges for conservation of forest carbon stocks is reducing unsustainable reliance of the communities on forest resources. The federal and provincial governments may therefore ask all the relevant line departments to include schemes in their future plans that are oriented towards testing or full implementation of selected Strategy Options. The government

~ 76 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

may consider creating financial mechanisms, as taxes or tariffs, and invest the collections to support the communities residing around forests. The activities that affect forests like mining, oil & gas exploration, infrastructure development including roads, buildings and dam construction may, besides restoring the ecosystem, be also made to invest in programmes and activities aiming at reducing communities’ reliance on the forests. The relatively new resource generation options of Payment for Environmental Services (PES), ecotourism, upstream-downstream approach, may also be tested for large scale adoption. A similar example of trophy hunting showing success already exists in almost all federating units. The existing resources like national parks and other sites of historical importance could also be useful sources of fund for conservation of resources through charging a fee on visits. Strenuous efforts may be made to economize the spending in the on-going programmes implemented for the resource and community development by various departments and agencies. This could be done through adopting latest technologies. The saved money may be re-ploughed into the system and extension/expansion of the existing programmes. REDD+ Office can also be strengthened and sustained through the establishment of a pooled fund to support core functions and pilot activities, such as the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund. The function of the fund could later be diversified to serve as the entity to receive results-based payments.

6.6 Research Requirements There are still topics and decisions that are not well understood or need additional research to be fully implemented in the REDD+ context. In the context of the preparation process of the REDD+ Strategy, the following are the most important research requirements: Institutional arrangements and coordination  Assess the effectiveness of current institutions, challenges that hinder effectiveness and delivery processes at national, provincial and local levels.  Design alternatives for coordination mechanisms to ensure vertical and horizontal coordination, and challenges to improve it. Benefit sharing mechanism Each province and unit has its specific group of forest users and owners under local and legal tenure arrangements.  A detailed study is required at the community level in each province and unit to identify local level forest stakeholders, their local knowledge, practices, benefit sharing mechanism and to further translate and include it into Provincial REDD+ Strategies.  Scientific assessment and analysis of benefit sharing mechanism at the horizontal level/community level to understand possible ways of distributing and sharing among all key stakeholders particularly including women, seasonal migrants, and nomads and other right holders.

~ 77 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

 Review the existing systems for distribution of results-based payments to the communities and propose a viable mechanism for the benefit sharing under REDD+ among the public and private stakeholders (both vertical and horizontal).  Legal, institutional and financial analysis for the design of the exact mechanism for sharing benefits from results from the international level throughout local level. Forestry-related information The current research agenda in forestry is focused on increasing the tree and forest productivity, insect and disease control, biodiversity conservation and other socio-economic issues. Its canvas now has to be expanded to include inter alia the issues emerging as a result of adoption of REDD+ mechanism. The resource base and the communities should receive equal focus and attention. The research priorities should include:  Ascertain the location and extent of the major drivers of deforestation and forest degradation at provincial and local levels.  Identification multipurpose fast-growing trees for various ecologies to meet the small timber, firewood and fodder requirements of local communities.  Assess and appropriately document both legal and illegal extraction of timber, fuel wood, fodder and other NTFPs from forests.  Develop fire prediction; warning and control systems in fire prone forests.  Identify productive and cost effective silvicultural, harvesting and conversion operations for enhanced productivity and minimal wood wastage.  Develop and disseminate insect and disease control mechanisms for different forest types.  Integrated resource management at provincial and agro-ecological level to promote improved agroforestry and silvo-pastoral practices.  Identify potential alternative energy options for provinces and agro- ecological zones and implementation mechanism.  Identify innovative livestock grazing methods for forest communities and research in to livestock-forest nexus and develop pertinent technology packages.  Assess the community outreach dynamics and models for engaging communities in sustainable management of forests. Addressing drivers of deforestation and forest degradation  Investigate the energy needs of key rural areas and the potential to meet them from local sources other than forest resources.  Search for and identify locations for piloting REDD+ interventions.  Study linking drivers with hotspots of deforestation and forest degradation.  Develop technological packages on agroforestry systems and silvo- pastoral practices suiting various ecological and socioeconomic conditions in the rural areas to reduce pressure on forests.  Study the socio-economic conditions of the forest dependent communities and classify with respect to their vulnerability and resilience to climate change and REDD+ interventions.

~ 78 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

 Investigate the carbon sequestration potential of different plant species.  Explore economic options to be provided to communities affected as a result of addressing the drivers of deforestation. Harmonization of sectoral policies  Analysis of the influence of other sectors e.g. mining, infrastructure and road construction, dams etc. in deforestation and degradation. Develop alternatives to these sectors be sensitive to forests and their vulnerabilities.  Economic analysis of the influence and contribution of ecosystems to productive sectors.

