Natural Resources Forum •• (2017) ••–•• DOI: 10.1111/1477-8947.12119 REDD+ in Africa: contexts and challenges Belachew Gizachew, Rasmus Astrup, Pål Vedeld, Eliakimu M. Zahabu and Lalisa A. Duguma Abstract REDD+, a climate change mitigation mechanism that values carbon in tropical forests, is expected to provide Africa with a range of environmental and socio-economic benefits. Drawing on a vast array of literature and personal experiences, this review analyzed particular features and challenges that REDD+ implementation has faced on the continent. The distinct contexts and major challenges regarding governance, finance and technical capacities are discussed, and mechanisms to fill these gaps are suggested. Radical land tenure reform and a perfect safeguard mechanism that transfers forest land and car- bon to the communities are unlikely. REDD+ should rather look for systems that respect local institutional arrangements, and allow forest-based communities to participate in decision-making and benefit sharing, particularly benefits from emer- ging REDD+. Finances for REDD+ infrastructure and the results-based payment are in short supply. While negotiating for potential external sources in the short term, Africa should generate domestic financial resources and look for additional pay- ments for ecosystem services. Africa should also negotiate for forest monitoring capacity building, while strengthening local community forest monitoring. This review contributes to an improved understanding of the contexts and challenges to con- sider in the capacity and policy development for REDD+ implementation. Keywords: Africa; deforestation; finance; governance; forest monitoring; REDD+. 1. Introduction progressively recognize a mitigation mechanism for redu- cing emissions from deforestation and degradation and 1.1. Background promoting conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (REDD+) Deforestation and forest degradation, mainly in the tropics (UNFCCC, 2010). REDD+ aims to provide performance- and subtropics, continue to be a significant source of global based financial incentives for developing countries, with greenhouse gas emissions, second only to the industry sec- the major benefit of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, tor (IPCC, 2014). At the same time, forest conservation particularly from the forest sector. It has also anticipated and management have been thought to offer a relatively co-benefits of addressing socio-economic development low-cost and quick emissions reduction option if the right challenges, such as poverty alleviation and promoting good policies and institutional structures are designed and imple- governance. mented (Richards and Stokes, 2004; Stern, 2007). These In the most recent global climate agreement (the Paris tenets provided the theoretical basis for the United Nations Agreement), REDD+ has been offered a stand-alone article Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) to (Article 5) (UNFCCC, 2015), signaling a continued, broad international political backing of the mechanism. The Belachew Gizachew and Rasmus Astrup are at the Norwegian Institute of emergence of REDD+ has increased the engagement of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Ås, Norway. E-mail: [email protected] and developing countries in global climate change negotiations [email protected] (Agrawal et al., 2011; Miles and Kapos, 2008), whose con- Pål Vedeld is at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Noragric, Ås, Norway. E-mail: [email protected] cerns and interests were largely sidelined in the past. Con- Eliakimu Mnkondo Zahabu is at the Department of Forest Mensuration & sequently, REDD+ has attracted a number of developing Management, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Box 3010, Chuo Kikuu, countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa to participate Morogoro, United Republic of Tanzania. E-mail:[email protected] voluntarily. In the UNFCCC climate change negotiations, Lalisa A. Duguma is at World Agroforestry Center and ASB Partnership however, African countries have been lumped in one large for the Tropical Forest Margins, Nairobi, Kenya. E-mail: l.a. – [email protected] group the Africa group and the Group of 77 (G77), a © 2017 The Authors. Natural Resources Forum © 2017 United Nations 2 Gizachew Belachew et al. / Natural Resources Forum •• (2017) ••–•• block consisting of countries with very different views and related land tenure reform issues are critical for success, interests. Divergence in views often leads to difficulties in but highly sensitive in the context of Africa (Larson et al., reaching consensus or that negotiating positions are only 2013). (6) REDD+ requires a credible system that will stated in very general terms (Kasa et al., 2008). African ensure measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of