Pre-feasibility study of REDD+/IFM projects in the framework of the FORAFAMA project Brésil, Cameroun

Context of the service

The FORAFAMA project (Support for the Sustainable Management of the Forests of the Congo Basin and the Brazilian Amazon Basin), funded by the French Global Environment Facility (FFEM) and coordinated by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), aims to:
- Promote the integration of sustainable forest management policies into the future mechanism for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, including conservation, increase of forest carbon stocks and sustainable forest management (REDD+) through the exchange of experiences between the Amazon Basin and the Congo Basin;
- Promote the sustainable exploitation of wood resources through forest management compatible with the preservation of forests and thus perpetuate environmental services contributing to the maintenance of carbon stocks and the increase of local forest incomes.
The project aims in particular to develop demonstration projects that can concretely illustrate the role that sustainable forest management could play in the REDD+ mechanism.
The ONFI/TEREA/FRM/CIRAD consortium was responsible for identifying and designing climate change mitigation projects based on forest management and sustainable forest management involving forest concessionaires.

Services provided

The services provided were as follows:
1/ State of the art of REDD+ and IFM (Improved Forest Management) project methodologies submitted to the VCS (Verified Carbon Standard) and the Community, Climate and Biodiversity Standard (CCBS): identification of constraints and gaps for REDD+ or IFM projects involving forest concessionaires in Central Africa.
2/ Drafting of two project identification notes in Cameroon:
- Identification of pressures on forests and the situation of degradation,
- Design of project activities,
- Definition of roles and responsibilities in the project,
- Analysis of the articulation with the national REDD+ strategy and other sectoral policies,
- Technical pre-feasibility: conditions for the development of the reference scenario, the project scenario, applicable methodologies, additionality analysis, method for monitoring and accounting for leakage (shifting pressures to other areas), specificities of the carbon stock monitoring system to be set up,
- Ex-ante assessment of carbon benefits and financial pre-feasibility,
- Risk analysis and management means,
3/ Presentation of projects to the Steering Committee, selection of projects and development of detailed work programs for their implementation.

Summary of the service

Pre-feasibility study of REDD+/IFM projects as part of the FORAFAMA project (Support for the sustainable management of forests in the Congo Basin and the Brazilian Amazon Basin): State of the art of REDD+ and IFM methodologies submitted to VCS and CCBS; Drafting of two project identification notes in Cameroon (pressure factors, activities, roles/responsibilities, baseline and project scenarios, additionality, carbon benefits, risks, etc.); Presentation to the Steering Committee and work programmes for implementation.