REDD+ Working Group Secretariat at RFRI

A REDD+ Working Group Meeting for preparation of Road Map for implementation of REDD+ initiatives in North Eastern States of India was organized at Rain Forest Research Institute (RFRI) on 6^th September 2018 under the Chairmanship of Dr. R.S.C Jayaraj, IFS, Director, RFRI and Chair of the REDD+ Working Group. The REDD+ Working Group for North-Eastern States had been formed to facilitate REDD+ actions in North-Eastern States under the aegis of the ‘REDD+ Himalayas Project’, implemented by Indian Council of Forestry research and Education (ICFRE) in collaboration with International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). The main focus was to initiate and scale up REDD+ actions in the North-Eastern States of India, for providing guidance, knowledge sharing and support for implementation of REDD+ initiatives/ actions in these States. Establishment of REDD+ Working Group Secretariat was proposed in concurrence to this vision. The REDD+ Secretariat of the Working Group established under REDD+ Himalayas Project at RFRI would provide necessary technical support, updated information on REDD+, guidance and knowledge sharing/ dissemination to the States. The State REDD+ Cell would implement the REDD+ actions in accordance with the National REDD+ Strategy as well as the need of the respective States and community. The States will have to act at large for developing projects for REDD+ and can harness technical know-how from the Secretariat.

After the inaugural session of the meeting, the “REDD+ Secretariat for North Eastern States of India” was inaugurated at RFRI, Jorhat jointly by Prof. B. K. Tiwari, North Eastern Hill University and Shri V. R. S. Rawat, Expert Consultant REDD+ Himalayas Project, ICFRE.

Knowledge and experience sharing is very vital for the implementation and advancement of REDD+ and the REDD+ Secretariat at RFRI will play a significant role in this regard. States of North-East India are at varied levels of preparedness in terms of REDD+. The States that are already in a State of preparedness to implement REDD+ projects or already implementing pilot projects should help other States of the region in development of the projects, through experience-sharing. The States that already have ongoing REDD+ projects, though not registered with The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) or with other standards, may share the details with the Working Group, so that it can be used for capacity building in other States. Secretariat of REDD+ Working Group at RFRI may collect all the relevant literature on REDD+, make a compilation of the same and share with all the members of the Working Group. Regular communication mechanism of REDD+ Working Group is aimed. Research and academic institutions can also play an important role in knowledge sharing, capacity building and safeguard implementation.

Establishment of the REDD+ Secretariat at RFRI