Financial mechanisms  Design of the specific mechanism, including the financial, legal and institutional arrangements for benefit sharing.  Analysis of current benefit sharing mechanisms at local level to extract lessons to be used in the benefit sharing mechanism for REDD+.  Analyse alternatives for new economic and fiscal instruments to incentivize investment in the strategy options.

6.7 Benefit Sharing Mechanism The core of REDD+ is compensation to countries that demonstrate results in terms of carbon for the actions undertaken towards their National Strategy. Emissions related to land use, land use change and forestry are around 10.39 MT CO2 equivalent per year in 2015 in Pakistan (GoP, 2016), up to now, there are no precise estimations only for emissions from the forest, which will be available with the National Forest Emissions Reference Level, and for that reason it is not possible to make an estimation of the probable and possible amount of compensation the country could receive for REDD+ results. The compensation the country would receive for its results has to be transparent, fair and equitable, and further channelled to compensate people and institutions for their successful efforts meeting REDD+ objectives. Different alternatives for benefit sharing mechanism were discussed during consultations, based on whether it should be input or performance-based, and national or subnational (PwC, 2012). There was also discussion on the alternatives previously proposed: a market/project-based architecture; a system with national REDD+ fund outside national administration; a national REDD+ fund organized under the national administration; or conditional budget support (GoP, 2014; Vatn & Vedeld, 2013). According to the consultations the most reliable alternative for Pakistan is national nested benefit sharing mechanism to compensate, at the beginning, according to the efforts, and could potentially evolve to compensate based on performance. The benefit sharing mechanism should have an architecture that allows a national REDD+ fund organized under the national administration, which utilizes the capacities and competencies of present state

~ 79 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

administrations, allowing allocations made by a separate multi-stakeholder board with REDD+ responsibilities only. The approach towards coordination with the provinces regarding benefit sharing mechanism is still to be discussed and decided: whether each province should have a specific fund or the financial flow would go directly to districts, projects, or even individuals. As an additional dimension, arrangements at the local level are also needed. In this regard Pakistan already has successful experiences in local mechanism for distributing and sharing benefits from forest. For example, a benefit sharing mechanism exists in GB for distribution of the sale proceeds and royalty from forests in Diamer and Astore districts where the forest owners receive the benefits on per head basis (proprietary rights), or distribution of sales proceeds from trophy hunting in GB. Different ministries and public sector institutions may have divergent views regarding benefits when it comes to their stakes e.g. livestock herders having a right in forests (livestock department may have different opinions). This has to be carefully assessed to engage with a subject that is falling under a different public institution. For the development of the provincial and local benefit sharing mechanisms, it is important to consider that: • A one size fits all’ approach is not possible due to diversity in forest types, tenure statuses, stakeholders and customary/legal basis for resource uses in each province and territory. • Forest owners, forest users, right holders, Provincial Forest Departments and forest dependent communities should be part of the REDD+ benefits. • The benefits might translate into development projects, cash or even other non-cash alternatives. • A suitable formula for vertical and horizontal distribution of benefits has to be developed and agreed after thorough consultation (and possibly research) with all stakeholders. • Any benefit sharing mechanism might lead to potential conflicts among owners and non-owners (right holders/ tenants etc) and need to be looked at carefully. It is important to consider that the benefit sharing mechanism is primarily for the distribution of financial compensation for the results obtained. There are different routes through which other flows of finance will transit for the implementation and execution of the activities to achieve the results (see section ‎6.5 for more details on financial mechanisms).

6.8 National Forest Emissions Reference Level and National Forest Monitoring System According to the Cancun Agreements, countries participating in REDD+ should have in place, among other elements of readiness: a. A national forest reference emission level and/or forest reference level, or if appropriate, as an interim measure, subnational forest reference emission levels and/or forest reference level;

~ 80 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

b. A robust and transparent national forest monitoring system for the monitoring and reporting of REDD+ activities. A robust forest land assessment mechanism is a backbone for establishing the National Forest Monitoring System and MRV for REDD+. UNFCCC’s Decision 4/CP.15 recommends parties to establish, according to national circumstances and capabilities, robust and transparent national forest monitoring systems and, if appropriate, sub-national systems as part of national monitoring systems that:  Use a combination of remote sensing and ground-based forest carbon inventory approaches for estimating, as appropriate, anthropogenic forest- related greenhouse gas emissions by sources and removals by sinks, forest carbon stocks and forest area change.  Provide estimates that are transparent, consistent, as far as possible accurate, and that reduce uncertainties, taking into account national capabilities and capacities.  Are transparent and their results are available and suitable for review as agreed by the Conference of the Parties.

