Multi-level governance, REDD+ and synergies between climate change mitigation and adaptation

This research project seeks to understand the extent to which policy processes related to forest mitigation and adaptation should be integrated at different scales in order to deliver effective emission reductions from forest and vulnerability reduction. It will identify existing governance constraints to such integration and explore how they can be overcome.

The study is undertaken in two countries that are at the forefront of REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) policy formulation and contain among the most extensive remaining tropical forest areas in the world.

The proposed research addresses the following questions:

  1. What is the evidence about the main synergies and trade-offs between forest mitigation and adaptation in Brazil and Indonesia?
  2. How can multi-level policy processes be integrated in order to better exploit existing synergies between forest mitigation and adaptation (while recognising existing trade-offs)?
  3. How can existing political constraints to such integration be overcome and existing opportunities for integration be realised?

In investigating multi-level governance processes, this research contributes to the knowledge on multi-level forest governance as well as on climate change mitigation and adaptation. In examining the governance constraints and opportunities for integration, it aims to inform ongoing global and national policy processes about how to improve effectiveness of policy formulation and implementation in order to deliver more effective carbon emission reductions while enhancing adaptive capacity of forest dependent communities.

Co-investigator for this project: postdoctoral researcher Leandra Fatorelli.

Publications and outputs