The UN-REDD Programme Measurement, Assessment, Reporting and Verification (MARV) Issues and Options for REDD 10 March 2009 Peter Holmgren

Why MARV? Cornerstone for carbon accounting –national communications to UNFCCC –one starting point for baseline establishment –supports national / sub-national implementation of incentive systems Support to policy formulation and feedback –knowledge of drivers of change –information on multiple benefits

What is MARV? M easurement Data from Field Sampling, Remote Sensing A ssessment Results from analyses and models, including quality measures R eporting National communications to UNFCCC using IPCC standards V erification Formal review and verification of reports

Eye on the ball! 5 Carbon pools (IPCC) –Above-ground biomass –Below-ground biomass –Dead wood –Litter –Soil organic matter But also! Broader needs at country level But also! Broader needs at country level

Current data sources Quality

Selected Issues Better MARV = Higher Payments (maybe) –but probably low premium for high precision REDD construction affect cost for MARV –e.g. reporting Frequency considerations –within country REDD implementation Can we do it with proven approaches? Should we expect new methods/techniques? Institutional capacity Varying ecological and land use conditions

Country level considerations Institutional strengthening –long-term –synergies with other needs –political and financial commitments –collaboration Historical emissions –remote sensing –UN-REDD collaboration with Global Forest Resources Assessment initiative

FRA 2010 Remote sensing survey Options for UN-REDD countries

Country level considerations Current and future C stocks and changes –Field sampling –Remote sensing –Models and functions –Links to sub-national levels –Synergies with other information needs Information needs beyond C accounting –Country-specific

International MARV actions facilitated by UN-REDD International capacity development Remote sensing data supply Technical reviews –Multiple benefits assessment, Local, small scale MARV, Forest degradation measurèment, Biomass measurement, Institutional aspects of MARV, Review of possible REDD constructions and implications for MARV, Assessment of historical trends

Partners GTOS, GOFC GOLD, Clinton initiative, Terrestrial Carbon Group, International Forest Carbon Initiative (Aus) Brazil / INPE, GEO / CEOS CD REDD...

Priorities Measurement considerations for meeting IPCC requirements Methodology considerations for meeting additional country requirements Lowering the technology threshold –costs and fragmentation issues Long-term institution and capacity strengthening

Immediate priorities (pre-CPH) Technical reviews / reports to inform parties Workshops / training on issues and options –forest degradation, remote sensing survey, national forest inventories, institutional aspects,... –exchange of country experiences Early results from country programmes –historical emissions –carbon stocks Initiate remote sensing data supply programme