The workshop on Community Forests, Climate Change and REDD+ in Ethiopia was organized by the Environmental Economics Policy Forum for Ethiopia (EEPFE) in collaboration with Portland State University and the World Bank on the 10th of December 2012 at Desalegn Hotel, Addis Ababa.
Common-Pool Resources (CPRs) constitute important sources of livelihoods to millions of people world wide. Though renewable by nature, these resources are depleted if use exceeds the maximum sustainable yield over extended period of time. These resources are under severe pressure for various reasons including sheer lack of adequate human cooperation. The fact that these resources are shared between generations and their life span exceeds the membership span of the current (joint) users makes the efficient use of these resources an interesting subject of inquiry. To determine the overall forest conditions, it is necessary to examine the intertwined attributes of these available resources, the users, and the institutions including the impact of a changing climate with due considerations of opportunities presented by the REDD+.
New researches were presented on community forests and climate change by Dr. Abebe Damte (Research Fellow at EEPFE), Dr. Zenebe Gebreegziabher (Senior Research Fellow at EEPFE), Dr.. Michale Toman (Lead Economist for Climate Change and Manager of Environment and Energy Team Development Research Group at the World Bank), and Dr. Randall Bluffstone (Professor of Economics at the Portland State University and International Research Associate of EEPFE).
The workshop included a briefing and discussion session for the World-Bank-supported-Project on Forest Sector Institutional Reform and REDD+ in Ethiopia with comments from reviewers - Mr. Shimeles Sima, Lead Expert on Environmental Unit and Compliance at the Federal Environmental Protection Authority of Ethiopia and Mr. Tesfaye Alemayehu, National Cook Stove Program Coordinator at the Ministry of Water and Energy of Ethiopia.
The workshop was attended by over 30 participants from different ministries, governmental organizations, and international public organizations.
The overall objectives of the workshop were to give information necessary for stakeholders to evaluate whether the project can support their work, to contribute to international and national policy dialogues on the issue of REDD+ and to obtain feedback from stakeholders.
The main research questions addressed by the project included what the potential GHG impacts are on REDD+, how forest reliant population will be affected by REDD+, and what the implications of different forest management systems are for REDD+ design and efficiency.
- REDD+ and the World Bank Research Program on Natural Resources and the Environment, Dr. Michael Toman
- REDD+ and Community Controlled forests, Dr. Randall Bluffstone, presentation
- Community Controlled Forests, Carbon Sequestration and REDD+: Some Evidence from Ethiopia, Dr. Abebe Damte, abstract
- Local Institutions and Better Forests: Empirical Evidence from Community Level Data, Dr. Zenebe Gebreegziabher, abstract
- Project Concept, Research Questions and Methodology, Dr. Randall Bluffstone, presentation
At the end of the meeting a number of comments and suggestions was forwarded by the audience which will be incorporated in the development of the proposal.
For detail information about workshop presentations and abstracts please contact EEPFE on eepfe@ethionet.et
