Implementation Progress in the Solomon Islands

1. REDD+ Implementation Progressin the Solomon Islands Forestry Technical Meeting (Closed Session) Side Event 4 MNRE Conference Centre Level 3, TATTE Building Pacific Week of Agriculture, 30th September 2019, Apia, Samoa

2. CONTENT • Forest Resource • Forestry Industry • REDD+ • Way Forward

3. Forest TimbeResource SOLOMON ISLANDS MAIN FOREST CATEGORIES Source: Solomon Islands National Forest Resources Inventory 1991-1994 (SOLFRIS)

4. Forest Timber Resource SOLOMON ISLANDS LAND USE CATEGORIES (NON-FOREST) Source: 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Green House Gas Inventories

5. Forest Timber Resource CURRENT LAND USE COMPOSITION IN 28,000 KM² (LAND) Settlements 0.70% Grassland 0.25% Wetlands 0.96% Other land 0.21% Cropland 7.94% Forest 89.94% Draft Final Results Using 2km Grid in Collect Earth

6. Forest Timber Resource CURRENT LAND USE BY PROVINCES Draft Final Results Using 2km Grid in Collect Earth

7. Forest Timber Resource CURRENT NATURAL FOREST COMPOSITION Draft Final Results Using 2km Grid in Collect Earth

8. Forest Timber Resource LAND USE CHANGE FROM 2000 - 2017 Draft Final Results Using 2km Grid in Collect Earth

9. Forestry Industry CONTRIBUTION TO THE ECONOMY • ROUND LOG EXPORT BY PROVINCE (Ministry of Forestry Data – estimate) • Customs Data (m³): 2.69 million 2.60 million 2.73 million

10. Forestry Industry CONTRIBUTION TO THE ECONOMY • ROUND LOG EXPORT DESTINATIONS (Ministry of Forestry Data – estimate) • Customs Data (m³): 2.69 million 2.60 million 2.73 million

11. Forestry Industry CONTRIBUTION TO THE ECONOMY

12. REDD+ HISTORY • REDD interests escalate in Solomon Islands around 2008 with MECDM and later the MOFR • SI joined the UNREDD Program in 2010 to implement REDD. • UNREDD Program developed the REDD+ Readiness Roadmap for SI 2014-2020 between 2013 and 2014 • Ministry of Forestry and Ministry of Environment took it on board • REDD+ Activities through pilot projects – around 2012 • REDD+ Roadmap and Guidelines approved and endorsed by SIG Cabinet on November 2015 • SIG included REDD+ Activities in the 2016 Budget in 2018 and 2019 12

13. REDD+ Solomon Islands REDD+ ReadinessWHERE WE ARE NOW – PHASES OF REDD+ REDD+ Roadmap Implementation (Phased approach) • Phase I: Development of Capacities and institutions to Implement REDD+ at National Level- Almost completed • Phase II: Testing of Different Approaches- Activities have begun • Phase III: Full National Implementation Solomon Islands Readiness Progress

14. REDD+ Overview of REDD+ Progress in the Solomon Islands • Finalized Historical Annual Land-use and forest cover change assessment • Projection of Forest reference level (FRL) • REDD+ included in National Forest Policy • Start of operation of National REDD+ Committee. • FRL Submission to UNFCCC + Technical Assessment • Preparation of REDD+ Pilot Activities through SIG budget • Piloting of National Forest Inventory in the community • REDD+ Awareness Raising at national, provincial and community level. • Start of Historical Annual Land-use and forest cover change assessment with collect earth tool.

15. REDD+ Lessons Learned • Stakeholder REDD+ Awareness is very important to build and strengthen understanding of climate change mitigation through sustainable forest management. • REDD+ Piloting is challenging due to disputes over customary land and resources ownership. • Collect Earth is a simple and effective tool for obtaining national level forest cover and forest cover change information. • REDD+ mechanism high complexity and uncertain outcome from international experiences leads to reluctant commitments from SIG. • SI as a small island country with limited economic resources will rely heavily on external funding to reach REDD+ readiness and implementation.

16. REDD+ REDD+ Website - Milestone

17. Way Forward • Planning and implementing REDD+ Pilot activities to test REDD+ activities in SI context and to increase the visibility of REDD+ program. • Draft REDD+ strategy to develop and align REDD+ activities across relevant sectors. • Build a national forest monitoring system and implement national multi-purpose forest inventory. • Seek assistance for financial and technical support from external partners for further development of REDD+ program. >>>Way Forward

18. Way Forward NATIONAL FOREST POLICY Vision: “Forests resources and ecosystems are sustainably and responsibly managed for the benefit and resilience of all Solomon Islanders.”

19. Way Forward NATIONAL FOREST POLICY • The Forest Policy’s Strategies are: • Forest Conservation; • Sustainable Forest Management; • Capacity Development ; • Forest Economy and Markets; • Community Governance ; • Monitoring and Law Enforcement; • Transparency.

20. Way Forward REVIEW and DEVELOP • Forest Resources and Timber Utilisation (FRTU) Act 1969 (Amendment 1999) • Drafting Instructions completed • Cabinet Paper in drafting stage when completed to be submitted to the Cabinet • Legislate for other forest resources, activities and products • Forest Regulations 2005 • Review of existing Forest Regulations in progress • Drafting of new Forest Regulations in progress • Solomon Islands Code of Logging Practice • Code for Logging in preparation for Review • A separate Code of Practice for Plantation harvesting

21. Way Forward SUSTAINABLE LOGGING POLICY • Export restriction of round logs below 50cm on large end diameter (LED) • An increase of Performance Bond to SBD $1 million on Issuance of felling Licence • An increase in the annual Licence fee to SBD $50,000.00 and all non-active Licenses to be given notice of revocation unless operations commence within a given period • Enforcing stronger focus on downstream processing including monitoring of adherence to the current 8 per cent requirement, whereby 8% of the logging licence volume quota is to be sawn timber and move to increase it over time • The protection and restriction of buffer zones and the forests on and above 400m altitude to any development activities.

22. Way Forward SUSTAINABLE LOGGING POLICY The chart shows the quantity declining as per the following volume: Chart: Smoothed expenditure related to export duty revenue collected from logging

23. Way Forward DCGA POLICY STATEMENT 5.2.2.2 Forestry and Research The DCGA will: • Review the Forest Resources and Timber Utilisation Act and legislate for other forest resources, activities and products • Support the downstream processing programme in the country in small, medium and large scale investments; • Partner with Institutions and Organisations on establishing the Timber Industry training course to provide downstream processing skills and knowhow to develop value adding to forest products; • Encourage small, medium and large forestry plantations in-partnerships with resource owner and landholders in ‘out-growers’ schemes; • Encourage rehabilitation schemes in the country through reforestation, afforestation and regeneration management programmes;

24. Way Forward DCGA POLICY STATEMENT 5.2.2.2 Forestry and Research The DCGA will: • Implement the recommendations of the Sustainable Logging Policy (SLP) and enforce the sustainable forest management principles on harvesting of forest resources; • Become part of the global society in assessing and valuing plants carbon storage services of the world’s remaining forests and progressing REDD+ Roadmap; • Encourage research in forests, forest products including NTFP and plantation to determine resilient genetics with improved tree growth and timber quality of forest resources; • Encourage and support local entrepreneurs to participate in the forestry and timber industry;

25. Thank you