This paper presents the results of a preliminary survey of emerging demonstration and readiness activities to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and carbon stock enhancement (REDD+) across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The survey was conducted between November and December 2008, and the information collected was updated until May 2009.

The most prominent international responses to climate change focus on mitigation (reducing the accumulation of greenhouse gases) rather than adaptation (reducing the vulnerability of society and ecosystems). However, with climate change now inevitable, adaptation is gaining importance in the policy arena, and is an integral part of ongoing negotiations towards an international framework.

REDD initiatives are more likely to succeed if they build on the interests of forest communities and indigenous people. More attention is needed to the balance of incentives, benefits, rights and political participation across levels of decision making, interest groups and administration.

Previous international and national policies have, for various reasons, failed to prevent deforestation in developing countries. REDD+ incorporates some of these past policies, but also some innovations. Lessons from past experience will need to be taken on board and new alliances will need to be forged if REDD+ is to be successful.

REDD+ projects require an impact assessment approach to estimate emissions and removals; for REDD+ to succeed we need information on this and the associated 3E+ outcomes. There are few examples of rigorous impact assessment in the conservation, avoided deforestation and payments for environmental services (PES) literature.

This publication has two objectives. First, it analyzes the past research on deforestation and summarizes the findings of that research, in terms of its relevance to the development of future REDD regimes. Second, it highlights areas where future research and methodological development are needed to support national and international processes on avoided deforestation and degradation.

Four types of policies could reduce deforestation: policies to depress agricultural rent, policies to increase and capture forest rent, policies that directly regulate land use, and cross-sector policies that underpin the first three.