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 agroforestry plantation project in degraded and non-forest areas 111 Table 20: Provisional FIP Schedule for the priority agroforestry plantation project in degraded areas and non-forest areas 111 Table 21: Alignment of community agroforestry and wood energy in the Pool and Plateaux departments 123 Table 22: Financing Plan for the community agroforestry and wood energy project in the Pool and Plateaux departments 125 Table 23: Provisional timetable for the community agroforestry and wood energy project in the Pool and Plateaux departments 126 Table 24: Proposed activity timetable for the national spatial planning support project 134 Table 25: Alignment of the spatial planning project with the investment criteria 136 Table 26: Financing plan for the spatial planning project 137 Table 27: Provisional calendar for the spatial planning project 138 Table 28 : Composition of the National REDD+ Strategy Investment Plan Monitoring Committee 139 Table 29 : Observed participation during the departmental consultations on Drafts 1 and 2 of the Investment Plan 141 Table 30 : Stakeholder representation in the first versions of the Investment Plan review process in the departments 143 Table 31 : Observed participation during the departmental consultations on the examination of projects proposed for the Investment Plan 143 Table 32 : Stakeholder representation in the project proposal review process in the departments 145 4 National REDD+ Strategy Investment Plan - Version 5 FIGURES Figure 1: Administrative Map of the Republic of Congo (source: Ministry of Territorial Development and Major Works Delegation website) 19 Figure 2: Map of forest cover in the Republic of Congo in 2014 (CNIAF, 2015) 21 Figure 3 : Main direct and indirect drivers of deforestation