Trees, Forests and People (Sep 2022)
REDD+ Social and Environmental Standards (SES): Up-scaling Nepal's experiences and learning
Abstract
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) projects are implemented to incentivize good forest management practices. For promoting effective social and environmental safeguards, following the Copenhagen meeting, REDD+ Social and Environmental Standards (SES) were formulated in 2009 to contribute toward poverty reduction, human rights, and biodiversity conservation. Of the total 15 countries have either completed or are developing SES. Nepal will become the second country after Brazil (Acre) to publish its first REDD+ SES Assessment Report. This paper shares Nepal's findings on REDD+SES framework preparation, and associated processes including the assessment report. Despite efforts, there is no standard format for the assessment report- making the interpretation and inferences difficult to compare against the SES standards. Likewise, many indicators are objective, lacking detailed horizontal and vertical linkages- in times depicting partial and incomplete scenarios. This study involved desk review, consultations (with 130 individuals), interactive workshops, and community visits (In Dolakha, Gorkha, and Kailali districts). We found out that there is a need to define indicators’ thresholds to depict the different levels of achievements. Likewise, we show that there is a clear need to prepare a standard reporting format for SES. By defining thresholds for indicators, interpretations will be meaningful and by designing a standard reporting format temporal and spatial comparisons will be easier. Likewise, we find that REDD+ implementation lacks the required capacity at the district and local level for proper implementation including the need to ensure direct benefits to community forest users. We present Nepal's learning and recommendations on these shortcomings as nations attempt to formulate their respective REDD+ safeguards and assessment report.
