Sustainable forest management relies on the coordinated efforts of policy makers, community members, civil society and scientists, yet these groups rarely meet face-to-face.
The science-policy dialogues were a major outcome from the GCS REDD+ programme, phase IV (2020-2023) that brought stakeholders together to give feedback on scientific findings and link those findings with national plans for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in Peru, Brazil, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Diverse experts from each country were invited to join a Policy Advisory Group (PAG) that met during the dialogues. The result was a sort of “peer review” for the scientists’ work in progress. Their input helped researchers understand what they could do to make their findings more accessible, translating into real-world impacts for healthy communities, forests and landscapes. “When scientists sit down with policymakers to discuss — not our end results, but our research in progress, inviting them to validate the work and collaborate in making it more relevant to their contexts — two things happen,” said CIFOR-ICRAF scientist Juan Pablo Sarmiento Barletti, one of the coordinators of the dialogues in Peru. “1) there’s a conversation and a shared creation of knowledge, and 2) policymakers are more interested, because they see the progress.”
“Science-policy dialogues in DRC have made it possible to disseminate new information on science, to share methodologies, and to show how science must be multidisciplinary to be able to answer questions.”
Denis Sonwa
CIFOR-ICRAF scientist and dialogue coordinator in DRC
“The science-policy dialogues are spaces where you can hear other people’s perceptions of how problems are occurring. Sometimes you’re so immersed in day-to-day work that you only focus on your own perceptions. It’s helpful to have a place where you can hear other views.”
Rudy Valdivia
Head of the technical unit of the national forest conservation program for climate change mitigation
“The feedback [on the Brazil REDD+ Platform] showed that people are seeing the potential of this platform to help officials at the state and local levels, where not every jurisdiction has the same capacity for statistical analysis. …It’s gratifying to see that people are getting excited about the possibilities.”
Richard van der Hoff
Scientist at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, and Brazil Country Coordinator for GCS REDD+
“It’s important to have a place like this, where people can discuss freely and openly, with no specific agenda but to listen to each other and talk about new evidence and how to use it or improve it. It’s hard to measure, but having interesting people talking about interesting findings that are reflected in policy as a result of the platform’s work is really useful.”
Pablo Peña
Co-coordinator of the PAG who also acts as liaison with the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru in Lima
“I will use the new knowledge gained at this dialogue to integrate safeguards knowledge with the implementation of emission reduction programs in East Kalimantan”
A representative from East Kalimantan, Indonesia
Major scientific outputs informed by and reviewed during the dialogues
Keep reading to learn more about these collaborative events and the work they informed.
Peru
Science-Policy Dialogue I
REDD+ safeguards in Peru: experiences from research, design and implementation
13 December 2021
The first science-policy dialogue in Peru brought together 25 scientists, government representatives and civil society actors to engage with the Safeguards Information System for REDD+ in Peru. The presentations sought to establish a model for interaction between researchers, policy makers, practitioners and Indigenous representatives.
Building Scenario Narratives for Future Land Use Change in Peru
26 April 2022
This meeting focused on scenario building and modeling future scenarios for forest loss and emissions in Peru. Led by staff from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), the event was well-attended by both government and civil society stakeholders who had the opportunity to give their inputs on a wide-range of questions. Based on this feedback, the GCS REDD+ team had a clearer idea of how to refine and produce a scenario modeling platform for the Peruvian Amazon region.
Diagnosis of deforestation and progress in models and reference levels
20 September 2022
At the third session of the Science and Policy Platform, scientists from CIFOR-ICRAF presented their work on how to define and identify different archetypes (models) of deforestation in Peru, recognizing the different causes of deforestation and the different impacts of conservation policies. The Ministry of the Environment also shared their progress on the reference level for deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon. This event was co-organized by the Catholic University of Peru (PUCP)
How do policies impact forest loss? Global, national and local typologies and evidence of deforestation processes
5 December 2022
Researchers discussed a global typology of policies aimed at reducing deforestation and the impacts of current policies to reduce deforestation in Peru.
Conserving and Managing Peatlands to Mitigate Climate Change
30 March 2023
This event focused on public policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from peatland degradation in the Peruvian Amazon. Scientists from CIFOR-ICRAF, the University of St Andrews (Scotland), and the Research Institute of the Peruvian Amazon (IIAP) presented research results on peatland conservation, management, and opportunities for climate change mitigation. Implementers of conservation projects in peatland ecosystems also explained the progress of the efforts focused on the Marañon datem area. The interface with government representatives informed future research opportunities.
Science and public policies to mitigate deforestation and climate change
19 December 2023
The final meeting of the science and policy platform of the CIFOR Global Comparative Study on REDD+ (GCS REDD+) in Peru brought stakeholders together to review their experiences and address their ongoing needs and priorities. They discussed how to improve the transfer of evidence-based knowledge into public policies for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
Information, analysis and tools to support subnational REDD+ programs in Brazil
17 December 2020
The first science-policy dialogue in Brazil introduced stakeholders to research that had been carried out under the GCS REDD+ programme since 2009. Participants discussed ways that this research could support subnational implementation of REDD+ in Brazil, strengthening the connection between science and public policymaking.
