• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.102 no.4
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• pp.491-498
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• 2013

Preliminary feasibility of REDD mechanism to combat forest degradation in North Korea is reviewed as a means of cooperation between South Korea and North Korea. North Korea has not established a national REDD+ strategy and a forest monitoring system which are required to implement REDD+ under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Credible statistical data of forest resources is a necessary condition for implementing REDD mechanism in the developing countries. However, other than forest area data using satellite images, statistical data of forest resources of North Korea are mostly estimated based on simple hypothesis rather than transparent and robust results from national forest inventory. The review of statistical data of forest resources of North Korea shows that North Korea is in a pre-stage of REDD readiness. The study suggests that following research and cooperation agendas should be considered to implement REDD mechanism in North Korea: 1) detecting land use change since 2000, measuring carbon stock change, and identifying causes of deforestation and forest degradation; and 2) establishing a national REDD+ strategy' and a national forest inventory system in North Korea.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.101 no.4
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• pp.606-612
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• 2012

We developed four qualitative criteria for evaluating Indonesia's REDD+ strategy by analysing REDD+ related decisions from the Cancun agreements adopted by the 16th Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the important elements developed by Norway's International Climate and Forest Initiative to evaluate Indonesia's REDD+ strategy: (1) Criterion 1 is assessing how accurately the developed strategy identifies substantial underlying and direct causes of deforestation and forest degradation; (2) Criterion 2 is whether the strategy establishes a scientifically reliable national-level MRV (Measurement, Reporting and Verification) system; (3) Criterion 3 is whether the strategy achieves real greenhouse gas emissions reductions; and (4) Criterion 4 is whether the strategy includes safeguards to ensure equity and co-benefits from REDD+ related projects for relevant stakeholders, in particular local communities and indigenous peoples. Criteria 1 and 2 can be the fundamental bases of real GHG emissions reduction (Criteria 3). Criteria 3 is recognised as the ultimate objective of REDD+. Criterion 4 is for both bases of the effective GHG emission reduction and complementary objective of REDD+. These criteria and indicators developed can provide basic framework to understand their REDD+ national strategies of the other developing countries as well as Indonesia.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.100 no.4
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• pp.630-638
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• 2011

This study aims to verify the economic validity of the REDD project in North Korea by estimating the potential carbon credits and the cost of REDD project. The REDD potential credits of North Korea are estimated based on the international statistics of forest area and population from 1990 to 2010, and the cost of REDD project is estimated indirectly by annual land opportunity cost of agriculture assuming that South Korea will aid the food production per area in North Korea. When the 25% reduction scenario was applied to the annual deforestation rate in North Korea, the potential REDD credits were estimated to be $4,232million{\sim}5,290milliontCO_2eq.$ for 20 years. It would account for 28~35% of South Korea's national medium-term greenhouse gas reduction target. On the other hand, the break-even price of REDD project was calculated as the profit of agriculture in the land available by forest conversion in North Korea. It was estimated to be 19.19$/$tCO_2eq.$ when the non-permanence risk of forest conserved through a REDD contract is assumed to be 20%. This price is higher than the price of REDD carbon credit 5$/$tCO_2eq.$ dealt in the 2010 voluntary carbon market, leading to no economic feasibility. However, REDD project provides co-benefits besides climate mitigation. As previous studies indicate, the break-even price is lower than 20$/$tCO_2eq.$, which is the social marginal cost of greenhouse gas emissions by loss of forest. Therefore REDD in North Korea can be justified against the social benefits. The economic feasibility of REDD project in North Korea can be largely influenced by the risk percentage. Thus, North Korean REDD project needs a strong guarantee and involvement by the government and people of North Korea to assure the project's economic feasibility.

• Spatial Information Research
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.1-9
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• 2014

UN-REDD (United Nations programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation in Developing Countries) and AR-CDM (Afforestation/Reforestation-Clean Development Mechanism) is currently being emerged as one of important mechanism to reduce carbon dioxide in relation to the deforestation. Discussion on North Korea as UN-REDD/AR-CDM project target continues with a view to preventing deforestation and to securing CER(certified emission reduction) for South Korea. The forests in Mt. Baekdu are degraded, deforestation is occurred, nevertheless, portion of forested area is still high, where both REDD and AR-CDM investment potential are quite high. Accordingly, this study is intended to explore a simultaneous registration potential to UNREDD/AR-CDM for Mt. Baekdu although separate registration to UN-REDD or AR-CDM has already gained worldwide recognition as a typical method in the process of GHG (Greenhouse Gas) reduction project. The results indicate that selecting UN-REDD or AR-CDM in accordance with sub-watershed forest condition could capture 53.2% more carbon dioxide than REDD alone and 21.9% more than AR-CDM alone. It is anticipated that this research output could be used as a realistic evidence to introduce carbon sequestering project in accordance with sub-watershed forest condition.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.775-783
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate if an community forestry programme (HKm) could be one of the main tool for REDD+ in Indonesia. Recently, considerable numbers of countries including Norway, England, Korea and etc. have invested 69 million US$ in total to Indonesia for implementation of REDD+. However, forest dependent people without a communal right are subject to poor forest governance during a stream of REDD+ in Indonesia. This study suggest that HKm are needed to be a tool for REDD+ in order to achieve the objects of REDD+ in terms of Equity, Efficiency, and Effectiveness (3Es) by stimulating local and Indigenous peoples to participate in REDD+. As a result of our study, Indonesia government have designated only 200,000 ha for HKm area by 2007. Indonesia government have a week political will to extend its area to give a communal right to those peoples who dwell in state forests and HKm application process is complicated and slow. HKm has a potential to be main tool for REDD+ in Indonesia. However HKm will be difficult to be main tool for REDD+ without resolving current obstacles.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.105 no.2
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• pp.238-246
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• 2016

