Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Carbon Fund Emission Reductions Program Document (ER-PD) ER Program Name and Country: Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Programme (GCFRP) Date of Submission or Revision: 12 October, 2016 WORLD BANK DISCLAIMER The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in the Emissions Reductions Programme Document (ER-PD) submitted by REDD+ Country Participant and accepts no responsibility for any consequences of their use. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in ER-PD does not imply on the part of the World Bank any legal judgment on the legal status of the territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. The Facility Management Team and the REDD Country Participant shall make this document publicly available, in accordance with the World Bank Access to Information Policy and the FCPF Disclosure Guidance (FMT Note CF-2013-2 Rev, dated November 2013). 0 1 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................. 6 LIST OF ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................................. 9 1. ENTITIES RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGEMENT & IMPLEMENTATION OF ER PROGRAM 13 1.1 ER PROGRAMME ENTITY THAT IS EXPECTED TO SIGN THE EMISSION REDUCTION PAYMENT AGREEMENT (ERPA) WITH THE FCPF CARBON FUND ........................................................................................................... 13 1.2 ORGANIZATION(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGING THE PROPOSED ER PROGRAMME .............................. 13 1.3 PARTNER AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN THE ER PROGRAMME .................................... 14 2. STRATEGIC CONTEXT & RATIONALE FOR THE ER PROGRAMME ....................................... 18 2.1 CURRENT STATUS OF THE READINESS PACKAGE AND SUMMARY OF ADDITIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF READINESS ACTIVITIES IN THE COUNTRY ........................................................................................................... 18 2.2 AMBITION AND STRATEGIC RATIONALE FOR THE ER PROGRAMME ....................................................... 22 2.3 POLITICAL COMMITMENT ...................................................................................................................... 27 3. ER PROGRAM LOCATION .................................................................................................................... 30 3.1 ACCOUNTING AREA OF THE ER PROGRAM ............................................................................................ 30 3.2 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS IN THE ACCOUNTING AREA OF THE ER PROGRAM ............ 31 4. DESCRIPTOIN OF ACTIONS AND INTERVENTIONS TO BE IMPLEMENTED UNDER THE PROPOSED PROGRAM .................................................................................................................................. 34 4.1 ANALYSIS OF DRIVERS AND UNDERLYING CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION AND FOREST DEGRADATION, AND EXISTING ACTIVITIES THAT CAN LEAD TO CONSERVATION OR ENHANCEMENT OF FOREST CARBON STOCKS ...... 35 4.2 ASSESSMENT OF MAJOR BARRIERS TO REDD+ ...................................................................................... 38 4.3 DESCRIPTION AND JUSTIFICATION OF THE PLANNED ACTIONS AND INTERVENTIONS UNDER THE ER PROGRAM THAT LEAD TO EMISSION REDUCTIONS AND/OR REMOVALS .............................................................. 42 A. Institutional Coordination & MRV ....................................................................................................... 45 B. Landscape Planning within HIA areas ................................................................................................. 49 C. Increasing Yields via CSC ................................................................................................................ 51 D. Risk Management/Finance ............................................................................................................... 54 E. Legislative and Policy Reforms ............................................................................................................ 57 4.4 ANALYSIS OF LAWS, STATUTES AND OTHER REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS ............................................. 58 4.5 EXPECTED LIFETIME OF THE PROPOSED ER PROGRAM .......................................................................... 61 4.6 EXPECTED LIFETIME OF THE PROPOSED ER PROGRAMME ...................................................................... 64 5. STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION ........................................................... 65 5.1 DESCRIPTION OF STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION PROCESS .................................................................... 65 5.2 SUMMARY OF THE COMMENTS RECEIVED AND HOW THESE VIEWS HAVE BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ER PROGRAM ................................................................................ 68 6. OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL PLANNING ................................................................................. 77 6.1 INSTITUTIONAL AND IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS ...................................................................... 77 6.2 ER PROGRAM BUDGET .......................................................................................................................... 80 7. CARBON POOLS, SOURCES AND SINKS ........................................................................................... 83 7.1 DESCRIPTION OF SOURCES AND SINKS SELECTED .................................................................................. 83 7.2 DESCRIPTION OF CARBON POOLS AND GREENHOUSE GASES SELECTED ................................................. 83 8. REFERENCE LEVEL ............................................................................................................................... 86 8.1 REFERENCE PERIOD ............................................................................................................................... 86 8.2 FOREST DEFINITION USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE REFERENCE LEVEL ....................................... 86 8.3 AVERAGE ANNUAL HISTORICAL EMISSIONS OVER THE REFERENCE PERIOD .......................................... 87 2 8.3.1 Description of method used for calculating the average annual historical emissions over the Reference Period .......................................................................................................................................... 87 8.3.2 Deforestation activity data and emission factors used for calculating the average annual historical emissions over the Reference Period ............................................................................................ 88 8.3.3 Degradation from legal timber harvest activity data and emission factors used for calculating the average annual historical emissions over the Reference Period .................................................................. 98 8.3.4 Degradation from illegal timber harvest activity data and emission factors used for calculating the average annual historical emissions over the Reference Period .......................................................... 101 8.3.5 Degradation from forest fire activity data and emission factors used for calculating the average annual historical emissions over the Reference Period .............................................................................. 103 8.3.6 Degradation from Woodfuel activity data and emission factors used for calculating the average annual historical emissions over the Reference Period .............................................................................. 109 8.3.7 Enhancement of carbon stocks activity data and emission factors used for calculating the average annual historical emissions over the Reference Period ................................................................ 111 8.3.9 Calculation of the average annual historical emissions over the Reference Period ......................... 115 8.4 ESTIMATED REFERENCE LEVEL ........................................................................................................... 116 8.5 RELATION BETWEEN THE REFERENCE LEVEL, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FREL/FRL FOR THE UNFCCC AND THE COUNTRY’S EXISTING OR EMERGING GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY ................................ 121 9. APPROACH FOR MEASUREMENT, MONITORING AND REPORTING ................................... 121 9.1 MEASUREMENT, MONITORING AND REPORTING APPROACH FOR ESTIMATING EMISSIONS OCCURRING UNDER THE ER PROGRAM WITHIN THE ACCOUNTING AREA ............................................................................ 121 9.2 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE FOR MEASUREMENT, MONITORING AND REPORTING ........................... 130 9.3 RELATION AND CONSISTENCY WITH THE NATIONAL FOREST MONITORING SYSTEM ........................... 139 10. DISPLACEMENT ................................................................................................................................ 139 10.1 IDENTIFICATION OF THE RISK OF DISPLACEMENT ................................................................................ 139 10.2 ER PROGRAM DESIGN FEATURES TO PREVENT AND MINIMIZE POTENTIAL DISPLACEMENT ................. 140 11. REVERSALS ........................................................................................................................................ 142 11.1 IDENTIFICATION OF RISKS OF REVERSALS ..........................................................................................