Insight into Ghana experience in REDD+ program
- Par Anya Coutinho
One of the responses of global community to climate change related to forests is conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (and thus reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) in developing countries (REDD+) . This program was negotiated under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at its eleventh session in Montreal (in 2005). It aims at reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) through enhanced forest management in developing countries. Thus, the program is implemented via sustainable development policies and measures (e.g. market and non-market mechanisms) which are expected to reduce emissions and/or enhance removals. Although the name of the program highlights the forests, the REDD+ measures may extend to the agriculture and bioenergy sectors, insofar as these have impact on forests.
Several events related to REDD+ were held at COP24. Different Party and non-party stakeholders took part in these meetings. They discussed several aspects of the program including implementation on national level.
Ghana is one of Parties which actively engages with REDD+. It has developed a national REDD+ strategy and it participates in negotiation on the development of international mechanisms of this program.
There are two main reasons for that. First, forest degradation and deforestation pose significant threat to its citizens. It hinders the provision of goods and services the forest ecosystems provide its people. Besides that, projected increases in temperature and changes in rainfall patterns are among the consequences of climate change which present several threats to the economy and well-being of Ghanaians.
Forestry Commission makes part of Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR) in Ghana and is a body responsible for implementation of multiple Forestry Sector Programmes and Projects. The main goal of these is to protect, develop and manage national forest and wildlife resources, while ensuring the coordination of policies related to them.
The Forestry Commission has been involved with the negotiations of the UNFCCC, and particularly with REDD+. In fact, the Climate Change Unit of the Forestry Commission serves as the REDD+ secretariat of the National REDD+ Technical Working Group. Thomas Yaw Gyambrah, a member of Forestry Commission, REDD+ secretariat, Ghana kindly accepted to tell ULB Inside COPs more about the experience of Ghana in REDD+ program.
Music in the video:
https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music
Several events related to REDD+ were held at COP24. Different Party and non-party stakeholders took part in these meetings. They discussed several aspects of the program including implementation on national level.
Ghana is one of Parties which actively engages with REDD+. It has developed a national REDD+ strategy and it participates in negotiation on the development of international mechanisms of this program.
There are two main reasons for that. First, forest degradation and deforestation pose significant threat to its citizens. It hinders the provision of goods and services the forest ecosystems provide its people. Besides that, projected increases in temperature and changes in rainfall patterns are among the consequences of climate change which present several threats to the economy and well-being of Ghanaians.
Forestry Commission makes part of Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR) in Ghana and is a body responsible for implementation of multiple Forestry Sector Programmes and Projects. The main goal of these is to protect, develop and manage national forest and wildlife resources, while ensuring the coordination of policies related to them.
The Forestry Commission has been involved with the negotiations of the UNFCCC, and particularly with REDD+. In fact, the Climate Change Unit of the Forestry Commission serves as the REDD+ secretariat of the National REDD+ Technical Working Group. Thomas Yaw Gyambrah, a member of Forestry Commission, REDD+ secretariat, Ghana kindly accepted to tell ULB Inside COPs more about the experience of Ghana in REDD+ program.
Music in the video:
https://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music
