This presentation was delivered as part of the "Developing Building Blocks of a Global Mitigation Architecture" workshop series.

1. Setting up MRV –
Challenges, lessons learnt and good practices in
regard to the MEASUREMENT aspects of MRV
IKI Workshop Series
„Developing Building Blocks of a Global Mitigation Architecture“
Alexandra Müller, GIZ
Warsaw, 16 November 2013

2. Development of integrated monitoring systems for
REDD+ in the SADC region
16.11.2013 Presented by: Alexandra Mueller 2
365 million ha forest/ forest like formations in the SADC
region
Annual net forest loss approx. 2 million ha, high potential
to participate in future REDD+ mechanism

3. Development of integrated monitoring systems for
REDD+ in the SADC region
16.11.2013 Presented by: Alexandra Mueller 3
Overall project objective: In at least 3 SADC countries, an
integrated MRV system for changes in forest area, carbon stocks
and emissions from D&D has been developed and is in use
(technical readiness)
Component 1: Develop, implement and evaluate MRV systems in
selected pilot countries
Component 2: Develop a regional approach supported by all SADC
Member States to record and monitor deforestation/ forest
degradation

4. What do you measure and why?
What is the difference, what is the linkage to monitoring?
• Changes in forest areas and forest carbon stocks and emissions
from deforestation and forest degradation in selected test sites
– Combination of assessing high resolution Earth Observation Data
and Biomass Inventories
– 4 pilot countries , 3 test sites (1 transboundary site)
– 26.000 km2 size of each test site, each representing 1 forest type
– Aiming at Tier 2 for above ground biomass
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• Measurements are a prerequisite to participate in REDD+ and
provide basis for monitoring
• Availability of country/ region specific data in the SADC region
is very limited – objective to enhance the availability of data
Presented by: Alexandra Mueller

5. Who do you work with?
Why do you involve them and how exactly?
• SADC Secretariat / FANR Directorate Project Partner
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• Consulting consortium GAF/ DFS contracted to develop,
implement and evaluate MRV System in the pilot countries
• Pilot country : Forestry Directorates, National REDD
Structures, other projects, Universities, Civil Society
Organizations, Private Sector
• Planning at pilot country level that is regularly updated
Presented by: Alexandra Mueller

6. How does your project contribute and link up to the
establishment of a nation-wide MRV system?
Where are the challenges for this?
• Project works with existing national institutional
arrangements for REDD; eg with the relevant
Ministries/Departments and Steering Committees for REDD.
• URA mechanism assesses the National REDD MRVs in terms of
methods/programmes and assesses where synergies and/or
differences between regional and national exist
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Presented by: Alexandra Mueller

7. How does your project contribute and link up to the
establishment of a nation-wide MRV system?
Where are the challenges for this?
• When National MRVs are in the process of being established,
regional programme offers methods/results for sub-national
activities where a country can e.g. compare costs vs
methodological complexities
• Regional pilot activities = subnational activities: Enhanced
cooperation and communication needed
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Presented by: Alexandra Mueller

8. What are major barriers in regard to the measurement
component of the MRV system in your project and how
do you address them?
• Human capacities in countries are not advanced in the
technical approaches
• offering tailor made training/capacity building
• strategic discussion on capacity needs for REDD+ MRV
• Cost free EO data and software for the countries
• Provision of data independent methods (ie not relying on
commercial EO data with the view of free Sentinel-2 data)
• training the counterparts using open-source RS/GIS software.
• Allometric equations for biomass calculation
• Literature survey and choosing the most appropriate figures
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Presented by: Alexandra Mueller

9. How can your project contribute to an ambitious post
2015 agreement? How do you discuss this with your
project partners? What should MRV-negotiatiors know
from your project and your experience?
• Providing REDD+ MRV experience on
– the application of an ecosystem approach
– the application of a regional approach
– Comparison of costs high resolution- medium resolution
measurements
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• Enhance the capacities to participate in negotiations (SADC
SBSTA submission 2011 promoting ecosystem approach)
• A pre-Audited methodological approach that has been
validated and verified in terms of IPCC compliancy
Presented by: Alexandra Mueller

10. How can your project contribute to an ambitious post
2015 agreement? How do you discuss this with your
project partners? What should MRV-negotiatiors know
from your project and your experience?
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• Practical examples of introducing countries to step-wise
approach with IPCC compliancy and methodological
approaches
• Provision of data on forest cover, forest cover changes and
carbon stocks for dry forests that can be used for subnational
reporting
Presented by: Alexandra Mueller

11. What can others learn from your experiences,
why, and how?
• Cost efficiency of regional approaches
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Presented by: Alexandra Mueller

12. Thank you very much
for your attention
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Presented by: Alexandra Mueller