Drawa Forest Carbon Project

Summary

This EU-funded project is being implemented by Live and Learn Environmental Education (LLEE) in Fiji, Vanuatu, and Solomon Islands, with lessons learned shared in Papua New Guinea. It is part of a grouped regional project - "Pilot effective models for governance and implementation of REDD+  in Small Island Developing States to provide equitable benefits for  forest-dependent local and indigenous people" - being implemented by LLEE throughout the Pacific region (also called the Nakau Programme). 

The project aims to demonstrate a community-owned model for REDD+, which provides benefits for forest-dependent communities and indigenous people while reducing emissions and conserving and enhancing forests. The Live and Learn REDD+ project seeks to coordinate closely with and add value to national and regional efforts towards REDD+ readiness. The project has a strong focus on education and participatory design to enhance local capacity for participation in REDD+.

In Fiji the project is being implemented in Drawa, on the island of Vanua Levu, which is a former national pilot site for sustainable forest management (SFM) that was active from the late 1990s until 2008. It is now being promoted as a model for expanding community based forest management programmes in Fiji. Currently, LLEE is supporting local communities at the Drawa site to develop an improved forest management REDD+ project. This project is informing the national REDD+ process by building on previous SFM lessons, but also on current experiences integrating carbon measurement and monitoring aspects. 

The project seeks certification under the Plan Vivo Standard. The Project Idea Note was approved in February 2014.