WORKSHOP AGENDA ] ] ] ] ] ] ] WORKSHOP SUMMARY ] ] ] ] ] ] ]PRESENTATIONS

The India-USA "FORCLIMIT-INDIA" collaborative project has been initiated with the following objectives:

1. Improved assessment of incremental mitigation opportunities and potential at national level
2. Detained assessment of mitigation opportunities and potential costs and benefits in two selected states namely Karnataka and Uttaranchal
3. Two comparable case studies of mitigation potential, at the district scale to explore mitigation opportunities and barriers, and technical issues regarding methods and institutional arrangements to assess community and farm forestry (industry)
4. Initiate dialog by government, private, NGO, academic and local stakeholders on technical issues and disseminate findings through workshops, meetings and publications and/or web sites.

A methodology workshop was organized at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore between 10^th – 12^th July 2003 that was attended by academicians, industrialists, NGOs, researchers and Forest Department functionaries.

The objective of the methodology workshop was as follows:

1. Improved assessment of mitigation opportunities and estimates of incremental mitigation, potential and cost-effectiveness at different levels - national, state and case studies
2. To address methodological issues in project development, implementation & monitoring
3. To disseminate methods, models and initiate dialogue
4. To discuss methodological issues in project (proposal) development and monitoring:
5. To discuss methods for field studies and estimation of carbon stock changes
6. To explore and use PRO-COMAP models for projecting carbon benefits and costs / benefits
7. To prepare a plan for field studies, analysis, modeling, reporting and disseminating workshops

The outcome of the workshop were:

1. Worked out modalities for the project and identified issues that needs to be addressed
2. Charted plan of work for the project
3. Identified selection criteria for case-study project

The details of the outcome are as follows:

• A range of actual and potential project types were discussed, and agreed to conduct project case studies in 2 States; Karnataka and Uttaranchal
• Project types could include JFM, Community or farm forestry and industry contracts with farmers
• Agreed to conduct improved state level assessment of mitigation opportunities, potential costs and benefits
• Share technical papers, case studies, etc. on the web site, and exchange project staff.
• Baseline setting is a key issue for projects, and will require projecting land use & land use change over time.
• India may need to develop Good Practices for forestry projects for carbon sequestration
• PRO-COMAP model may need improved project management financial analysis capabilities like typical investment model (to add timing of revenue flows) and ensure representation of carbon stock in products.
• Improved PRO-COMAP model will be put up on the web site by end of August.

The selection criteria for implementing the project at a district level for project case studies (JFM Case: Forest Dept land and community land; Private contract case: farm land) were decided on the following lines.

• Low baseline C in project area
• Data availability
• Potential high Carbon gain in project
• 5-10,000 ha eligible land for wasteland, farm land, forest land with less than 10% crown cover, Adequate precipitation & seasonality

• Meets the definition of forests
• Meets the definition of Afforestation or Reforestation under Marrakech Accord
• Provides Additionality:

• regulatory or institutional
• GHG benefits
• financial

• Meets Sustainable Development Criteria
• Provides socio-economic and environmental benefits
• Has Presumably low leakage
• Ability to identify baseline