Making trees count in Africa: Improved MRV is needed to meet Africa’s agroforestry ambitions

Key messages ◼ The UNFCCC’s Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture creates an opening for agroforestry to take on an important role in Africa’s response to climate change. ◼ We reviewed measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of agroforestry under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by examining national communications, nationally determined contributions (NDCs), REDD+ and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) in developing countries, including all African nations. ◼ Support for agroforestry was stronger in Africa than any other region, and many African nations plan to use agroforestry to meet climate goals. However, technical and institutional barriers often prevent agroforestry from being represented in UNFCCC MRV processes. ◼ The fact that agroforestry often isn’t counted in national MRV systems has significant implications. Only if agroforestry resources can be properly measured will countries gain access to sources of finance and other support for agroforestry as a response to climate change. ◼ Widespread and strong support for agroforestry suggests that, in responding to the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture, African nations should emphasize agroforestry as a central strategy in the continent’s climate change strategies

Faire compter les arbres en Afrique: Une meilleure stratégie de MRV de l’agroforesterie pour satisfaire aux ambitions de l’Afrique

Messages clé ◼ L’Action commune de Koronivia pour l’agriculture, adoptée dans le cadre de la CCNUCC, est une opportunité pour faire de l’agroforesterie un élément clé de la réponse africaine aux changements climatiques. ◼ Nous avons évalué la visibilité de l’agroforesterie dans les processus de MRV de la CCNUCC en examinant les communications nationales, les CDN, la documentation REDD+ et les MAAN des pays en développement, en particulier l’ensemble des pays d’Afrique. ◼ L’agroforesterie est plus largement répandue en Afrique que dans toute autre région et de nombreux pays africains entendent l’utiliser pour atteindre leurs objectifs climatiques. Mais en raison d’obstacles techniques et institutionnels, l’agroforesterie est souvent sous-représentée dans les processus de mesure, notification et vérification (MRV) de la CCNUCC. ◼ Le fait que l’agroforesterie échappe souvent aux systèmes nationaux de MRV a des conséquences sérieuses. Ce n’est qu’en mesurant correctement les ressources agroforestières qu’il sera possible de donner au secteur un accès aux sources de financement et autres soutiens, pour faire de l’agroforesterie une pièce centrale de la riposte aux changements climatiques. ◼ Le soutien considérable accordé à l’agroforesterie tend à suggérer qu’en réponse à l’Action commune de Koronivia pour l’agriculture, les pays africains devraient miser sur l’agroforesterie comme stratégie centrale de leur réponse climatique

Making trees count: Measurement, reporting and verification of agroforestry under the UNFCCC

About half of developing countries express ambition to use agroforestry—the integration of trees with crops, livestock and other non-forest timber products—for adaptation and mitigation of climate change. In order for agroforestry contributions to be recognized and rewarded, however, countries need reliable systems for measurement, reporting and verification (MRV). Here we review, through key informant interviews and examination of official documents, how agroforestry is addressed in national MRV under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Our review highlights significant gaps between national ambition and national action and capabilities. These gaps are smaller in some countries than in others, but not even one country systematically includes agroforestry in all of its relevant MRV systems. Barriers to the inclusion and explicit representation of agroforestry in MRV systems include: (1) technical barriers, such as exclusion of agroforestry from definitions of land use and lack of access to high-resolution satellite imagery; (2) institutional barriers, such as overlapping or contradictory institutional mandates and lack of human capacity to use available tools; and (3) financial barriers that prevent consistent measurement and inclusive processes. The fact that agroforestry often is not counted in UNFCCC MRV systems has serious implications: If agroforestry trees aren’t counted in MRV systems, then in many ways they don’t count. Only if agroforestry resources are measured, reported and verified will countries gain access to the financial and other support they need to effectively include agroforestry in climate change adaptation and mitigation. Based on emerging lessons, we recommend six ways to support countries to improve MRV of agroforestry

Making trees count: Measurement and reporting of agroforestry in UNFCCC national communications of non-Annex I countries

Agroforestry—the integration of trees with crops and livestock—generates many benefits directly relevant to the UNFCCC\u27s Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture, including: (i) building resilience, (ii) increasing soil carbon and improving soil health, (iii) providing fodder and shade for sustainable livestock production and (iv) diversifying human diets and economic opportunities. Despite its significance to the climate agenda, agroforestry may not be included in measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems under the UNFCCC. Here we report on a first appraisal of how agroforestry is treated in national MRV systems under the UNFCCC. We examined national communications (NCs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of 147 countries, REDD + strategies and plans of 73 countries, and 283 Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs), as well as conducted interviews with representatives of 12 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. We found that there is a significant gap between national ambition and national ability to measure and report on agroforestry. Forty percent of the countries assessed explicitly propose agroforestry as a solution in their NDCs, with agroforestry being embraced most widely in Africa (71%) and less broadly in the Americas (34%), Asia (21%) and Oceania (7%). Seven countries proposed 10 agroforestry-based NAMAs. Of 73 developing countries that have REDD + strategies, about 50% identified agroforestry as a way to combat forest decline. Despite these intentions, however, agroforestry is not visible in many MRV systems. For example, although 66% of the countries reported non-forest trees in the national inventory, only 11% gave a quantitative estimate of number of trees or areal extent. Interviews revealed institutional, technical and financial challenges preventing comprehensive, transparent inclusion of agroforestry in MRV systems. The absence has serious implications. If such trees are not counted in inventories or climate change programs, then a major carbon sink is not being accounted for. Only if agroforestry resources are measured, reported and verified will they gain access to finance and other support. We discuss four recommendations to better match ability to ambition