Project News

Through cooperation with F-REDD 2, Laos submitted an Emissions Reductions Monitoring Report to the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Carbon Fund, in December 2022, to present the results of implementation of the Lao Emission Reductions Program (see note). The Validation and Verification Process by a third-party officially started by Validation and Verification Body (VVB) in May 2023.

This Validation and Verification Process involves a rigorous review process on the accuracy of the estimates and reports of the emissions reductions that Lao PDR submitted to the FCPF Carbon Fund . The estimation methods must satisfy internationally acknowledged technical standards, such as the IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories and the GFOI Methods and Guidance Documentation (MGD) for REDD+, and be in compliance with the set of requirements of the Carbon Fund. The data used and the results of the estimation must be fully transparent, so that the VVB is able to reproduce the same results. This review process can take at least six months to complete, and may take more than a year in some countries. So it is not an easy road.

To address this review process, the Department of Forestry (DOF) created a team led by the REDD+ Division and Forest Inventory and Planning Division. F-REDD 2 will support the team in overall coordination and also provide technical backup. Since the previous project, F-REDD, JICA has consistently supported Lao PDR’s ER Program from the conceptual stage. F-REDD 2 will continue to provide dedicated support by fully utilizing its knowledge and experience.

(Note: The FCPF is a trust fund for REDD+ administered by the World Bank. The Carbon Fund intends to provide results-based payment to 18 countries. For more information on Laos, click here.

Analyzing the forest area. Mutual learning of DOF staff has also been progressing.

On-site verification of the analysis results through satellite imagery.