Download
1 / 7
70 likes | 190 Vues
This document discusses the intricate methodological issues faced in forestry mitigation projects, particularly in the context of climate change mitigation. Key concerns include high uncertainty in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission estimates from biological systems, limitations in data availability, and challenges with biomass estimation techniques. It highlights the need for robust scientific methods to accurately assess carbon stock changes across various ecological zones and species, as well as the importance of understanding land-use dynamics and socio-economic factors. Strategies for addressing these challenges and improving project outcomes are essential for effective climate action.
E N D
Methodological Issues in Forestry Mitigation Projects Indu K Murthy Centre for Ecological Sciences Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, India
Issues • Climate mitigation through forest sector is a contentious issue • Technical, social and political • Uncertainty associated with GHG emission estimates of biological systems high • The uncertainty of estimates of carbon emissions is high in the LUCF sector • Problems of definitions • Biophysical variations that lead to varied estimates • Limitations of methods or availability of multitude of methods to choose from • Limitations of data • Accounting issues
Inventory Techniques • Scientific methods available for estimating C-stock changes in all pools • Aboveground biomass • Robust field ecological methods available for making estimates of aboveground biomass • Plot method adopted • Soil carbon • Reliable and feasible methods available • Variation due to biophysical factors • Difficult to detect small changes over short periods • Below ground biomass and woody litter • Limited methods available • Very little experience w.r.t to BGB
Growth rate of C-pools • Serious limitations w.r.t availability of data on growth rates of different C-pools and forestry activities • Growth rates available only for certain commercially or economically important forestry species • Data for non-commercial forest and horticultural plantation species, naturally regenerating forests and agro-forestry species lacking • No database available for BGB & WL • Biomass estimation equations restricted to commercially important forest species
Baseline Development • Knowledge of historical series of conventional practices in the project area, local socio-economic situation, economic trends that may affect the carbon benefits of a project, and other policy relevant parameters required • Determining land-use/land-cover change critical to accurately estimating carbon benefits • Sound methods necessary in order to state within a level of confidence, how well land-use/land-cover change is predicted. • Updated revenue records not available to analyze current land use • In many places, revenue records do not tally with ground reality
Additionality & Leakage • Additionality: Not an issue • Records available for understanding trends in A&R • Plan documents available for projecting future rates of A&R • Leakage: Not an issue • If in semi-arid zones • When wastelands with no or insignificant biomass being considered as potential land categories for project implementation • with low or insignificant biomass • current dependence of communities low and could be estimated and incorporated into project design
Needs • Need to develop biomass estimation equations for various species commonly opted by communities and farmers • Develop default values for different species across different ecological zones • Rate of change of soil carbon density under different situations – forests, plantation, natural regeneration and agro-forestry situations • Urgent requirement to enable cost-effective and successful development of forestry mitigation projects