Figure 10 Structure of the National Forest Monitoring System

~ 81 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

The FREL is an assessment of the past to have a reference for comparison in the future using the NFMS, which is a governance accord to institutionalize the mechanism to assess the state of the forests and related emissions. The NFMS serves several purposes and requires specific institutional arrangements. The national FREL/FRLs for Pakistan are to be developed by producing activity data for the period 1996- 2016 with 5 epochs. The FREL/FRLs are planned to be updated every 4 years and to be constructed as a 10-year rolling average. The projections from the baseline is expected to cover a period of 10 years into the future. The National Forest Monitoring System should ensure, the development of detailed land use and forest inventories, and the monitoring of land use and land use change; monitoring of entire forest product supply chains; the provision of law enforcement bodies with adequate mandates, sources and expertise to conduct routine monitoring; and regular monitoring and reporting on social and environmental impacts of forest programs linked to REDD+ activities. The NFMS should also be able to provide information to ensure the implementation of safeguards on risk of displacements and non-permanence.

6.9 Capacity Building, Communication and Awareness Raising There is a general lack of awareness and knowledge on REDD+ among different levels of officials in forest department, local communities and other stakeholders. It is important to build capacities of all stakeholders in terms of improving their knowledge, ability of take informed decisions, participate in implementation, monitor progress and achieve results. The following are key elements of capacity building regarding REDD+ within these stakeholders;  It is important to enhance awareness and to build knowledge base of the local communities including forest managers, users, right holders, women, nomads and seasonal migrants on REDD+ including the benefits and risks associated with it. Community based participatory approach will enable local communities, women and other vulnerable groups to make informed decision on participation in REDD+ and to realize its objectives.  Organizational capacities of local communities at the grass root level needs to be enhanced for the implementation of decentralized and sustainable forest management and other relevant strategy options. This is also essential for communities to contribute to planning, implementation and accountability and grievance redressal mechanism and to engage in dialogues with key stakeholders.  The Strategy envisages multi stakeholder approach engaging wide variety of partners both vertically and horizontally. The local communities lie at the centre of benefit sharing mechanism at the horizontal level. In order to ensure equity and transparency in benefits sharing, it is important that forest right holders and users are organized and that negotiations occur on clear terms of partnerships. Clarity on benefit sharing mechanism is key to the successful implementation of the strategy. The participatory and inclusion-based strategy particularly emphasize on engaging women, nomads and seasonal migrants at the grass root level.

~ 82 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

 There is also need for capacity building of the local communities, particularly women, nomads and seasonal migrants on relevant strategic options including sustainable forest management. These groups should be particularly focused as they are not covered under current forest extension services but have a major role in forests e.g. women and nomads apart from other possible stakeholders.  REDD+ is innovative approach, and therefore, it is important to develop a common understanding on the concept and build capacities of other stakeholders on REDD+; to create general awareness on the concept as well as to build allies and formal and informal partnerships for the implementation of the REDD+ strategy. The list of key stakeholders include political representatives at national and provincial levels, Government Departments including Planning & Development Departments, and relevant sectors including agriculture, livestock, irrigation departments, tourism, mining, NGOs, academia and relevant private sector. Ministry of Climate Change, Provincial Forest Departments and Pakistan Forest Institutes can play an effective role in the capacity building of relevant stakeholders in both REDD+ concepts as well its strategy.  REDD+ concept and approach should be introduced in curricula at every level including in schools, climate change departments and other degrees from bachelors to PhD level.  Use print, electronic and social media to develop common understanding on REDD+ among general public.

6.10 Environmental and Social Safeguards As part of Warsaw Framework, developing countries participating in REDD+ must: ensure that activities, regardless of the source and type of funding, are implemented in a manner consistent with the UNFCCC REDD+ safeguards;9; have in place a system for providing information on how the safeguards are being addressed and respected (SIS)10; and they have to provide the most recent summary of information on how all the UNFCCC REDD+ safeguards have been addressed and respected before they can receive results-based payments.11 The UNFCCC recognises that safeguards are a key part of REDD+ implementation, and links the Cancun safeguards to results-based payments, requiring that countries demonstrate how they have addressed and respected them throughout the implementation of their REDD+ activities.12 The specific UNFCCC safeguard requirements are the following:

9 UNFCCC Decision 2/CP.17 paragraph 63 10 UNFCCC Decision 1/CP.16 paragraph 71 11 UNFCCC Decision 9/CP.19 paragraph 4 12 UNFCCC Decision 2/CP.17, Paragraphs 63 and 64, which should be read along with UNFCCC Decision 1/CP.16, Paragraph 69 and Appendix 1, Paragraph 2.

