Achievements of REDD+ Readiness in Sudan promise much needed climate action
13/09/2021
Forests play a key environmental role in Sudan, as they protect the Nile watershed, serve as windbreaks and halt desertification. On a grander scale, forests also influence climate, as well as the ability of communities to adapt to a changing climate. They act as carbon sinks, conserve biodiversity and provide economic, social and environmental services. The importance of forests emphasizes the potential benefits from implementing activities that reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+).
In the past few years, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has supported Sudan in its development of a robust National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS) under the project “Support for the design of the MRV System in the framework of REDD+ Readiness in the Sudan.” This project, which closed in March 2021, aimed to secure an up-to-date, reliable source of forest information for the country. Establishing an NFMS will help Sudan protect its valuable forest resources and improve the lives of a large portion of the country’s population.
The project was led by the country’s Forests National Corporation and the Sudanese Remote Sensing Authority, with technical support from FAO and financial support from the World Bank under the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility. A number of capacity building products and events were produced under this project, including a National Forest Inventory (NFI) and multiple trainings and workshops. Under this project, Sudan also produced a Forest Reference Level (FRL) Submission to the UNFCCC, as well as a variety of planning and reporting documents. These materials are recognized as key achievements of this project and are summarized below.
Forest Reference Level Submission to the UNFCCC
This document submits Sudan's first sub-national Forest Reference Level (FRL) to the UNFCCC. This FRL details the values of average annual change in carbon stock due to deforestation in the country, and the average annual accumulated CO2 removals resulting from afforestation and restoration activities. Its data covers an area of approximately 11 percent of total forest and 7.2 percent of the area of Sudan. An FRL such as this is used for technical assessment in the context of results-based payments for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+). The FRL is also viewed as an important step for countries stepping up implementation of national forest programmes, for advancing global climate change mitigation, and for preparing and implementing nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
Report: Measurement, Reporting, And Verification System For REDD+
This publication shares the methodological approach, developed in 2019, that the Republic of Sudan has and will continue to follow as it establishes and implements its REDD+ monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) as part of the Sudan National Forest Monitoring System (SNFMS). In addition to its monitoring functions, the SNFMS will allow the country to account for national greenhouse gas emissions from the forestry sector. Functions of the MRV focus on the reporting of forest emissions and removals based on three components, the satellite land monitoring system, the national forest inventory, and the national greenhouse gas inventory. National in scope, the SNFMS and MRV system will create incentives across Sudan to improve the management of forest estates.
Fire Management Strategy Framework and Outline
In the Republic of Sudan, wildfires threaten carbon permanence, negatively impact human and animal health, affect livelihoods, air pollution and influence desertion and biodiversity. This report is the product of the study, commissioned by FAO office (Sudan), “Republic of Sudan – Fire Management Strategy Framework and Outline,” and it is one product of the country’s project to develop a MRV system for REDD+. This report analyzes the status of wildfires in the country and creates a framework for managing wildfires sustainably. Detailed in the report are gaps, overlaps and coverage of fire management policies, acts and tools (within the context of forests); fire map zones; fire frequencies; regime; seasonality; causes; and social, cultural environmental and economic impacts.
Sudan National Forest Inventory Final Report
Over the last two decades, Sudan’s forests have experienced a deforestation rate of 175 000 ha/year, largely driven by fuelwood consumption, fire and domestic grazing of animals. Dedicated to minimizing forest loss and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+), the country produced the National Forest Inventory of Sudan (NFI). This NFI greatly enhances Sudan’s capacity to monitor and report on the status of forests and provides REDD+ data as well. This report details the process of creating the NFI and reviews a number of its key results, including the percentages of various land types – forests, wooded land, inland water, deserts. It also provides data on regeneration, tree species, biodiversity indicators and more. This information obtained from the NFI will help the country mitigate and adapt to climate change, protect its natural resources and stabilize livelihood for much of Sudan’s population.
Action Plan for the Implementation of the Sudan’s National Forest Monitoring System (SNFMS)
Sudan is establishing an NFMS in order to secure an up-to-date, reliable source of forest information, which will inform REDD+ activities and help the country achieve its environmental targets. This Action Plan (AP) acts as a guide for successful implementation of the SNFMS through phases II and III of the REDD+ Readiness Project. It not only incorporates measurement of forest carbon, but includes information on other parameters, including forest health, biodiversity, socio-economic and environmental functions of forests and legal frameworks related to forests. This AP was developed to help Sudan create a system of well-functioning institutions with clear mandates, roles and responsibilities that perform the MRV functions of SNFMS.
2020 National Land Cover Map of Sudan Report
Development of the 2020 national land cover map of Sudan is an important step towards the country’s forest monitoring system (SFMS) and implementation of the REDD+ framework. This report presents the national land cover map, outlines the process of developing this map, and compiles land cover maps and statistics from both the national and sub-national levels (including the following levels- state, NFI strata, and ecological zones). It further describes the approaches, software and platforms used to develop the 2020 land cover map and presents results. For example, the map revealed that bare soils and rocks are the dominant land cover type in the country, and 76 percent of Sudan’s forest cover is found in five states. The information presented here will impact land management practices and forest policies.
The achievements described here will further support Sudan’s efforts to protect its forests through the implementation of REDD+ actions. Sustainable forest management will not only improve the health of the country’s forests, but also increase resiliency and help mitigate climate change.
For more information, please contact:
Essameldin Warrag,
FAO Office in the Sudan
Marco Piazza,
National Forest Monitoring Team
FAO Forestry Division
Photo credit: ©Sudan's Forests National Corporation