countries are thus too disenfranchised to influence major emissions from forests (UNFCCC, 2010). African coun- decisions and to promote Africa’s unique but diverse inter- tries, however, have not been able to accurately measure ests in climate change negotiations (Atela and and report the carbon in their forests. Quinn, 2014). Since the emergence of REDD+, there has been a surge Despite a weak role in significantly influencing the in literature on related topics, such as the evolution, policy, course of the UNFCCC negotiations and the challenges financing, and monitoring of forest carbon. Nevertheless, they face in implementing REDD+, 26 African countries particular features in the context of REDD+ in Africa, as have shown interest so far, mostly through their national well as the potential challenges that REDD+ in Africa REDD+ readiness plans and policy documents. Some have might face, are poorly documented and debated. The objec- also established REDD+ pilot projects. Most are partnering tives of this paper are to analyze features and challenges with UN-REDD, have signed bilateral agreements with that Africa might face in implementing REDD+, and to developed countries or have sought multilateral arrange- offer some mechanisms for addressing these challenges. ments with international financing or technical institutions. Such analyses may contribute to an improved understand- ing of urgent features and challenges for capacity and pol- 1.2. Features and challenges icy development to enable REDD+ implementation in Africa. Implementing REDD+ in sub-Saharan Africa (Africa, here- after) has unique features in addressing (points 1–3 below), and faces a number of roadblocks (points 4–6 below). 2. Method (1) Africa faces a high potential for increased emissions, as African forests are under continuous threat from defor- This paper draws, initially, on published scientific literature estation and degradation (FAO, 2010, 2015; Keenan et al., and reports based on an independent search or search com- 2015). (2) Africa is home to the largest proportion of bination of major terms, including REDD+, Africa, defor- forest-dependent subsistence households in the world estation, finance, governance, and forest monitoring. The (Somorin, 2010). Consequently, the drivers of deforestation main research question that guided the literature search and forest degradation in Africa are mainly subsistence was ‘what are the particular features and challenges REDD+ livelihood-related national and local scale drivers (FAO, has faced in Africa?’ Because REDD+ is a relatively 2010; Fisher, 2010; Hosonuma et al., 2012; Kissinger recent development, most of the available evidence is et al., 2012). Thus, the challenge to the African forest sec- found outside of traditional academic literature. Therefore, tor is how to reduce the fast rate of forest depletion, and at a focused literature review targeted UNFCCC documents the same time manage forests and woodlands to provide consisting of ‘Decision Reports’ from the conference of sustainable livelihoods to the large and rapidly growing the parties (UNFCCC, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011a, 2011b, forest-dependent population. Therefore, REDD+ emerges 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015), country reports, and communica- as a viable alternative to those activities that lead to defor- tions from governments and non-governmental organiza- estation and forest degradation, and has the potential to tions (NGOs). A further refined review looked at published represent Africa’s contribution to the global initiatives to scientific literature, policy literature from institutions curb emissions. (3) REDD+ promises socio-economic related to REDD+, such as the UNFCCC and UN-REDD, development, including poverty reduction and sustainable key journals related to climate, environmental and forest livelihoods (Atela et al., 2014; Pokorny et al., 2013). The policy issues in the tropics, and country-level reports on envisaged contribution to the goal of socio-economic REDD+. The refined search, together with our own experi- development is, particularly, more attractive than the cli- ences, enabled an understanding of the particular features mate goal because in the African context, socio-economic of REDD+ in Africa. Furthermore, these sources were used development takes precedence over climate change mitiga- to identify the challenges African countries have faced or tion. Hence, many African countries have recognized a will potentially face in moving from the readiness phase substantial potential in REDD+ and documented their (i.e., policy, technical and structural preparation phase) to interests through their readiness activities, national strate- REDD+ implementation on the ground. The analyses fur- gies and demonstration projects. (4) REDD+