~ 83 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Requirement 1: Implement REDD+ activities in a manner consistent with the Cancun safeguards REDD+ activities, regardless of their type of funding source, are to be implemented in such a way that is consistent with the Cancun safeguards.13 This implies that countries should take steps to define how the Cancun safeguards will be implemented, and to ensure compliance with the safeguards throughout the implementation of REDD+ activities.

Requirement 2: Establish a system to provide information on how the Cancun safeguards are being addressed and respected The governments of countries implementing REDD+ activities are required to establish a system to provide information on how the seven Cancun safeguards are being addressed and respected in all of the phases of implementation of REDD+ activities.14 This is commonly referred to as the Safeguard Information System (SIS).

Requirement 3: Provide a summary of information on how the Cancun safeguards are being addressed and respected In order to receive results-based payments, countries must present their most recent summary of information demonstrating how the safeguards have been addressed and respected (subsequently referred to as the summary of information or SOI).15 The UNFCCC also establishes that the summary of information should be provided periodically, and be included in national communications or other communication channels identified by the COP. An additional and voluntary format for providing information to the UNFCCC is through the UNFCCC REDD+ web platform.16

Additionally, countries receiving FCPF funds are required to ensure compliance with the World Bank safeguards (Operational Policies). In order to do this, the FCPF has two processes that Pakistan must follow: Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA) and Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF). The Government of Pakistan has committed to meeting both the UNFCCC and FCPF safeguard requirements in a coordinated and cost-effective manner. The following has to be developed to fulfil these requirements:

13 “Agrees that, regardless of the source or type of financing, the activities referred to in decision 1/CP.16 paragraph 70, should be consistent with the relevant provisions included in decision 1/CP.16, including the safeguards in its appendix I” UNFCCC Decision 2/CP.17 paragraph 63 14 UNFCCC Decision 1/CP.16 Paragraph 71(d). 15 Decision 9/CP, Paragraph 4, UNFCCC Decision 2/CP.17, op cit, Paragraph 63 and 64. 16 Decision 12/CP.19, Paragraph 2 and 3

~ 84 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Requirement 1: Implement REDD+ activities in a manner consistent with the Cancun safeguards. Although REDD+ is primarily a mechanism to incentivise forest-based climate change mitigation, it is broadly agreed that it should, as a minimum, ‘do no harm’, and where possible go beyond this to ‘do good’ and achieve multiple (carbon and non-carbon) benefits. Given the potential environmental risks and benefits of REDD+ implementation, Parties to the UNFCCC recognised the need to ensure that the rules and guidance for REDD+ include measures to protect those potentially at risk, particularly indigenous peoples, local communities and biodiversity. For this reason, they agreed to the adoption of seven safeguards for REDD+ at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) also known as the ‘Cancun safeguards’. Pakistan has given express recognition to the Cancun Safeguards and committed to ensuring their application in the context of the implementation of REDD+ activities.

Objectives and actions  Formally adopt a national interpretation of the Cancun safeguards;  Promote the understanding of the meaning of Cancun safeguards among all interested parties, particularly communities and local communities, to achieve active and informed participation during the implementation and respect thereof;  Strengthen existing legal and institutional framework instruments and mechanisms that are being or could be used to implement Cancun safeguards.

Requirement 2: Establish a system to provide information on how the Cancun safeguards are being addressed and respected. The SIS can be broadly understood as the domestic institutional arrangements -and associated processes- in place for providing information on how the safeguards are being addressed and respected throughout the implementation of its REDD+ Strategy. The SIS should be capable of providing the information needed for the summary for the UNFCCC.

Objectives and actions  Formally adopt SIS design framework and associated institutional arrangements;  Publish SIS website;  Publish updated information on how safeguards are being addressed and respected every two years.

Requirement 3: Provide a summary of information on how the Cancun safeguards are being addressed and respected.

~ 85 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Objectives and actions  Define the scope and structure of the information summary;  Publish summary of information every four years and submit to UNFCCC.

