· There are three pillars in the Norwegian funded REDD+ initiative in Tanzania: research-initiatives, the National REDD+ Task Force and pilot projects implemented by NGOs.
· A new contract extends support to IRA for functioning as the Secretariat for the REDD+ Task Force.
· Under the former project a REDD+ framework and a draft REDD+ strategy have been produced. Next project will focus on the finalization of the REDD- strategy, development of safeguards and capacity to monitor, report and verify (MRV) the carbon storage within the national forests, including establishment of a National Carbon Monitoring Centre.
· A Real-Time evaluation on all the Norwegian REDD+ initiatives globally, including Tanzania has so far been characterized by the international evaluation team, as very promising.
Nine pilot projects implemented by NGOs, a REDD+ lessons learning network, development of safeguards and mechanisms for benefit sharing, capacity on monitoring of the forest resources and 15 research projects , are supported from the Royal Norwegian Embassy under the bilateral partnership arrangement. The pilots are testing out a range of issues related to REDD+, amongst them options for benefit-sharing mechanisms and alternative livelihood. Research is done to also get improved knowledge on how to address the drivers of deforestation incentive-options, MRV, land tenure and carbon-stocks. The Lessons Learning Network is expected to provide added-value linkages between NGO-projects, NGOs and national level policy makers, and strengthen the dialogue between various levels of stakeholders. Technical Working Groups on safeguards and governance, MRV, financial mechanisms, energy drivers, and agricultural drivers will be established for strengthening involvement from key players within government institutions, NGOs and private sectors.
IRA is functioning as the Secretariat for the Tanzanian REDD+ Task Force composed by governmental representatives. One of the outputs for the next project is to strengthen the National REDD+ Secretariat as a facilitator. Another major output is to support the establishment of the National Carbon Monitoring Centre which is intended to hold high scientific quality data sets on forest cover and forest carbon stocks.
The new project will also seek to broaden engagement with the REDD+ development process outside the natural resources sector in order to foster greater participation and ownership by the government. An effort will be done to include policy makers within not only natural resources and environment ministries, but also ministries of finance, agriculture, land and human settlement, energy – as well as local government.
Coordinator, National REDD Secretariat, Prof. Pius Z. Yanda, states that his expectations for the second project are that “it will help to put in place a REDD+ Strategy and an Action Plan. This engagement aims at ensuring that REDD issues are integrated into sectoral planning. Moreover, during this phase, lessons learned from the NGO Pilot Projects will be extracted and shared widely”.
Link to the contract: http://www.norway.go.tz/PageFiles/253880/IRA%20REDD%20policy%20development%20and%20implementation%20contract.pdf