Zambia National Strategy to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+).

This document lays down the Zambia National Strategy to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+). Zambia has developed this strategic document under the REDD+ mechanism. Its vision is to realize a prosperous climate change resilient economy by 2030, anchored upon sustainable management and utilization of Zambia’s natural resources towards improved livelihoods. Its goal is to contribute to national reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by improving forest and land management, and to ensure equitable sharing of both carbon and non-carbon benefits among stakeholders. The strategy is guided by seven core principles: effectiveness, efficiency, fairness, transparency, accountability, inclusiveness and sustainability. Implementation of the national REDD+ strategy will focus on tackling different drivers of deforestation in both the forestry and other identified key sectors, in particular: agriculture, energy, mining and land use. The strategy will be implemented through a landscape approach at watershed level and through policy reforms at national level. It will take into account all land uses in a holistic way (including water and wildlife) and will work to lessen the competition for natural resources among different sectors.The strategic objectives of this strategy include: 1) threatened and unsustainably managed national and local forests are effectively managed and protected to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and contribute with ecosystem services across selected landscapes; 2) selected high value forests in open areas are effectively managed and monitored; 3) all timber concession areas have management plans that are enforced and monitored with the full participation of local communities; 4) good agricultural practices that mitigate carbon emissions adopted; 5) regulated production of wood fuel (charcoal and firewood) and its improved utilization in place; 6) appropriate and affordable alternative energy sources widely adopted; 7) threatened and sensitive protected areas legislated as "no-go areas” for mining and infrastructure development; 8) mining industry contributing to management of surrounding indigenous forests and establishment of forest plantations for own timber needs; 9) land and resource rights on customary land legislated and secured; and 10) relevant institutions capacitated to enable them to plan, manage, implement and monitor REDD+ programme activities.Pursuant to decisions from the UNFCCC on modalities for REDD+, the strategy provides for the setting up of a decentralized National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS). The NFMS is closely aligned with the Zambian National Forest Inventory (NFI), the Integrated Land Use Assessment phase II (ILUA II).Ten provincial forest monitoring laboratories are established and equipped with tools for forest monitoring. These provincial laboratories are operated by a group of trained cross-sectoral technicians from forestry, agriculture and planning sectors providing a decentralized hub of Measurement, Reporting and Verification expertise. The laboratories will provide near real-time spatial data on deforestation and forest degradation which can be relayed to the central national forest monitoring laboratory to inform national reporting.