6.11 Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation The National REDD+ Strategy is an umbrella planning document that establishes the path to achieve a broad objective in the future. It provides, in the Roadmap for Implementation the first steps but does not provide detailed course of action for all proposed actions and activities. As first step, and based on the Roadmap for Implementation, it is recommended to breakdown the Strategy into smaller courses of action to develop detailed planning for each one and ensure a correct monitoring and evaluation. Monitoring the actions undertaken to achieve the objectives is a crucial step to close the cycle and for the success of the Strategy. Monitoring the actions stated in the roadmap for implementation and further planning will provide relevant information about their development, results and ultimately the impacts. Constant monitoring and periodic evaluation is a mechanism to get relevant information to correct the course of action if needed. Detailed planning. Even tough any methodology could be used, it is recommended to use the logical framework, as this is a common planning tool, used by UN system and several international organizations and development agencies, and could make it easier to translate this planning process to specific requirements from funding agencies. Monitoring and evaluation framework. According to the vision, strategic objectives, and specific objectives for each course of action, define a) indicators to be used, considering that there are several dimensions that might be desirable to follow up (efficiency, effectiveness, relevance, impact); b) means for verification, and periodicity measurement, and c) Responsible persons or institution of performing the data collection, reports preparation and follow up plans. In the case of REDD+, assess the overall impact on the amount of carbon that is released or captured to or from the atmosphere is crucial for the international community and compensation, however for Pakistan other impacts on multiple benefits are also expected from REDD+ and should be monitored and assessed. For these purposes, several sources of information are going to be available, including, the National Forest Monitoring System and the Safeguards Information System, however other sources might be required to capture the complexity of the actions to implement, including topics as impact on the local economy, biodiversity, gender among other topics. As any other national strategy would need, REDD+ Strategy would also need a review and update. For a fairly long period of its implementation, however with a rapidly changing and evolving subject, it is essential to review the strategy after 5 years on regular basis and to update if needed, given this

~ 86 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

period will also see improving national capacities in REDD+, in the ever- changing context of international developments in REDD+.

Table 10 Frequency of Monitoring and Evaluation Actions

Activity Frequency Continuous monitoring Permanent Lesson learning event 1 year Evaluation 3 years Review and possible update of the Strategy. 5 years Impact evaluation 10 years

~ 87 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

7. ROADMAP FOR IMPLEMENTATION The National REDD+ Strategy sets the direction towards the country (including federal and provincial governments, private sector, civil society and the rest of the stakeholders involved) should go to achieve the mitigation and adaptation goals; to do so, the following table is an indicative set of actions that have to be performed either immediately or in the future. Time Relative No Topic/activity Responsible Comments Frame Cost 1. Strategy Options Determination of the best Some Strategy Options 1.1 NRO, areas to implement each might require begin with Provincial strategy option based on Immediately Low small areas or pilots Management hotspots of deforestation and before going to full Units provincial interests implementation. 1.2 Each of the Strategy Research Options need detailed Develop technical institutions procedure or technical knowledge/packages to Immediately Medium and package to be implement strategy options universities. implemented. Might include demonstration. NRO, Draw lessons learned 2.3 Compilation of lessons Provincial from projects financed learned from other past and Short Term Low Management by GEF, Provinces, current projects Units bilateral aid, etc. 2. Institutional Arrangements Strengthen the National

Steering Committee 2.1 Permanent activity to Engage high level lobby and engage other IGF, MoCC representatives to participate Immediately Low Ministers and Secretary in the NSC Secretaries into REDD+ and coordination. 2.2 Design a Plan to continuously strength capacities of the NSC and Immediately Low NRO NSC Working Groups members 2.3 NRO, Implement the Plan for implementati strengthen capacities of the Short Term Medium on institution NSC and NSC WG members /company /NGO 2.4 Develop mechanisms to enrich diversity of members and to strength its Short Term Low NRO operatively to settle an individual route for each of them 2.5 Prepare terms of reference and formally establish the Immediately Low NRO National Participation

~ 88 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Time Relative No Topic/activity Responsible Comments Frame Cost Platform

Engage Ministries to actively

participate in REDD+ 2.6 Design a plan to incorporate REDD+ in the agenda of all ministries and between different levels (this must Short Term Low IGF, NRO Permanent activity include the consequent arrangements needed for the REDD+ implementation) 2.7 Organize meetings and workshops with ministries NRO, IGF and agencies to coordinate Short Term Low Office and develop mechanisms to implement REDD+ 2.8 Develop communication materials (policy briefs, infographics, videos) to Immediately Low NRO engage key representatives from relevant ministries Strengthen Provincial

Steering Committees 2.9 Design a work plan in each province and territory to strengthen its institutional Provincial Provincial Management and governance Immediately Low Management Units are responsible, mechanisms according to Unit, NRO and NRO might support. the National and Provincial REDD+ Strategy Strengthen Provincial

capacity for REDD+ 2.10 Develop the Provincial Provincial REDD+ Strategy for each Short Term Low Management Province and territory Units 2.11 Design a workplan in each province and territory to strengthen its institutional Provincial and governance Short Term Low Management mechanisms according to Units the National and Provincial REDD+ Strategy Consolidate the National

