Strengthening National REDD+ Readiness Through Regional Collaboration

The Winrock-implemented Asia Regional Biodiversity Conservation Program (ARBCP), which is funded by USAID, is working with governments in the lower Mekong Subregion (LMS) to provide technical assistance to LMS partners in the development of a regional REDD program.

In May, over 70 participants from the region attended the LMS REDD+ workshop in Vietnam. The workshop was successful in convening national REDD practitioners from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam and building the basis for collaboration in the future on REDD+.
 
Winrock Ecosystem Services Group’s Dr. Sandra Brown and Dr. Sarah Walker spoke at the event. Dr. Brown provided participants with a view of the impact of REDD+ negotiations on reference emission level (REL) and monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) accounting. She also provided information on the major technical issues required for REDD+ readiness. Dr. Walker closed the presentation session with a technical view on how to link national and project-level interventions.
 
In August, a two-day Regional Workshop in Hanoi brought LMS entities together to compare existing programs, identify capacity gaps and further foster cooperation and collaboration on REDD+. As follow-on during August and September, Winrock staff Michael Netzer and Erin Swails conducted technical training sessions in Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Two concurrent trainings were held in each location for 120 government staff directly involved in the analysis required for the country to develop and implement a REDD strategy. The object of these workshops was to provide training in the technical needs to develop a REL scenario and MRV program integral to achieving REDD readiness.

To complement these LMS REDD readiness activities, ACR has a REDD Avoiding Planned Deforestation project methodology currently in the scientific peer review process for publication in 2010. In addition, ACR has other innovative REDD project methodologies and tools in development for ACR approval in late 2010 / early 2011.