The study aims to examine Japan's National REDD+ Strategies prepared for Post-2020 and the status of its implementation by organizations in Japan, and then to suggest the potential REDD+ countermeasures against Joint Credit Mechanism (JCM) for Republic of Korea and their implications. As for the technical limitations of the guidelines of REDD+ under the JCM, it is pointed out that forests located at the place with less potential safeguard intervention tend to be selected as the target area for a project and that, as reference emission trend changes depending on the basic year of the baseline, differences could occur among the amounts of greenhouse gas emission. In addition, it is pointed out that the result of the calculation of the displacement of emissions, or leakeage, in REDD+, can have an uncertainty, since the calculation is done by just multiplying leakage area by certain coefficients, without considering the size of the leakage area. Furthermore, the lack of implementation guideline or methodologies for a project level is also pointed out as a limitation, considering that there are only some national and sub-national monitoring guidelines at present. Finally, internationally accepted guidelines for safeguard and its sub-items needed to be prepared, as current safeguard policy only includes lists without detailed items. Such things mentioned above are all related to, and can lead to the problem of double counting of items in Nested Approach etc., as well as of the distribution of credits. Therefore, Republic of Korea should take these into consideration when implementing its REDD+ projects.

• Spatial Information Research
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.47-58
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• 2014

The credible measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) is among the most critical elements in UN-REDD (United Nations programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation in Developing Countries). This study is intended to explore MRV potential in terms of UN-REDD opportunity cost estimation using satellite image for Mt. Geum-gang of North Korea. A visual interpretation were conducted to evaluate MRV conditions by sub-dividing or decomposing the images with different pixel size into a three types of hierarchical tree structure that helps dealing with spatial variability within each subarea. The permanent record of standard satellite remote sensing system demonstrated its capability of presenting area-wide visual evidences of MRV conditions in Mt. Geum-gang (such as the identification of forested area, degradation trends for forest space, three types of hierarchical land-cover and land use tree structure, carbon density in the landscape). Satellite data could be accepted as legally binding proof when it comes to REDD opportunity cost estimation since several cases exist where remote sensing has been used as legal evidence in ICJ (International Court of Justice) and UN resolution. It doesn't seem very difficult to comply with MRV requirements for UN-REDD opportunity cost calculation due to the probative value of satellite data. It is anticipated that this research output could be used as a valuable reference for Korea-based enterprises exploring REDD project sites and the carbon traders to ensure MRV potentials using satellite image in UN-REDD Opportunity Cost estimation.

• Journal of Korean Society for Geospatial Information Science
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.77-87
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• 2012

Discussion on North Korea as UN-REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation in developing countries) project target continues with a view to preventing deforestation and to securing CER(certified emission reduction) for South Korea. However, due to North Korea's political shutdown, it is hard to acquire information required for the REDD project registration. This research intends to acquire objective data using satellite images in the Mt. Geumgang. More than 20% of entire forested area were disappeared during the past two decades mainly due to conversion into agricultural farming land. Further, it is expected that persistent deforestation will go on. The reduction potential of the carbon emission is estimated as approximately 617,000 tCO2/year~663.000 tCO2/year. Thus, Mt. Geumgang is considered as realistic REDD target, which is attractive to South Korea, given that the obligation to reduce greenhouse gas emission is likely to be imposed upon the country. Further, political and social benefits due to reduced military conflict make Mt. Geumgang as UN-REDD project target invaluable.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.100 no.4
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• pp.548-557
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• 2011

REDD is recognized as a cost-effective and the most appropriate way of managing global GHG emissions. It is negotiated in a global context under the UNFCCC. The main issues of the REDD mechanism are divided into two parts: 1) developing forest carbon verification and measurement system for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, 2) establishing an appropriate system of incentives for developing countries. REDD can provide stability in carbon offset credits. However, the most important task is to establish a clear legal framework and appropriate governance structures with relevant countries. There is a wide opportunities for Republic of Korea to take a lead in cutting off greenhouse gasses in the Post-Kyoto period.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.102 no.2
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• pp.189-197
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• 2013

The Cancun Agreements under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change require developing countries aiming to undertake REDD+ activities to develop a national strategy or action plan, addressing the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, a measurement, reporting and verifying (MRV) system including forest monitoring system, and safeguards to ensure equity and co-benefits for local communities and indigenous peoples, and biodiversity. The Government of Indonesia and the Government of Norway established REDD+ cooperation through signing a 'Letter of Intent' in May, 2010. Indonesia agreed on 'a two year suspension on all new concessions for conversion of peat and natural forest'. In turn, Norway agreed to support Indonesia's REDD+ implementation efforts up to one billion United States dollars. Indonesia's REDD+ national strategy (June, 2012) accepted most of the requests included in the 'Letter of Intent'. The REDD+ national strategy, however, does not reflect requests of the Cancun Agreements which noted identification of the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation and guarantee of real greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Indonesia lays emphasis on Norwegian requests which includes expected financial support rather than the Cancun Agreements which have a weak legally-binding requirements.