FIP/SC.19/4 November 17, 2017 Meeting of the FIP Sub-Committee Washington D.C. Wednesday, December 13 – Thursday, December 14, 2017 Agenda Item 4 FIP INVESTMENT PLAN FOR CONGO REPUBLIC PROPOSED DECISION The FIP Sub-Committee, having reviewed document FIP/SC.19/4, FIP Investment Plan for Congo Republic, [endorses] the investment plan as a basis for the further development of the projects and programs foreseen in the plan and takes note of the request for USD 24 million (USD 6 million in grant funding and USD 18 million in loan financing). The FIP Sub-Committee reaffirms that all allocation amounts are indicative for planning purposes and that approval of funding will be on the basics of high-quality investment plans and projects, subject to the availability of funds. MINISTERE DE L'ECONOMIE FORESTIERE REPUBLIQUE DU CONGO UnitéxTrava i lx Progrès CABINET COORDINATION NATIONALE REDD POINT FOCAL PIF/CAFI Brazzaville, le 3 t 0C,î, Z0l7 tu{:!l!lJ M E F/cAB/cN - RE E D/ PFPIF-CAFI.- Le Qoint lFoca[ Madame Mafalda DUARTE Programme Manager CIF Administrative Unit World Bank WASHINGTON DC USA Chère Madame, La mission conjointe Gouvernement de la République du Congo-Banques multilatérales, réalisée du 11 au 15 septembre 2017 à Brazzaville, dans le cadre du suivi de l'élaboration du Plan d'investissement de la Stratégie Nationale REDD+, a, entre autres, révisé le calendrier d'élaboration de ce plan d'action. J'ai I'honneur de vous faire parvenir, ci-joint, conformément au calendrier révisé, la version anglaise du PIan d'investissement, qui sera examinée par le sous-comité du Programme d'Investissement Forestier (PIF), prévu le 13 décembre 2077 à Washington. Veuillez agréer, Chère Madame, l'expression de ma considération distinguée, ffi Q^"8"9) October 31, 2017 National REDD+ Strategy Investment Plan for the Republic of Congo 2018- 2025 (Version 5) 1 National REDD+ Strategy Investment Plan - Version 5 CONTENTS Summary of the National REDD+ Strategy Investment Plan .............................................. 10 Section 1: Description of the national and sectoral context .............................................. 18 1. Economic and social context in the Republic of Congo ............................................................... 18 2. State and governance of forest resources and woodlands ......................................................... 20 3. Changes in forest cover ............................................................................................................... 23 4. Description of greenhouse gas emission sources ........................................................................ 26 5. Historical and future drivers of deforestation and forest degradation ....................................... 27 Section 2: Identification of opportunities for greenhouse gas abatement ......................... 32 1. The vision of the Republic of Congo ............................................................................................ 32 2. REDD+ National Strategy options and sub-options ..................................................................... 34 Section 3: Framework of implementation of the REDD+ process ...................................... 37 1. Political and regulatory framework ............................................................................................. 37 2. REDD+ Multisectoral Institutional Arrangements ....................................................................... 44 3. National System for Measurement, reporting and verification (SYNA-MRV) ............................. 45 4. REDD+ safeguards ........................................................................................................................ 46 Section 4: Expected co-benefits from investments ........................................................... 48 1. Co-benefits ................................................................................................................................... 48 Section 5: Collaboration between MDBs and other partners ............................................ 51 1. Partners and sources of funding mobilized for the implementation of the National REDD+ Strategy for the 2018-2025 period ....................................................................................................................... 51 2. Prospective partners and sources of funding for the implementation of SN REDD over the 2018- 2025 period ............................................................................................................................................ 56 Section 6: Identification of the REDD+ programs to implement over the 2018-2025 period59 1. Theory of change ......................................................................................................................... 59 2. Enabling programs ....................................................................................................................... 62 3. Geographically integrated programs ........................................................................................... 65 4. Identification and justification of the co-funding of the projects submitted to the FIP ............. 69 Section 7: Risk assessment and mitigation measures........................................................ 78 Section 8: Financing plan and instruments ....................................................................... 81 Section 9: Results framework for the implementation of the investment plan .................. 85 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................ 88 2 National REDD+ Strategy Investment Plan - Version 5 Appendix 1: Projects proposed for FIP funding ................................................................. 90 1. Agroforestry project in degraded and non-forest areas in North Congo .................................... 90 2. Community and fuelwood agroforestry in the departments of Pool and Plateaux .................. 101 Appendix 2: National Land-Use Planning Project ............................................................ 113 Appendix 3: Stakeholder participation plan ................................................................... 124 1. Stakeholder definition ............................................................................................................... 124 2. Investment Plan monitoring committee ................................................................................... 124 3. Consultation process ................................................................................................................. 125 4. Other consultations ................................................................................................................... 129 Appendix 4: Information on the integration of the Dedicated Grant Mechanism for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in the investment strategy ........................................... 130 1. The DGM in the Republic of Congo ........................................................................................... 130 2. The stages of the constitution of the National Steering Committee ........................................ 130 3. The 2017 National Steering Committee work plan ................................................................... 133 4. Provisional selection of DGM investments in Congo ................................................................. 133 Appendix 5: Independent review of the Investment Plan ............................................... 136 Appendix 6: Government response to FIP independent reviewer’s comments ................ 151 TABLES Table 1 : Distribution of forestry plantations by administrative department (source : CNIAF, 2016) 22 Table 2: Trends in gross and net deforestation rates between 2000 and 2010 (source : BRLi, 2014) 23 Table 3: The Republic of Congo’s 2000-2020 FREL (MEFDDE, 2017c) 25 Table 4: Description of options and sub-options for the National REDD+ Strategy 34 Table 5 : Regulatory framework, strengths and weaknesses of forest management in the Republic of Congo 40 Table 6 : Ongoing policy measures in support of REDD+ 45 Table 7: Main co-benefits expected from the implementation of the National REDD+ Strategy 52 Table 8: Overview of the main projects aligned with the National REDD+ Strategy implemented and planned in the Republic of Congo 58 3 National REDD+ Strategy Investment Plan - Version 5 Table 9: Description of components, potential partners and implementation agency considered for the INDC implementation in the Republic of Congo in the land-use and forest sector 64 Table 10: Implementation programmes for the National REDD+ Strategy for the 2018-2025 period 68 Table 11: Activities and financial partners for the ERM in the Republic of Congo 73 Table 12 : Rationale for the FIP program in relation to REDD+ and MDB strategies 80 Table 13 : Risks and mitigation measures for the implementation of the National REDD+ Strategy and the priority program 87 Table 14: Financing plan for REDD+ identified programmes over the 2018-2025 period 91 Table 15 : Financing Plan for programs proposed for co-funding by FIP 92 Table 16: Estimated budget for the implementation of the Investment Plan 93 Table 17: Results framework for the National REDD+ Strategy Investment Plan 94 Table 18: Alignment of the agroforestry plantation project in Northern Congo, mainly in degraded or non- forest areas with the FIP criteria 109 Table 19: Financing plan for the priority