Avoided Deforestation (REDD) and Indigenous ... - Amazon Fund

REDD mechanisms offer the potential to
simultaneously combat climate change,
conserve biodiversity, and promote sustainable
development. However, to be successful, REDD
must recognize and safeguard the traditional
livelihoods, cultural identities and land tenure
rights of local indigenous groups, key stewards
of global forests.
The Copenhagen Accord recommended the
mobilization of significant financial resources
towards the implementation of REDD mechanisms.
Yet, while the over $4-billion pledge
from some developed countries is a significant
incentive, it is not clear how the implementation
of REDD mechanisms will take place.
For example, how will countries implement
effective and transparent systems to channel
benefits to local communities, particularly as
market, regulatory and delivery risks of REDD
mechanisms are more pronounced in indigenous
lands in areas undergoing rapid cultural
and economic change?
Over a quarter of forests in Latin America and
Asia are owned and/or managed by indigenous
and other forest communities. In the Brazilian