Emergence of REDD+ in Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands like other developing countries has adopted and implemented the REDD+ initiative through its ratification of the United Nations Framework to Combating Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Implementation of REDD+ the country

Solomon Islands has taken early steps to engage with REDD+ at the national, regional and international level and has since then in addition to the UNFCCC signed up to other frameworks such as the Regional Pacific REDD+ Policy Framework. That said, some of the key Government ministries such as MECDM, MAL, MoFR and Ministry of Lands, housing and Survey (MLHS) have included REDD+ activities within their workplans.

In 2010 the Solomon Islands joined the UN REDD Programme as a partner country. In November the same year the country received a total of USD$ 550,000 grant from the UN-REDD Programme Fund thus the National UNREDD Programme was rolled out. The key outcome of the programme was the formulation of the Solomon Islands National REDD+ Readiness Roadmap 2014-2020. This was endorsed in 2015 through the leadership of MoFR. 

To date, it is the Integrating Global Environment Commitments in Investment and Development Decision Making (IGECIDDM) Project, who has been supporting the Government to implement the Roadmap. 

Apart from that, several pilot projects has also already been carried in the provinces by other key donors such as GIZ and NGOs such as Live and Learn. Choiseul province has been one of the provinces selected as a pilot study for REDD+ activities. This was following the fact that logging has been much less excessive in the province due to the efforts of Lauru Land Conference of Tribal Communities (LLCTC) in effectively advocating against illegal logging whilst supporting and promoting forest conservation and rehabilitation. Other NGOs like the Nature Conservancy (TNC) is also currently undertaking minor REDD+ related activities in the province.