Carbon pools and multiple benefits

CARBON POOLS AND MULTIPLE BENEFITS OF MANGROVES ASSESSMENT FOR REDD+ IN CENTRAL AFRICA

THIS REPORT

The accelerated rates of mangrove loss and the need to maintain the provision of ecosystem services to coastal communities has prompted renewed national and international interests in Central Africanmangroves. Governments of the region have supported various programmes on the rehabilitation, conservation and sustainable utilization of mangrove resources. Nevertheless, these programs have remained small and un-coordinated, and have not reversed current trends of mangrove loss in the region, apart from a few localised exceptions. More comprehensive responses addressing the root causes of theproblems at national and local levels are required. To date, most discussions and preparations for national strategies to reduce deforestation and forest degradation in Central Africa have focused on terrestrial forests, in particular in the context of REDD+ (“Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, conservation of forest carbon stocks, the sustainable management of forests and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks”). REDD+ is an emerging international incentive aimed at providing incentives for tropical countries’ efforts in reducing CO 2 emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, as well as conserving and enhancing forest carbon stocks and sustainable management of forests. A number of Central African countries have embarked on national reforms and investments to improve forest management. At the moment, mangroves are not explicitly included or excluded from the UNFCCC text on REDD+, but neither is any other forest type specifically mentioned either. The UNFCCC

defines a forest as an area of at least 0.05 – 1 hectare in size with 10 to 30% covered by canopy consisting of trees that reach a height of at least 2-5 meters at maturity. By this definition, the majority of mangrove-covered areas (excluding small isolated patches and ‘dwarf’mangroves) are thus eligible ecosystems for support under REDD+. However, in order for this to be true, the country in question must have a national definition of forests that does include mangroves in it. It is worth noting that the UNFCCC definition for forests can be adapted by countries for their particular circumstances, and that countries have the flexibility to apply different definitions of forests for different contexts. This is a key issue for mangroves to be eligible for inclusion in national REDD+ strategies. Making the case for the inclusion of mangrove forests in national REDD+ processes because of the large carbon stocks and valuable multiple benefits they provide in Central Africa is a key focus of this report. Globally mangroves are declining at an accelerated rate, which implies that REDD+ approaches applied to mangroves have climate change mitigation potential. The causes of deforestation and degradation of mangroves are also similar to those affecting terrestrial forests. In fact, the types of cross- sectoral political reforms, investments and monitoring systems being developed for terrestrial forests through REDD+ are relevant in many ways to mangrove forests. This is because they face similar pressures and can provide similar benefits in terms of climate change mitigation and adaptation, and in the provision of ecosystem services.

11