REDD+ Office 2.12 This strategy should Develop and implement a solve financial and strategy for the National political instability. REDD+ Office permanence Short Term Low NRO, IGF Ideally the NRO should inside the MoCC (solve the be incorporated into the financial and political issues) permanent structure of the MoCC

~ 89 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Time Relative No Topic/activity Responsible Comments Frame Cost 2.13 Might include hiring additional specialists, Design a plan to strengthen and high level the National REDD+ Office NRO, IGF Short Term Medium lobbyst/representatives operability in order to Office to engage other achieve all responsibilities ministries and stakeholders Consolidate NSFM and SIS 2.14 More details on the exact procedure will Establish and consolidate NRO arise with information the arrangements for SIS from current consultancies 2.15 More details on the Establish and consolidate exact procedure will the arrangements for the NRO arise with information NSFM from current consultancies 3. Governance (National, Provincial, Local) 3.1 Build a clear mandate in the regulatory framework of the National Steering Committee and establish the mechanism to incorporate Immediately Low NRO different sectors and ministries ensuring their active involvement reflecting the NSC’s decisions into the institutions 3.2 Create a mechanism to improve law enforcement and establish clear IGF Office, procedures for implementing Short Term Medium judicial current policies and system regulations along with those that will be updated Establish a strategy to 3.3 NRO, improve governance at Provincial different levels including all Short Term Medium Management points mentioned in the Units implementation framework 4. Institutional And Cross Sectoral Coordination 4.1 Establish mechanims/rules to align all current projects NRO, and initiatives and those that RPP list some of the Provincial will be implemented in the Short Term Low projects and initiatives Management future (including international active. Units donations) to the REDD + Strategy

~ 90 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Time Relative No Topic/activity Responsible Comments Frame Cost 4.2 Develop the coordination mechanism to guarantee a horizontal, cross-sectoral interaction between departments and ministries (particularly with Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock Immediately Low NRO, MoCC departments) in order to have an integrated natural resource management (projects and programs can ensure food security, diversification promotion of agro-forestry practices, etc.) 4.3 Design a plan to follow a multi-stakeholders approach Short Term Low NRO through all vertical and horizontal levels 4.4 Examples include establishing a program Design mechanism to guide of productive projects so policies and budget these groups can allocation to support women receive financial support Short Term Medium NRO, IGF forest users, nomads, to improve the activities seasonal migrants or any they already do or want other vulnerable group to do, involving sustainable use of the forest. 4.5 Develop a program and policies to invest in climate change mitigation including NRO, Results from current performance-based Payment Provincial Short Term Medium consultancies will for Environmental Services Management provide further guidance (PES), promotion of eco- Units tourism and other strategy options 4.6 Create alliances with the The alliances should be academia at provincial level created not only to support and encourage to between the MoCC but build knowledge base also other Ministries to Short Term Low NRO, MoCC among stakeholders by ensure pertinent and developing academic reliable scientific curriculum for schools and foundation for the communities activities. 5. Legal Adjustments 5.1 Recommendations for Create a taskforce with legal legal adjustments are in advisers to discuss and the section 6.4. of the Short Term Low NRO propose legal adjustment National REDD+ relevant for REDD+ Strategy and the Interim Report from CLP

