MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) signed yesterday an agreement for a $3.73-million grant to address climate change-related concerns in the Philippines.
The project is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety.
DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje and GTZ country director Jochem Lange signed the implementing agreement for the three-year project to help the government address climate-change related concerns through the development of an improved forest policy and piloting REDD measures in the country.
REDD is the acronym for “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation,” a concept centered on providing incentives to developing countries to reduce the level of their forest losses.
The concept was highlighted in the Bali Action Plan which cited deforestation and forest degradation, especially in developing countries, contribute significantly to greenhouse gases and that innovative approaches and incentives should be made available to developing countries taking efforts to arrest deforestation and forest degradation.
“No less than the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) have recognized the immense potential of enhancing the capacities of developing countries in restoring their forests as an effective tool to combat climate change,” Paje said.
In the UNFCCC Bangkok conference held in October 2009, the participants agreed that forest restoration could make a “significant contribution to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions both globally and within the region.”
REDD promotes environmental, economic and social benefits while protecting the rights of indigenous peoples and other forest-dependent communities.
Aside from policy development and pilot-testing, the project also seeks to enhance the capacities of the DENR and its partner implementers in planning and implementing climate-relevant forest measures, conflict mitigation, securing land use rights and improving local livelihood.
The project will be implemented in the provinces of Leyte and Panay Island, targeting as beneficiaries the upland watershed-based communities.
In its project summary, around 35,000 tons of carbon is projected to be avoided plus an additional 7,000 tons of carbon to be sequestered annually.