This presentation was delivered at the third Asia-Pacific Forestry Week 2016, in Clark Freeport Zone, Philippines.
The five sub-thematic streams at APFW 2016 included:
Pathways to prosperity: Future trade and markets
Tackling climate change: challenges and opportunities
Serving society: forestry and people
New institutions, new governance
Our green future: green investment and growing our natural assets
Proposed Amendments to Chapter 15, Article X: Wetland Conservation Areas
Safeguards in REDD+ implementation in Fiji
1. Safeguards in REDD+ implementation in Fiji
Asia-Pacific Forestry Week
23 February 2016
Mr Eliki Senivasa
Conservator of Forests
Fiji Ministry for Fisheries and Forests
2. 1. Social / environmental background
2. Existing safeguards
3. Work in progress
4. Pilot projects & lessons learned
5. Challenges
Outline
3. Fiji social / environmental background
Almost 90 % of land owned by indigenous
(iTaukei) communities
Ca 2/3 of the population lives in rural areas
56 % of Fiji is forest land (open / closed
native forest and ca 15 % plantations)
iTaukei Land Trust Board is custodian of
native land
Commercial land use requires lease
agreement
4. Existing safeguards
Strong protection of legal iTaukei rights in place
Boundaries and land ownership is registered
BSM (ITLTB)and GRM(NLC) are in place
National steering committee & safeguards
working group working efficiently
5. Work in progress
Various stakeholders develop common
frameworks, suitable for all national &
international requirements
Framework elements under development:
FPIC guidelines
Assessment and revision of existing BSM &
GRM systems
SESA, ESMF & SIS under development
6. Emalu pilot project (since 2012)
Lessons learned for national REDD+ program
Implementation highlights:
awareness & training
Gender sensitive FPIC-process and
participative land use planning
REDD+ lease development
Socio-economic and environmental surveys
Alternative livelihood projects
7. Emalu pilot project (since 2012)
Major results influence
National FPIC guidelines
National land use planning guidelines
Legal framework for REDD+ projects
All safeguards elements and their monitoring
Project proves that REDD+ is a competitive land
use option
National development policies in various
sectors support activities to enhance
livelihoods and sustainability. These form the
portfolio of potential co-benefits / incentives
8. Challenges
Policy coherence with all sectors
Social inclusion of marginalised communities
Enabling Civil Society engagement
Community empowerment
Multi sectoral planning