USG-GoG Partnership for Enhancing Capacity for Low Emissions Development Strategy (LEDS) in Gabon

This initiative is a country-driven effort, with support tailored to Gabon's unique capacity, technical, analytical, and policy needs. The USG will provide targeted technical assistance for LEDS development and implementation, as well as build a shared knowledge base on LEDS. The Gabon LEDS workplan consists of six components, including assisting the national climate council, reviewing the national communication, developing a national inventory system, conducting economics and emissions analysis, measuring and monitoring forest carbon, and land use planning. The SilvaCarbon activities, which started in 2012, focus on quantifying forest carbon stocks, pilot field plot design, and contributing to improving the accuracy of forest carbon stock assessment through the quantification of soil carbon stocks. Additionally, the development of a national forest inventory and capacity to process, archive, and manage spatial data are key components of the SilvaCarbon activities. The proposed land use planning (LUP) activities aim to evaluate and refine land use planning criteria, evaluate the Gabonese approach to land use planning, and fill data gaps for national land use planning. These activities also involve reinforcing capacity to manage data centrally, calculating emissions spatially for different transitions, and estimating the economic costs and benefits of different land use planning scenarios. Furthermore, a version 1.0 of the Gabonese land-use plan is to be elaborated. The USG-GoG Partnership for Enhancing Capacity for Low Emissions Development Strategy in Gabon is a collaborative effort involving various USG agencies, including the US Forest Service, the US State Department, USAID, the US Department of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The partnership aims to support Gabon's efforts in developing and implementing a LEDS, which is a critical component of the country's long-term development strategy. The implementation of the Gabon LEDS workplan and SilvaCarbon activities is expected to have a significant impact on the country's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainable development. The proposed LUP activities will also contribute to the development of a comprehensive land use plan that takes into account the country's unique environmental and economic challenges.