Adrian Watson, Technical Officer for
REDD+ Climate Change at Jamaica's Forestry Department, recently embarked on an
enlightening mission to Porte Seguro, Brazil. This field trip provided valuable
insights and innovative ideas that could significantly enhance Jamaica's
forestry practices and REDD+ programme.
Key Observations and
Lessons Learned
Forest and Biodiversity
Conservation
- Genetic Assessment and Traceability: Estacao Veracel
demonstrated the importance of advanced traceability systems. Implementing
a genetic-level traceability system for seedlings, from mother plants to
seedlings, could revolutionize Jamaica's forest management.
- Tissue Culture Library: Veracel's approach to
maintaining a tissue culture library for clone strains could be adapted in
Jamaica for endemic, commercially viable timber, and rare fruit trees.
- Endemic Seed Plots: The Arboretum Programa's focus
on rare and endemic species highlights the importance of establishing
plots specifically for harvesting seeds from endemic species. This could
bolster Jamaica’s ability to retain and protect our endemic species and
our most critically endangered species whilst buying us some time to do
further research.
- Hydrogel Technology: The Arboretum Programa's use
of hydrogels in restoration work has shown promising results,
significantly increasing seedling survival rates when incorporated into their irrigation plan, which includes community involvement.
Adaptive Management and
Environmental Responsibility
- Drought Resistance: Veracel's development of more
drought-resistant eucalyptus clones after facing challenges during the
2008-2009 El Niño/La Niña drought demonstrates the importance of adaptive
management. They were able to do this by combining the different traits
that prove to be resilient under adverse ENSO-influenced conditions. This
prove why we need to maintain and conserve for as wide a genetic variance
in species and landscapes we are trying to protect.
- Forest Code Compliance: Veracel's adherence to the
Forest Code, which requires maintaining 20% of lands under forest cover,
showcases a commitment to environmental responsibility. This is a
governance framework that Jamaica could do more research on and adapt to
already existing legislation to guide development outlined in Vision 2030,
The National Forest Conservation Plans, Parish orders, etc.
Governance and Stakeholder
Participation
Community Engagement in Sustainable
Agriculture Brazil's experience also highlights the importance of inclusive
governance and stakeholder participation:
- Agroforestry Systems: Ecotourism Bau Brazil's
implementation of the Cabruca system for shade-grown cacao and the
cultivation of various crops like coffee and cassava demonstrates how
agroforestry can balance forest conservation with agricultural
productivity as this system prioritizes the protection of endemic species
being grown side by side with trees used for agrarian purposes and
creating an eco-tourism product that functions to support the Endemic
Agroforestry system.
- Community-Based Initiatives: The Nova Vitória Rural
Settlement's agroforestry project highlights the potential of engaging
local communities in forest conservation efforts. Enlisting forest
communities, farmers, independent professionals, and institutes in growing
and researching desired species could create a robust supply chain and
foster community engagement in forest conservation.
Research and Innovation
- Product Research on Endemic Species: The Nova Vitória
Rural Settlement's research into the potential of native plants for
essential oils, resins, other valuable compounds, and other products opens
up new economic opportunities.
- Long-term Vision: Symbiosis Investments' focus
on native species for timber production with a 15-year maturation period demonstrates
the importance of long-term planning in forestry.
- Innovative Technology: Symbiosis Investments' use of
the Arboreal Tree App with LiDAR technology that is embedded in
smartphones for quick and accurate tree data collection demonstrates how
modern technology can enhance forest management practices. The
accessibility of this technology could also help to decentralize data
collection within an agency as well as through a curated volunteer core.
Applying Lessons to
Jamaica's Forestry Department and REDD+ Programme
These observations align
well with REDD+ pillars and could significantly enhance Jamaica's forestry
practices:
- National Strategy/Action Plans: Implementing
genetic assessment, traceability systems, and product research on endemic
species in established endemic conservation plots could form key
components of Jamaica's national strategy for reducing deforestation and
forest degradation.
- Forest Monitoring Systems: Adopting innovative
technologies like LiDAR for tree data collection could improve Jamaica's
ability to monitor, report, and verify changes in forest cover and carbon
stocks.
- Safeguards: The emphasis on community involvement and
research into sustainable forest products aligns with REDD+ safeguards,
ensuring that actions benefit local communities and contribute to
sustainable development.
- Results-Based Payments: Implementing these innovative
practices could lead to more effective forest conservation and
restoration, potentially increasing Jamaica's eligibility for
results-based payments under REDD+.
By incorporating these lessons,
Jamaica's Forestry Department can enhance its approaches to sustainable forest
management, biodiversity conservation, and community engagement, aligning
closely with the objectives of the REDD+ programme.