~ 91 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Time Relative No Topic/activity Responsible Comments Frame Cost 5.2 Develop an agenda to work on recommendations to NRO, Legal Short Term Low adjustments to legal Taskforce framework 6. Finance Requires research and 6.1 Design and coordinate a lobbying to engage program to finance the different stakeholders. implementation of the Include alternatives as REDD+ activities in their Short Term Low NRO, MoCC fiscal incentives, different phases and from subsidies, market public, private, bilateral and involvement, private multilateral sources, Green sector investment, Climate Fund, etc. among others. 6.2 Develop a strategy to coordinate REDD+ funding (including establishing funding requirements for Short Term Low NRO REDD+ and organize them in a time line to guarantee the REDD+ Strategy Implementation) Include human 6.3 Develop a strategy for a resources for proposals sustainable fund-raising Short Term Low NRO writing and fund raising campaign in support to activities with private activity 6.1 sector. 7. Research Requirements A detailed study at the 7.1 Might require support community level in each from other stakeholders, province and unit to identify Short Term Low NRO to be defined when the stakeholders, to be included design of the study is it into provincial level REDD+ finalized Strategies 7.2 Information gathering from all stakeholders at all levels Might require support to include their knowledge in from other stakeholders, the REDD+ Strategy Short Term Low NRO to be defined when the implementation and the design of the study is develop of Provincial finalized REDD+ Strategies 7.3 Assessment and analysis of the existing benefit sharing mechanism at the horizontal Might require support level/community level and from other stakeholders, propose a viable mechanism Short Term Low NRO to be defined when the for the benefiting sharing design of the study is under REDD+ among the finalized public and private stakeholders (both vertical and horizontal, including ~ 92 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Time Relative No Topic/activity Responsible Comments Frame Cost vulnerable groups) Might require support 7.4 Study to ascertain the extent from other stakeholders, of damage by major drivers Short Term Low NRO to be defined when the of deforestation and forest design of the study is degradation finalized Identify multipurpose fast- 7.5 Might require support growing trees for various from other stakeholders, ecologies to meet the small Immediately Medium NRO to be defined when the timber, firewood and fodder design of the study is requirements of local finalized communities 7.6 Assess and appropriately Might require support document both legal and from other stakeholders, illegal extraction of timber, Short Term Medium NRO to be defined when the fuelwood, fodder and other design of the study is NTFPs from forests finalized 7.7 Study to investigate the Might require support energy needs of rural areas from other stakeholders, and the potential to meet Short Term Low NRO to be defined when the them from local sources design of the study is other than forest areas finalized Study and identify the agro- 7.8 Might require support forestry systems suiting from other stakeholders, various ecological and socio- Short Term Medium NRO to be defined when the economic conditions in the design of the study is rural areas to reduce finalized pressure on forests 7.9 Might require support Develop fire prediction, from other stakeholders, Medium warning and control systems Medium NRO to be defined when the Term for fire prone forests design of the study is finalized Identify productive and cost 7.1 Might require support effective silvicultural, from other stakeholders, harvesting and conversion Short Term Low NRO to be defined when the operations for enhanced design of the study is productivity and minimal finalized wood wastage Might require support 7.11 Develop and disseminate from other stakeholders, insect and disease control Short Term Low NRO to be defined when the mechanisms for different design of the study is forest types finalized 7.12 Study the socio-economic conditions of the forest Might require support dependent communities and from other stakeholders, Medium classify them with respect to Low NRO to be defined when the Term their vulnerability and design of the study is resilience to climate change finalized and REDD+ interventions

~ 93 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Time Relative No Topic/activity Responsible Comments Frame Cost 7.13 Might require support Investigate the carbon from other stakeholders, sequestration potential of Immediately Medium NRO to be defined when the different plant species design of the study is finalized 7.14 Explore economic options to Might require support be provided to communities from other stakeholders, affected as a result of Short Term Low NRO to be defined when the addressing the drivers of design of the study is deforestation finalized 7.15 Study linking drivers with Might require support hotspots of deforestation and from other stakeholders, forest degradation and Immediately Low NRO to be defined when the identify locations for piloting design of the study is REDD+ interventions finalized 8. Benefit Sharing Mechanism 8.1 Analyze, design, through a wide consultation, and agree the exact benefit sharing Short Term Low NRO, MoCC mechanisms to link the country with international results based payments 8.2 Establish a national REDD+ fund or adjust any existing structure to receive Medium Low NRO, MoCC international results based Term payments in accordance to activity 8.1 8.3 Establish clear benefit sharing mechanism NRO, (equitable, transparent) at Medium Provincial Low provincial and local level, Term Management according to results from Units activity 8.3. 9. National Forest Reference Emissions Level And National Forest Monitoring System NRO, 9.1 Results from current Provincial Consolidate NFMS Immediately Medium consultancies will Management provide further guidance Units 10. Capacity Building, Communication And Awareness Rising 10.1 The strategy could include a newsletter published quarterly or Develop a communication bi-monthly to the public, strategy to differentiated on its webpage, to stakeholders about REDD+, Immediately Low NRO ensure public are sustainable activities and aware, and able to have practices their say on important matters on a frequent basis. ~ 94 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Time Relative No Topic/activity Responsible Comments Frame Cost 10.2 Design a plan to continuously strengthen capacities of stakeholders, legislators, general public, Requires additional NGOs, environmental Short Term Medium NRO partners for its organization, private sector implementation. and schools to take informed decisions, participate in implementation, monitor progress and achieve results 10.3 Through multiple workshops, build organizational capacities and knowledge on sustainable forest management of local communities (particularly Requires additional vulnerable groups) to Short Term Medium NRO partners for its contribute to planning, implementation. implementation and accountability and grievance redressal mechanism and to engage in dialogues with key stakeholders Incorporate REDD+ concept Requires additional 10.4 Medium and approach in higher Low NRO partners for its Term education and schools implementation. 10.5 Develop a country-wide awareness-rising campaign Requires additional Medium to bring the importance of Medium NRO partners for its Term ecosystems for the implementation. development 11. Social Safeguards 11.1 Results from current consultancies will NRO, provide further Develop and consolidate the Provincial Immediately Medium guidance. SIS Management Might require Units participation of additional stakeholders NRO, 11.2 Design and establish a Results from current Provincial Grievance Redressal Short Term Medium consultancies will Management Mechanism provide further guidance Units Design and establish Social 11.3 NRO, and Gender Mainstreaming Results from current Provincial strategy for planning, Short Term Medium consultancies will Management implementation and impact provide further guidance Units levels

