REDD+ Start-up Year 2020 - Roadmap to Result-based andTransferable Outcomes for Sustainable Development

REDD+ for Results-based-payment
and supporting Sustainable
Development in Myanmar

Nyi Nyi Kyaw, Ph.DDirector General, Forest Department, Myanmar
January 21, 2020

Introduction to Myanmar• Myanmar is the largest country in mainland S.E Asia
and ranks 4th in Asia in terms of total forest area
(after China, Indonesia and India; 29 million ha )• Enormous range of forest types from sub-alpine innorthern Kachin to humid tropical lowland forestsin the south• Population (54 million) is still largely rural (70%)
with many ethnic groups• Deforestation rate remains high (nearly 400,000 ha/year),largely due to land conversion for unsustainableagriculture and other causes• Forest degradation also significant (biomass fuels)

Putao in Myanmar

Humid lowland forest in Mergui Archipelago, Tanintharyi

Forest Cover Status –FRA 2015

Status of Permanent Forest Estate
Legal classification

Area (Acre)% of land area

Reserved Forest (RF)29,707,424

17.77%

Protected Public Forest (PPF)

12,653,821

7.57%

42,361,245

25.34%

9,783,609

5.85%

Protected Area System (PAS)

Myanmar Forest Policy (1995) stipulates to designate up to 30% of the total land area as Reserved Forest and Protected Public Forest 10% of the total land area as PAS

Forest Cover in States and Regions
23870
23252

25000
17020

20000
10877

Square

15000

8618
5185

10000
1652

5000

7966
4461

2952
1314

1756

1684
189

1328

06

Forest Cover Change
 Inevitable deforestation at a very high rate Third highest deforestation rate in the world between 2010 and 2015 according to FRA 2015.
50,000Area (000 ha)

40,000

Closed forest
57.97%

51.54%Open forest
49.25%

46.96%

30,00042.92%

20,00010,0000

1990

2000 Year 2005

Annual deforested Area(ha)Annual deforestationrate(%)

1990-2000

434,997.56

1.2

2000-2010

309,588.27

0.9

2010-2015

546,397.1

1.8

Period20102015

Overview of the REDD+ Programme Myanmar• REDD+ Readiness Roadmap developed in 2013;• UN-REDD support for implementation of the Roadmap
began in 2015; and continues up to 2020;• Draft National REDD+ Strategy undergoing broad
consultation (7 line Ministries and with CSOs; sub-national
consultations in all states/regions underway; publiccomments period early in 2018;

The 1st Taskforce meeting• First Forest Reference Level was submitted to UNFCCC
before January 8th, 2018;• Process overseen by National REDD+ Taskforce, reporting
to National Environmental Conservation and Climate
Change Central Committee, and supported by three
Technical Working Groups.
TWG Meetings of Stakeholders Engagement andSafeguards, & Drivers and Strategy for REDD+

Vision for Myanmar’s REDD+:
Myanmar’s forests play a leading role in contributing to climate change mitigation
and adaptation under the NDCs and, through the ecosystem services they provide,
contribute to vibrant sustainable economic, particularly rural development, thus

contributing to the achievement of many of the SDG targets in Myanmar

Mount Khakaborazi in northern Kachin• A phased approach to REDD+ implementation
Phase 1: Readiness
Capacity building and developing systems
Develop National Strategy

Phase 2: Implementation / Piloting
Implement National Strategy
Test & refine methods, implement, further capacity
building• Scale– National Level• Scope– Deforestation

Phase 3: Full National Implementation
Emissions reductions are measured  reported  verified
Results-based financeMyanmar’s Approach to REDD+
1.

Align with the guidance of the UNFCCC.

2.

Promote transformational changes in the way that the country approaches economic and land use
development.

3.

Ensure that policies and measures designed to address greenhouse gas emissions also generate
non-carbon benefits.

4.

Take immediate action on all REDD+ activities likely to have significant mitigation benefits but
focus initially on reporting emissions and removals related to (1) reducing emissions fromdeforestation, and (2) the enhancement of forest carbon stocks through afforestation andreforestation.

5.

Require any projects targeting sub-national actions, and those under other forest carbon
mechanisms to follow guidelines linked to the national REDD+ development process and UNFCCC
decisions and guidance, and to absorb the additional costs of reconciling carbon accounting andsafeguards information.

The Four REDD+ “Design” Elements
Myanmar has been preparing Warsaw
Framework (Four REDD+ Design Elements)
for REDD+ Readiness.
SCALE
 REDD+ should be implemented at thenational scale Countries can start by implementing
at the subnational scale  with aview to transitioning to national scale

National
Strategy &/orAction Plan

National Forest
Monitoring
System

Safeguards
InformationSystemForestReferenceLevel

Progress of REDD+ Readiness for Result-based Payment
National REDD+ Strategy
 National Consultation/Validation Workshop on
REDD+ Strategies has been organized (10-11September 2019). It will be adopted formallyvery soon. Forty Four Policies and Measures
were identified in the National REDD+Strategy.

Forest Reference Emissions Level
 The Technical Assessment (TA) process ofthe FREL is completed and the FREL has
been posted on the UNFCCC website(https://redd.unfccc.int/submissions.html?cou
ntry=mmr).
 Plans have been developed for further
improvement and refinement of the FREL.

