REDD+ Pilot Project

Ready for REDD+?

In recent years REDD+ has emerged as a potential solution to the challenge of reducing emissions from loss and degradation of forests, it provides an alternative economic incentive for forest protection and sustainable forest management. The community based approach being implemented by Live & Learn aims to ensure that local indigenous people’s rights are secured and that they receive the maximum possible benefits from REDD+ as project owners. Live & Learn has developed this film “Ready for REDD?” as a resource that contributes to the challenge of enabling indigenous and local communities to understand REDD+ at a level where their participation is genuine and effective. This is a key issue in respecting indigenous peoples rights to provide or withhold Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC)

The film is a useful tool for project developers, educators, planners, extension officers and community development practitioners. We recommend that it accompanies a comprehensive engagement program and caution against claiming that simply showing the film can achieve FPIC. Anyone wishing to obtain the rights to change the film into a local language is encouraged to contact Live & Learn

Ready for REDD? is currently available in English, Fijian, Bislama and Solomon Islands Pidgin.

Solomon Islands Pidgin Version:                      Vanuatu Bislama Version:

English Version:                                              Fijian Version:

Climate change is everyone's business

Climate change is everyone's business. The impacts of global warming are now being felt across the planet. However, it will be people from developing countries whom are the most vulnerable and exposed to predicted changes. The global response to climate change requires both adaptation and action to reduce emissions (mitigation). In both cases there is an urgent need to capture the attention of communities, build understanding of the issues and mobilise our response.

The film is both educational and entertaining. It takes a creative and fun approach to explain the basics of climate change. It can be a useful tool for educators, planners, extension officers and community development practitioners. It enables community members to 'speak the language of climate change' and to effectively engage.

The film is available in English, Fijian, Bislama and Solomon Islands Pidgin. 

English Version:

Solomon Islands Pidgin Version:

Bislama Version:

Fijian Version:

Pilot and demonstrate effective models for governance and implementation of REDD+ in Melanesia that provide equitable benefits for forest-dependent local and indigenous people.

REDD+ stands for ‘reduced emissions through deforestation and degradation,’ and the plus refers to activities which increase the carbon store in a forest or non-forest area. Tropical deforestation and forest degradation is responsible for around 20% of annual global green house gas emissions (this is higher than annual global emissions from transport). This project will test a community owned model of REDD+, provide incentives for forest owners to conserve forest, reduce emissions and obtain sustainable development benefits.

This project will pilot two sites (one in Vanuatu and one in Fiji), where forest owners will be enabled to financially benefit from reforestation of degraded land and forest conservation.

The projects will also provide various co-benefits for participating communities, including (i) conservation of biodiversity; (ii) sustainable use of non-timber forest products  (iii) enhance environmental sustainability and community resilience to climate change; (iv) Maintain cultural practices and preserve cultural identity; and (v) Prevent damaging social and environmental impacts of clear fell logging and oil palm agriculture.

The project will be undertaken through four components. Component 1 will assess local understanding of climate change and REDD+. Educational activities will address knowledge gaps, and build upon local strengths and capacity to develop an inclusive and enabling environment for forest-dependent local and indigenous people to participate and benefit from REDD+.

Component 2 will establish innovative and experimental pilot REDD+ projects managed by community cooperatives. Activities will be implemented through an adaptive ‘action research’ approach to build capacity of forest-dependent local and indigenous people in governance, planning and financial management of REDD+ projects.

Component 3 seeks to ensure that economic incentives for forest protection lead to practical and sustainable social, economic and environmental outcomes for local people. The activities will target financial management, investment in sustainable development, and avoidance of potential negative social and cultural impacts from economic growth. This component is of particular importance to ensure that economic incentives lead to sustainable development to poverty alleviation and support achievement of the MDGs. Sustaining long term local social and economic benefits is also central to ensure permanence of forest areas protected for REDD+.

Finally, component 4 will draw from practical local level experience and seek to contribute to national, regional and international policy responses to REDD+, with particular emphasis on enabling equitable participation and flow of benefits to forest-dependent local and indigenous people. The communication strategy will foster cross border collaboration between government departments, development organisations, conservation organisations and research institutions on development of REDD+ policy mechanisms and support systems.