~ 95 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

Time Relative No Topic/activity Responsible Comments Frame Cost 12.3 Develop guidelines or protocol to ensure during REDD+ implementation: -Gender equality -Full and effective Results from current participation, including consultancies will thorough landowner NRO, provide further awareness-raising and Provincial Short Term Medium guidance. information sharing on Management Might require various implications of the Units participation of proposed REDD+ additional stakeholders activities/projects, prior to its development -Respecting rights of local communities and vulnerable groups 12. Evaluation and Revision 12.1 PC procedures might Develop the evaluation provide guidance to framework, including comply with national considerations to evaluation Inmediately Low NRO standards. procedures, efficiency, Requires participation of results and impact other stakeholders for discussion 12.2 Design a list of indicators to monitor and assess the Requires participation of impact of REDD+ Short Term Low NRO other stakeholders for implementation by the MoCC discussion and provincial forest departments 12.3 Design a mechanism to update the Strategy to catch Short Term Low NRO up with eventual new international commitments

~ 96 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

8. REFERENCES

Anon. 1992. Forestry Sector Master Plan. Planning and Development Division, Government of Pakistan/Asian Development Bank, Islamabad.

Castren, T.; Katila, M.; Lindroos, K.; Salmi, J. 2014. Private Financing for Sustainable Forest Management and Forest Products in Developing Countries: Trends and drivers. Washington, DC: Program on Forests (PROFOR).

Climate Law and Policy & Hagler Baily Pakistan, 2017. Preparing a FGRM for REDD+ after an Explicit Assessment of Existing Feedback and Grievance Redressal Mechanisms (FGRM) & Developing Safeguards Information System (SIS) and Social and Environmental Management Framework (ESMF) through Strategic Environmental and Social Assessment (SESA), Interim Progress Report. Ministry of Climate Change.

Government of Pakistan, n. d. a. Provisional summary results of 6th population and housing census-2017. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/provisional-summary-results-6th-population- and-housing-census-2017-0

Government of Pakistan, n. d. b. Population, Labour Force and Employment. Ministry of Finance. Retrieved from http://www.finance.gov.pk/survey/chapters_16/12_Population.pdf

Government of Pakistan, 2009. Land Use Atlas of Pakistan. Ministry of Environment, National Land Use Plan Project.

Government of Pakistan, 2014. Readiness Preparation Proposal (R-PP). Ministry of Climate Change, Islamabad, Pakistan. Available at https://www.forestcarbonpartnership.org/pakistan

Government of Pakistan, 2016. Pakistan’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (PAK-INDC). Available at http://www4.unfccc.int/ndcregistry

Government of Pakistan 2017.Notification No. 1-1/2016/NRC/WG. Islamabad the 14th September 2017.

Iqbal, M. and Memoona W. (2014), Evolution of Forest Management, Historical Perspective, Application and Implications in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Maaha Sahar Publishers, Islamabad.

Ministry of Climate Change (2016) Pakistan’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (Pak-INDC). Ministry of Climate Change, Islamabad, Pakistan.http://www.mocc.gov.pk/

Ministry of Planning Development & Reform 2014.http://pc.gov.pk/vision/vision

~ 97 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

PFI 2012. Land Cover Atlas of Pakistan. Pakistan Forest Institute. Forestry Sector Research and Development Program.

PwC. 2012. Assessing Options for Effective Mechanisms to Share Benefits: Insights for REDD+ Initiatives. Washington, DC: Program on Forests (PROFOR).

UNDP, 2009. Human Development Report - Overcoming barriers: Human mobility and development. United Nations Development Program. New York, 2009.

UNDP, 2016. Human Development Report – Human Development for Everyone. United Nations Development Programme. New York, 2016

UNSD, n. d. Country profile - Pakistan. The United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) (Last consulted February 2018 from http://data.un.org/CountryProfile.aspx?crName=PAKISTAN

Valentim J., Prado J.M. Social discount rates. Tech. rept. SSRN.com. 2008 http://ssrn.com/abstract=1113323

Vatn, A.; Vedeld, P., 2013. National governance structures for REDD+, Global Environmental Change, Volume 23, Issue 2, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2012.11.005.

~ 98 ~

National REDD+ Strategy and its Implementation Framework

~ 99 ~