LEAF TECHNICAL GUIDANCE SERIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NATIONAL OR SUBNATIONAL FOREST MONITORING SYSTEM FOR REDD+

This module, EM-H, provides guidance on estimating historical emissions from deforestation, which is a critical component of a terrestrial carbon monitoring system for REDD+. Historical emissions from deforestation are determined by combining activity data for deforestation and emissions factors for deforestation over a defined period of time. The module uses the AD-D module and the EF-D module to estimate historical emissions from deforestation, defined as the long-term or permanent conversion of forest land to non-forest land. The definition of forest is determined by each individual country. The output of this module is emissions from deforestation at the national or subnational area, across all strata and carbon pools, reported on an annual basis (tCO2e.yr-1). This is one component of a terrestrial carbon monitoring system for REDD+ outlined in the Framework document. To complete this module, two prerequisites are required: a "look-up table" of activity data for deforestation and a "look-up table" for emission factors. The activity data for deforestation includes the quantity of the activity (e.g., area of change) by stratum and deforestation driver, and divided into relevant time periods. The emission factors include estimates of the standing stock of carbon in all selected pools by stratum and deforestation driver. The basic methodology used to calculate emissions is to multiply activity data by an emission factor. The general formula is: Emissions = Activity Data*Emission Factor. When estimating historical emissions, it is essential to ensure that the units used for the emission factors and the units used for the activity data match so that emissions are expressed correctly in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year (tCO2e.yr-1). To facilitate the estimation of historical emissions, it is recommended that a calculator tool be created for the input of activity data and emission factors for deforestation. The calculator can be designed to combine the activity data with emission factors to produce estimates of emissions over different time frames for each activity. Once all activity data are available and all emissions factors have been calculated, these can be combined using the calculator tool to produce historical emissions. A separate table can be created to display the estimated historical emissions, including the area of deforestation, by forest stratum and deforestation driver, and the estimated historical emissions for each time period. Uncertainty must be calculated for historical emissions, using either the Tier I method of error propagation or the Tier II method of a Monte Carlo analysis. Both of these methods are described in full in the data analysis module.