Zambia is located at an altitude of between 2,164 and 350m above sea level, largely on the Central African Plateau, with four major biomes consisting of forest, woodland, grassland and aquatic systems (GRZ, 2005). Zambia is one of the most forested countries in Africa and approximately 67% (49,468,000 ha) of Zambia’s land surface is covered by forest (FAO, 2011). The most common forest type is Miombo woodland, which covers 42% of the land area (Vinya et. al. 2011). Above- and below-ground carbon stored in biomass is estimated to be 2.5 billion tonnes and a further 204 million tonnes stored in dead wood (FAO, 2011). At the global level Zambia has been identified as one of the top 10 greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting countries as a result of deforestation and degradation (EIA, 2008). REDD+ is therefore seen as an important mitigation option for Zambia (Estrada et. al., 2012). Estimated rates of deforestation vary depending on the methods of measurements used. For example, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO, 2011) estimates average annual rates of deforestation to be 167,000 ha per annum or 0.33% of total forest cover between 2000 and 2010, however, the most commonly quoted figure is 250,000-300,000 ha per annum (approx. 0.50-0.60% of total forest cover) based on 1965-2005 data (see Vinya et. al., 2012 and UN-REDD, 2010). Deforestation rates vary between different provinces. A study from 2012 found the highest rates of deforestation to be in Luapula- (2.47%), Eastern- (0.85%) and Copperbelt provinces (0.84%), while the lowest rates were found in Southern and Western provinces (Chidumayo, 2012).

The main drivers of deforestation in Zambia have been identified as charcoal and wood fuel production, logging for timber, expansion of small scale agriculture and unsustainable agricultural practices (GRZ & UN-REDD, 2010). Charcoal and wood fuel production (for domestic, commercial and industrial uses) is a main driver of deforestation. However, there is some uncertainty as to how much of deforestation is a direct cause of charcoal production and how much is due to agriculture expansion, as clearing for one is often interlinked with the other; much of the woodland converted to small-scale agriculture actually shows up in charcoal statistics, making it difficult to disaggregate the two. The impact of charcoal production on deforestation is closely interlinked with access to and the nature of the energy supply. Nearly 75% of the population lives without access to electricity, and charcoal and wood-fuel constitute the main source of energy for the majority of the population (GRZ & UN-REDD, 2010). Although there is little data available on the impact of mining on deforestation this is likely to become a more prominent issue in future. This is especially the case in the North Western Province, which is experiencing a mining-boom. It is also one of the provinces with the highest forest carbon potential.

Studies conducted in the mid 2000s show that the forestry sector contributed up to 5.2% of GDP to the national economy (Kokwe and Mickels-Kokwe, 2012). However, this is a debated topic and the actual value of the forestry sector is likely to be higher than what is currently being accounted for (FAO, 2012 a&b). For example, the contribution of illegal or unregulated activities such as charcoal production is not included in these estimates, which significantly affects the way opportunity costs are calculated. The charcoal industry is thought to informally employ about 500,000 individuals (Mwitwa and Makano, 2012) and though no official figures exist in terms of its contribution to GDP it is estimated to be at least 3% (Kalinda et. al., 2008). The high value of wood fuel and charcoal significantly increases the opportunity cost of REDD+, which needs to be accounted for in a future national REDD+ Strategy (Bond et. al., 2010).

REDD+ in Zambia has evolved in the context of a national development agenda that seeks to achieve sustained economic growth that is compatible with environmental and ultimately social sustainability. Notably, reducing the dependence on wood fuel for energy in order to tackle deforestation and degradation is a priority in a number of national policies and plans. For example, the National Policy on Environment (2005) recognises forests as important carbon sinks that should be enhanced, and promotes the development of alternative energy sources to wood fuel in order to reduce pressures on forests. Furthermore, the long-term development strategy, as promoted in the Vision 2030, has as a target to reduce the share of wood fuel in the energy sector by 40% in 2030. These policies have evolved in a wider governance context that seeks to achieve a decentralised approach to governance and public administration.

The Decentralisation Policy of 2002 aims to devolve authority, functions and responsibilities to the district level in order to improve the quality of service delivery at the sub-national level, including management of natural resources. Although the process of decentralisation was stagnant for some years it is now fully supported by the current Patriotic Front government, building on the Sixth National Development Plan (2011-2015) and the Revised Decentralisation Implementation Plan (2009-2013). A national REDD+ mechanism is currently evolving in the context of this decentralised approach, and the aim is to develop a strategy that corresponds to the jurisdictional requirements of this type of governance structure (Mason-Case, 2011). The devolution of responsibilities and rights, however, has not yet reached to the level of forest dependent communities. The forestry sector has maintained a central approach to forest management that is largely exclusive of local community involvement.

The national legal framework governing the forestry sector dates back to 1973 and does not recognise participatory approaches to forest management as a way of achieving overall goals of sustainability or poverty reduction. Several attempts at modernising the legislation have been made. For example, the Local Forests (Control and Management) Regulations (Statutory Instrument No. 47 of 2006) was created to enable the implementation of Joint Forest Management (JFM) in government reserves. Although this did allow communities to have a role in forest management, their right to receive a share of forest-generated income was highly constrained by the underlying legal framework. The lack of clarity on benefit-sharing arrangements significantly reduced the incentive for communities to engage with JFM. Reforming the current legal framework and creating incentives and benefit-sharing measures for local communities and the private/NGO sector to become involved in forest management is therefore seen as a priority for improving management of forest resources and to facilitate REDD+ implementation in Zambia.

In early 2013 the legal and regulatory framework for the forestry sector was under review, with a new Forest Bill and Forestry Policy expected to be approved in 2013. The proposed Bill will provide for three forms of participation in the management of the country’s forestry resources: private or farm forestry (on titled land); community forestry (on customary land); and JFM (in a protected local forest, or on customary land).

In 2010 Zambia was selected as one of the pilot countries for the UN-REDD Programme. The same year planning for REDD+ started and a National Joint Programme (NJP) was established between the Forestry Department, of the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, and the implementing bodies of the UN-REDD Programme, which are the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Zambia is currently in the first phase of preparing for REDD+ and a national REDD+ Strategy is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2013. In order to achieve the expected outcomes of the NJP and to support the national REDD+ Strategy GRZ has developed a set of pathways. These have been developed to complement one another and consist of: a) analytical studies to inform REDD+ Strategy development; b) finding entry points for REDD+ into the wider policy framework (e.g. agriculture) by building on on-going national processes related to land-use and natural resource management, such as the Integrated Land Use Assessment phase II (ILUA II) programme; and c) stakeholder engagement and partnership building for REDD+.

The first pathway includes a series of in-depth studies focusing on: i) assessment of previous, on-going and planned forest management activities with potential for REDD+; ii) assessing and analysing direct and indirect drivers of deforestation; iii) formulating a stakeholder engagement plan; iv) assessing financing, incentives and benefit sharing options for REDD+; v) assessing the Role of Safeguards in REDD+; enhancing private sector engagement in REDD+; and vi) assessment of REDD+ institutional capacity and capacity needs. At the subnational level, with the exception of forest and carbon monitoring activities and stakeholder engagements at the provincial level, there is limited readiness activity. In early 2013 only one REDD+ project was active, developed by a private sector company according to the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) and the Climate Community and Biodiversity (CCB) Standard. However, this is likely to change with the revision of the current forestry law and policy, which should include incentives for stakeholders, such as local communities and the private sector, to engage with REDD+.