Bringing together diverging REDD+ methodologies for strengthening Brazil’s REDD+ finance potential
3 May 2022
Sixty-two representatives of national and subnational governments, NGOs, academia and research institutes attended this workshop for in-depth discussion of REDD+ methodology and its nuances. It was an important step for the WP4 team to simulate the potential of results-based payments.
How to organize the distribution of REDD+ resources for effective impacts? Lessons from the implementation of REDD+ projects in Brazil
10 March 2023
With the Lula da Silva’s government revival of the Amazon Fund in Brazil, this dialogue looked at how REDD+ financing is being used and distributed in the country.
Identifying effective policy interventions for different deforestation dynamics: A diagnostic framework for understanding Brazil’s deforestation frontiers and policy interventions
4 May 2023
The fourth Brazil science-policy dialogue presented the diagnostic framework of CIFOR’s GCS REDD+ study, which consists of two interrelated components to understand deforestation dynamics in the country’s the project is implemented. The first component identifies different deforestation frontiers as recurrent ‘archetypes’, and the second component builds on a typology of policy interventions aimed at reducing deforestation in tropical countries. The combined framework addresses the question: which policy interventions in which deforestation archetypes have been successful in reducing forest loss?
Official launch: Online deforestation and carbon emissions platform for Brazil
22 February 2024
The final science-policy dialogue in Brazil invited stakeholders to comment on a new interactive tool that allows its users to model deforestation and carbon emissions scenarios across Brazil’s Amazonia and Cerrado biomes until 2030. The launch of these scenarios provides timely support for policy makers and stakeholders working to reverse deforestation trends and update the national REDD+ strategy for Brazil (ENREDD+).
Implementation in DRC after COP26 and the signing of the second Letter of Intent (LoI): Priorities, legal and policy frameworks and contributions of the GCS-REDD+ project
14 December 2021
Over 20 diverse stakeholders convened to discuss REDD+ implementation in DRC after COP26 and the signing of the second Letter of Intent (LoI), which renewed the countries international commitments to fight against deforestation and forest degradation.
Bridging Policy and Science on Addressing Climate Change and Deforestation in Democratic Republic of Congo
12-14 December 2022
Over three days of dialogues, this “Science Week” brought actors together to discuss recent governmental decisions impacting forest protection and climate preservation taken by the Congolese government after COP27. It offered a rare opportunity to exchange methodological approaches and preliminary results of the CIFOR, FOREQUAL and FAIR FRONTIER research projects conducted by partners of the University of Kinshasa.
REDD+ finance and benefit-sharing in Democratic Republic of Congo: Opportunities and challenges
17 October 2023
This event was organized in the context of DRC’s decree in June 2023 to establish a carbon market and the ongoing process of updating the legal framework to regulate climate finance in the country. Presenters shared the latest research findings on REDD+ finance and benefit-sharing mechanisms in DRC with the government representatives and sought feedback from them and other attendees.
Promote forest protection and the rights of forest peoples in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
14-15 March 2024
The final Science-Policy Dialogue in DRC was spread over two days and presented the results of the CIFOR-Unikin study on the protection of forests and the promotion of the rights of forest peoples in the DRC. It also discussed major issues in the forestry and climate sector, which was timely given the dialogues occurred following a national election and before the installation of a new government.
From COP26 to G20: How research can support aligning forest, finance, and development planning in Indonesia
16 December 2021
The first science-policy dialogue in Indonesia provided a forum to discuss national priorities and strategies to achieve the updated Nationally Determined Contribution NDCs targets for emissions reductions. Participants also engaged with ideas for transforming Forest and Land-Use (FoLU) sectors into carbon net-sinks by 2030 and examined how the GCS-REDD+ project could support forest, finance and development planning in Indonesia.
Improving REDD+ information to advance REDD+ architecture
25 April 2022
Advancing REDD+ architecture means strengthening three main elements: information, incentives and institutions (the 3Is). The second Science and Policy Dialogue focused on the ‘information’ element, sharing CIFOR-ICRAF’s latest research on peat emissions of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in relation to FREL, REDD+ safeguards and REDD+ projects.
The main objective of this third discussion was to share lessons learned and best practices on designing and implementing REDD+ benefit sharing mechanisms to strengthen climate finance (including current and planned policies in Indonesia) to fund mitigation activities. The lessons learned and shared in this science-policy platform informed the Knowledge Tree on REDD+ benefit sharing and the scientists’ scenario building and modelling activities, which will be discussed in upcoming dialogues at the end of 2022 and in 2023.
Taking Local Context Into Account in REDD+ Policies Implementation
14 December 2022
The fourth dialogue in Indonesia shared progress on the GCS REDD+’s deforestation diagnostics approach. The goal of the dialogue was to present research and receive feedback from key stakeholders, making the team’s findings more relevant for practitioners and policymakers in Indonesia.
REDD+ social safeguards in Indonesia: opportunities and challenges
16 May 2023
This multi-stakeholder workshop shared experiences from research and practice regarding the interpretation and implementation of REDD+ safeguards in Indonesia, including case studies in East Kalimantan and Jambi provinces. Participants reflected on the opportunities, challenges and lessons learned from the REDD+ safeguards process in Indonesia and considered ongoing priorities.
