1. R-PLAN and REDD activities Review Lao PDR Flag of your country

2. R-PLAN review The program will be led by the National REDD Task Force, assisted by consultants and advisors, and will be comprised of five studies supported by the FCPF (and other studies supported by other donors): (i) REDD Strategy Development and Management; (ii) Development of a Reference Scenario of Deforestation and Degradation; (iii) Design and Implementation of Monitoring, Reporting and Verification Systems; (iv) REDD Implementation Framework Development; and (v) Economic, Social and Environmental Impact Assessment and stakeholder consultation.

3. REDD activities review Readiness (R-PLAN): R-PLAN Application Grant to the World Bank is complete, and awaiting final approval from Ministry of Finance. Forest monitoring system: Plot sampling on satellite images to detect the changes in forest cover and land use between 1992-2002 for the whole country. Includes field verification. A number of Remote Sensing pilots are currently testing potential methods for REDD and carbon stock monitoring. National work plan for REDD: REDD Task Force is developing their Terms of Reference REDD implementation framework: To be developed REDD strategy: To be developed Baseline : To be developed

4. Capacity Building and Training Needs RECOFTC/National University of Lao: Capacity building for grass root level on REDD. RECOFTC collaborate with NUoL and DoF conducted a 2 day REDD training course in Pakse in April. FAO Voluntary carbon market capacity building – submission has been made to FAO. Department of Forestry Inspection (DOFI): IT Training (Basic), Inter-agency workshops, training with economics police. Forest Inventory and Planning Division (FIPD): Training agreement between FIPD and Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute of Japan. The European Space Agency (ESA): expressed their interest to support REDD in Lao PDR by providing inputs to methodological development and capacity building in cooperation with local authorities and technical experts of Lao PDR. National Agricultural and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI): is participating in a German funded regional project on climate change with partners from Yunnan province, China, as well as Myanmar and Thailand. The study site for the project in Lao PDR is in Luang Namtha and the project looks at the impact of large scale plantations, i.e. rubber on shifts in carbon and biodiversity – all 5 sites in the region are close to protected areas.

5. REDD Projects and Pilots Lao-German Cooperation - Programme Forest & Climate Protection / REDD SUFORD has commissioned the Study on Options for Monitoring Changes in Forest- based Carbon Stock in Lao PDR. 2 pilots were conducted in the field which included the interpretation of orthophotographs and laser scanning data (LIDAR) by Finnmap, and applying a sample of VHR (Very High Resolution) optical satellite data to provide information on key forest and land cover characteristics with confidence intervals. JICA: - Developing a methodology for estimating emissions from deforestation and degradation in slash and burn areas using remote sensing JICA: - Feasibility study on incentive mechanisms under REDD in Lao PDR Proposals The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research has approached NAFRI to participate in a regional project on sustainable ecosystems, climate change and REDD. The proposal is worth AUD 4.5 million over 4.5 years. SNV has done an assessment on an REDD engagement in Lao PDR. A decision needs to be made.