Theme:

REDD+ and Climate Change Adaptation

There are potential synergies between REDD+ and the ability of populations to adapt to the impacts of climate change, including effects such as increased water scarcity or increased flooding, and changes in crop yields due to rising temperatures. REDD+ is often described as an important factor in enabling climate change adaptation, helping to protect biodiversity and reducing erosion, whilst also building resilience of local livelihoods and resources. 

However, the links between REDD+ and the adaptation of people are not necessarily straight forward. REDD+ could increase vulnerability to climate change, depending on the types of policies and rules used to implement it. For example, some policies may affect access to land and natural resource assets, both of which are essential assets used by the poor to deal with climate shocks and stresses.

REDD-net has been working to analyse the linkages between REDD+ and the adaptation of people. In addition to the work highlighted below, further case studiesare underway in Latin America and Asia.

REDD-net will also be hosting an official side event on this topic at  COP17 in Durban, so we look forward to your input there. We will also be publishing a brief summary of the event if you are unable to attend.

Further Resources

  1. Synergies between REDD+ and adaptive capacity at the local level - a Ghana case studyThis case study uses the Local Adaptive Capacity (LAC) framework developed by the African Cl...
  2. Forests for Climate Change Adaptation in the Congo Basin: Responding to an Urgent Needs with Sustainable Practices This information brief recaps the opportunities for integrating poverty alleviation and clim...
  3. Berau Forest Carbon Program: Delivering Practical Solutions to Support Development of a National-level REDD Framework in IndonesiaThis articles looks at the Forest Carbon Programme in Berau, Indonesia. Main characteristics...
  4. Sustainable Forest Management, Biodiversity and LivelihoodsThis guide provides several case studies in which forest management became more biodiversity...

More Case Studies

  1. Connecting Biodiversity and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: Report of the Second Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Biodiversity and Climate ChangeThis report explores how biodiversity is related to both climate change adaptation and mitig...
  2. The Role of Social Forestry in Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in the ASEAN regionRecognizing the important role that people living in and around forests play in forest manag...
  3. Tropical Forests and Climate Change Adaptation: Criteria and Indicators for Adaptive Management for Reduced Vulnerability and Long-Term SustainabilityA final technical report contracted by EuropeAid describing the activities of the Tropical F...
  4. Facing an uncertain future: how forest and people can adapt to climate changeThis report presents the case for adaptation for tropical forests (reducing the impacts of c...
  5. Forest transitions in the tropics. Are tropical forests on their way to recovery?This report looks at recent scientific insights into tropical forest dynamics, with special ...

More Research Reports

  1. Realising REDD+: National Strategy and Policy OptionsThis book looks at the national and local dimensions of REDD and seeks to inform processes o...
  2. International Forest Policy: Integrated climate and forestry policy optionsThis article provides an overview of carbon finance initiatives and proposals, and analyses ...

More Tools

  1. Forests and climate change adaptation in AsiaThe FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, RECOFTC - The Centre for People and Forest...
  2. REDD+ and adaptation to climate change in East AfricaIn East Africa REDD+ has the potential to contribute to national adaptation objectives, howe...
  3. REDD+ and adaptation: will REDD+ contribute to adaptive capacity at the local level?Adaptation is of high priority in many developing countries where the impacts of climate cha...
  4. Adaptation- just a fancy new name?An entry into the Forests blog, managed by the Center for International Forestry Research (C...
  5. No Regrets: Maintaining Forests for Adaptation and MitigationThe author argues that while governments will face trade-offs in deciding how to respond to ...

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