[www.inewsguyana.com] – The Norwegians’ Real Time Evaluation Report on Norway international Climate and Forest Initiative over the period 2007 – 2013 has provided an insight into the successes and areas for improvement/strengthening across various partnerships on forest and climate that the Government of Norway has engaged.
The evaluation was conducted by an expert team contracted independently by the Government of Norway to assess the effectiveness of Norway’s partnership on forest and climate change with key partner countries [of which Guyana is one] and agencies.
According to a media statement from the Guyana Forestry Commission, the report stated that Guyana records an overall positive performance in key technical areas of REDD+ and highlights the exemplary work done by Guyana in developing a system for monitoring, reporting and verification for forest and REDD+.
iNews understands that the evaluation reports also lauds the extensive efforts that have been extended by Guyana and the Guyana Forestry Commission in opening up national systems for independent third party scrutiny.
Further, the Evaluation Report noted that the Guyana-Norway partnership has been highly successful at developing a national-level monitoring, reporting and verification system, and reasonably successful at developing a financial mechanism for REDD+ payments.
The system has now successfully completed three rounds of reporting and independent verification, and two rounds of payments have been made to the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund.
Additionally, the Evaluation Report pointed out that that the Guyana-Norway partnership has been highly successful at developing a national-level monitoring, reporting and verification system, and reasonably successful at developing a financial mechanism for REDD+ payments. The Report also revealed that Guyana represent an important models for NICFI (Norway International Climate and Forest Initiative), with Guyana as a high forest cover / low deforestation country.
The report concluded NICFI support had been highly effective in developing the national MRV system and reference level. In Guyana there was also evidence that MRV data were used more broadly than for MRV to support forest management, for example in monitoring compliance with harvest plans and to assist with monitoring mining operations.
