The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a Record of Discussions (R/D) on the technical cooperation project “Climate Change LULUCF Sector Mitigation Project” with the Government of the Republic of Indonesia in Jakarta on September 22.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has focused on the LULUCF (Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry) sector’s contribution to global warming prevention by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increasing GHG absorption through conservation. emission reductions and GHG absorption through conservation. Indonesia possesses 94 million hectares of forest resources, equivalent to about 53% of its land area, making it the world’s third largest holder of tropical forests after Brazil and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At the same time, it is the largest holder of tropical peatlands, which are called huge carbon stores, and is estimated to hold about 36% of the world’s peatlands. However, since the early 1970s, forest development and timber production have increased, resulting in significant deforestation, land conversion to mining, agriculture, and plantations, forest fires, illegal logging, etc. The forest coverage has decreased from about 62% in 1990 to about 53% in 2015. Such deforestation, plantation development, and other activities have led to the drying out of tropical peatlands, which in turn has caused large-scale forest fires and peat decomposition, releasing large quantities of GHGs and posing environmental problems.
This project will develop methodologies for monitoring GHG emissions from peatlands and low-carbon technologies that contribute to sustainable peatland use, develop sub-national/provincial REDD+ (Note 1) components and apply these methodologies in Indonesia, as well as facilitate the development and implementation of GHG inventory and MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, Verification) policies in the LULUCF sector. The project will also promote the development and implementation of GHG inventory and MRV (Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification) policies in the LULUCF sector. These will strengthen the country’s capacity for sustainable land management that contributes to climate change mitigation, thereby accelerating efforts to achieve the NDC (“nationally determined contribution”) target in the LULUCF sector in the country. It will also contribute to the achievement of SDG Goal 13 (take concrete action on climate change) and Goal 15 (also protect land wealth).
(Note 1) REDD+: Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation in developing countries, including forest conservation, sustainable forest management, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
© Source JICA