Regional Platform for Advancing REDD+ Implementation in the Guiana Shield

It is currently estimated that deforestation in tropical regions accounts for 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In response to this alarming reality, the international REDD+ initiative—“Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries”—was launched in 2005. Its principle is to allocate REDD+ credits, financed by industrialized countries, to developing countries that commit to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions related to deforestation and forest degradation, while integrating environmental concerns into their development policies.

The Guiana Shield is a prime geographic target for the REDD+ mechanism. Its forests serve as carbon sinks that help limit greenhouse gas emissions and are therefore essential in the fight against climate change. At the Poznań Climate Conference in December 2008, the President of Guyana and the Ministers of the Environment of France and Suriname jointly called for an initiative to preserve forests and contribute to the well-being of the region’s people and biodiversity. The “Regional Platform for the Development of REDD+ on the Guiana Shield” project is a direct response to that call.

The project comprises three main technical components:

• Improving forest carbon inventories (estimating changes in forest cover and carbon stocks) in France (French Guiana), Suriname, Guyana, and Brazil (State of Amapá).
• Enhancing understanding of the drivers of deforestation and/or forest degradation.
• Modelling deforestation and/or forest degradation.

As this is inherently a project operating at the interface between science, policy, and implementation, activities will be carried out under an adaptive management strategy. The aim is to continuously position the project in the most relevant way in relation to the evolving national contexts of the target countries, as well as the highly dynamic international REDD+ landscape.

The project will contribute to:

• Reducing pressure on natural resources while supporting the economic development of partner countries.
  By strengthening the capacities of forest services and research centers on technical issues related to carbon stocks, the project helps lay the groundwork for the REDD+ mechanism, which is expected to generate long-term revenue. Forests can indeed serve as sources of economic activity and income for countries—through carbon revenues from REDD+ activities, sustainable forest management, ecotourism, and more.
• Promoting social development in partner countries.
  The project supports improved land-use planning that respects forest-dependent communities and Indigenous Peoples, while also contributing to better delivery of social services.
• Fostering regional knowledge sharing and information exchange.
  This approach enhances communication between government agencies, donors, civil society organizations, and Indigenous populations. It will also stimulate learning and innovation among institutions across the partner countries.