A regional advisor on the UN's Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation programme says Vanuatu is already benefitting from REDD+ through projects such as an inventory of Santo's forest.
Bjoern Hecht from the German agency for International Co-operation is in Vanuatu to train Department of Forestry staff on how to conduct a forest inventory on the country's biggest island
Direct carbon funding has not yet kicked in under the REDD+ programme.
But Mr Hecht says the inventory is a direct result of climate change funding provided through the German environment ministry which wouldn't be available without the funding for preparing for REDD+.
"So we have a methodology for measuring the forest resources, for climate change, and that's how we use the funding. The funding will already benefit Vanuatu by improving the forest management. If the credits come later on or not, doesn't even matter as long as you implement the current preparation funding really well."
Bjoern Hecht
