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The REDD dilemma
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The REDD dilemma

The Importance of Bolivia's Tropical Forests

Overview of Bolivia's Biodiversity and Deforestation

  • Bolivia hosts approximately 57 million hectares of biodiverse tropical forests, which could potentially feed over 100 countries.
  • Annually, around 300,000 hectares are deforested for agriculture or pastures, equating to the area of the 44 smallest countries globally.
  • The carbon emissions from this deforestation reach about 150 million tons per year, comparable to American levels of carbon emissions per capita.

Climate Change Implications

  • Continued deforestation at current rates could lead to complete forest loss in about 200 years, severely impacting global climate change efforts.
  • Forest preservation is crucial for addressing climate change; without it, other climate policies may become ineffective.

Economic Considerations for Farmers

  • Farmers often convert forests to agriculture due to perceived higher economic value compared to standing forests. This decision overlooks the broader ecological benefits that forests provide globally.
  • A potential solution involves compensating farmers for maintaining forest land, which could shift their economic calculations favorably towards conservation.

International REDD+ Mechanism and Local Solutions

  • The International REDD+ mechanism aims to balance carbon trading with local needs but faces criticism from Bolivia regarding market-based approaches.
  • A joint project by Conservation International and the London School of Economics supports alternative solutions to reduce both deforestation and poverty in Bolivia through scientific tools and community engagement.

Simulation Tools for Community Engagement

  • The Sim Pamama tool simulates community behavior on agricultural frontiers over a 20-year period, analyzing factors influencing deforestation such as land allocation and migration patterns.
  • The project's goal is to enhance understanding among communities about policies affecting human well-being and environmental health while fostering discussions on reducing rural poverty alongside deforestation efforts.

Future Directions for REDD+ Implementation

  • There is an opportunity to design the REDD+ mechanism participatively so that it is equitable and effective in securing international funding while benefiting local communities living near tropical forests.
Video description

This video discusses the dilemma facing the implementation of the United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD+). It introduces the need for more localized responses and gives a sneak peak into a didactic game developed via agent-based modeling by the Institute for Advanced Development Studies (INESAD) in La Paz, Bolivia and its partners such as the London School of Economics (LSE). In the SimPachamama game, the player becomes the mayor of an Amazonian town and she has to balance policy priorities with the goal of increasing wealth and wellbeing while reducing deforestation in the community. Here is the complete transcript of the voiceover: Bolivia has about 57 million hectares of some of the most biodiverse tropical forest on earth. This is a huge area -- you could fit more than 100 countries in there side by side. Every year, about 300,000 hectares of this forest is cut and burned and turned into either cropland or pastures. That corresponds to the total area of the 44 smallest countries in the World. The carbon emissions from this deforestation amounts to about 150 million tons per year, or about 15 tons per person. This makes Bolivians similar to Americans in terms of carbon emissions. At this rate of deforestation it would take about 200 years to deforest it all. However, the international REDD+ mechanism is being developed based on carbon emissions trading, and Bolivia has forcefully argued against a market based mechanism. A joint project between INESAD, Conservation International and London School of Economics, financed by the British Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation program (ESPA) supports the Bolivian government in developing alternative solutions to reduce deforestation and poverty. The project provides scientific and didactic tools to analyze and discuss the socio-economic and environmental impacts of these alternative solutions. One of the tools is SimPachamama: A computer based simulation tool which mimics the behavior of the inhabitants of a small community on the agricultural frontier in Bolivia during a 20 year period. The ideal outcome is for all people in the community to have high levels of human well-being while inflicting little damage on the forest. The objective of SimPachamama is to encourage discussion about options for reducing deforestation and rural poverty in Bolivia. The tool can be used as part of the process of training and consultation about REDD+ or as part of the process of designing and negotiating alternative mechanisms of reducing deforestation. While SimPachamama is currently based on the situation observed in a specific part of Bolivia -- the region around Rurrenabaque and San Buenaventura - it is possible to change the initial setup to reflect the situation in other regions within Bolivia or even in other countries. The international REDD+ mechanism is currently under design and negotiation, and we have a small window of opportunity to help secure that the mechanism is designed in a participatory way so that it becomes both fair and effective, it is embraced by forest communities, and it receives sufficient international funding to really make a difference both to the tropical forests and to the people living there.