Progress of REDD+ Readiness
National Forest Monitoring System
 NFI, design and sampling approaches developed, multistakeholder consultation on NFI design carried out and(technical) approaches agreed with key stakeholders; Field training for NFI methodology for field crews has been
done in Feb 2019. Field testing in 6 districts: Bogalay,Myinchan, Pyinoolwin, Tharyarwaddy, Pinlaebu, Ywarngan
were also done.
 Implementation of NFI will be started in 2020.

Safeguards Information System (SIS) Plans have been developed to produce Myanmar’s first“Summary of Information (SoI)” in 2019 and underprocess for recruiting national consultant for thedevelopment of SoI together with UN-Environment
Regional Team.

REDD+ and the NDC• The Mitigation component of Myanmar’s (I)NDC encompasses twosectors: Forestry, and Energy;• The Forestry target is that, by 2030, Myanmar’s Reserved Forests
and Protected Public Forests amount to 30% of total national landarea; and Protected Areas cover 10% of total national land area, as
set out in the 30-Year National Forestry Master Plan (2001-30);• The Energy targets include the use of at least 30% renewable sourcesfor rural electrification; and to distribute approx. 260,000 cookstoves
between 2016-2031; and• The Adaptation component identifies 4 priority sectors: (1)agricultural resilience, including forest protection; (2) public healthprotection/water resource management; (3) coastal zone protection;and (4) energy & industry sectors, and biodiversity preservation.

Putao in Myanmar

REDD+ and NDC
SectorForestry

Intended contribution(s)• Reserved Forest (RF) and Protected Public
Forest (PPF) = 30% of total national land area
• Protected Area Systems (PAS) = 10% of total
national land areaSupporting actions• 30-Year National Forestry Master Plan
(2001-30)• UN-REDD Programme• European Union’s Forest Law Enforcement
Governance Trade (FLEGT)

Renewables- Hydro9.4 GW installed capacity by 2030

Long Term Energy Master Plan
National Electrification Master Plan

- Rural electrification

Rural electrification through the use of at least
30% renewable sources.

Comprehensive Village Development Plan

- Industrial energy
efficiency

20% energy saving by 2030 of the total forecast
electricity
consumption.

Partnership with Global Environment Facility
to demonstrate possible economy widesavings- Cookstoves

To distribute approximately 260,000 cookstoves
between 2016 and2031.

Comprehensive Plan for Dry Zone Greening(2001-31) programme
15

REDD+ related to Main SDG in Myanmar
For many of Myanmar’s poor
(26%), living in rural areas, forests
are a source of income. Through
REDD+ their capacity to increase
incomes from the forests will be
developedForests are a direct source of foodbut also support the productivityof agro-ecosystems

Revitalizing forest industries,
including the Myanmar TimberEnterprise, can provide work andcontribute to economic growth

Many women are leaders ofcommunity forest groups, incontrast to the gender situation inmost of the rest of society
Many rural communities aremarginalized; empowering themthrough REDD+ can reduce
inequality

Forests are central to Myanmar’s(I)NDCThe underlying causes of threats toforests are often the same as thoseleading to conflict, including weak
institutions. This is central to Myanmar’s
efforts to resolve internal conflicts

REDD+ to Support SDGs
• Myanmar is well-advanced in developing a comprehensive
policy framework in support of green development.
Myanmar Sustainable Development Plan (MSDP), which
encompasses:
 Environmental Policy Climate Policy Land Use Policy
 Waste Management Policy Nature Based Solutions will be a key part of our mitigation
and adaptation strategy.

Hkakaborazi Landscape’s World Heritage journey

The Mergui's mangrove forests

Zwekabin mountain in Kayin stateResults/progress/achievements• Myanmar has made dramatic advances from the incomplete anduncoordinated policy environment of a decade ago. Policy
development is now much more inclusive – for example the Land
Use Policy went through multiple rounds of extensive publicconsultation and inputs.
• The current government banned all logging for one year and inparts of Bago-Yoma for 10 years; annual allowable cuts (AAC)
reduced to sustainable levels; implementation of 10-year
Myanmar Reforestation and Rehabilitation Programme (MRRP),
10-year Re-introducing Natural Habitats (RNH), FLEG-T etc.
• Despite starting on REDD+ readiness later than many countries,
Myanmar is rapidly catching up, and is looking towards RBP’s by2020.

Forests in Myanmar. Photo: REDD+ Myanmar

Forests in Myanmar. Photo: REDD+ Myanmar

Key Lessons• REDD+ can be a catalyst not only for more sustainable forest
management, but also for increased democratization of
governance structures and conflict resolution – a very
important issue in Myanmar.
• The REDD+ Readiness process in Myanmar has contributed
to empowerment of many stakeholder groups, including
those that have been historically marginalized (e.g., women,Indigenous People).
• Addressing indirect drivers of deforestation and forest
degradation is, first and foremost, a policy issue – the policy
environment needs to support on-the-ground actions.
• Myanmar stands on the brink of major progress in reducing
deforestation and forest degradation, but needsinternational cooperation and support.

Mergui Islands by Micheal Capaldi

Thank you very much!

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,
sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse
land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

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Website: http://www.myanmar-redd.org/
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