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REDD - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) projects are now being implemented by conservation organizations, project developers and governments. Clark Labs is at the forefront of supplying a software solution to REDD practitioners that can address conservation strategies such as forest protection (e.g., protecting rainforest areas and infrastructure management) or sustainable forest production (e.g., agroforestry projects).

Why Use IDRISI?

IDRISI is the outcome of over 20 years of geospatial technology development.

IDRISI is engineered by expert scientists and research practitioners.

IDRISI includes both GEOMOD and Land Change Modeler, both currently utilized in REDD projects.

Clark Labs provides tools that are cost-effective in terms of data, time and expertise. The software tools are also transparent, accurate, scaleable, and compatible with international requirements. Tools such as Land Change Modeler and GEOMOD in IDRISI can be used to estimate deforestation baselines at the project, regional or national scale and predict the locations of deforestation. The technical issues of REDD--carbon accounting, additionality, baseline or "business as usual," leakage and permanence--can all be measured utilizing the tools within IDRISI.

With IDRISI Taiga you can conserve forest carbon, biodiversity and related ecosystem services.

IDRISI Taiga includes other much needed functionality in one comprehensive package including image processing tools for processing satellite data for land cover mapping, and decision support tools that can employ participatory techniques to engage local stakeholders in REDD projects.

Application areas include:

Estimation of historical deforestation rates and patterns
Identification of the drivers of deforestation
Projection of future deforestation scenarios
Modeling future deforestation potential
Validation of deforestation scenarios
Modeling carbon biomass impact and fluctuation
Modeling of biodiversity and ecosystem services impacts

The first stage of a REDD project is the understanding of the historical trends in land use change. The Change Analysis tab in Land Change Modeler provides tools for the rapid assessment of change, allowing one to generate a series of evaluations of gains and losses, net change, persistence and specific transitions both in map and graphical form. This figure shows the historical pattern of change in the Ankeniheny-Mantadia Corridor in Madagascar.

REDD Transition Potential Modeling and Driver Variable Selection

An important element for predicting future scenarios is understanding the underlying driving forces of change. The transition potential modeling facility in Land Change Modeler allows users to derive transition potential maps based on a set of driver variables, such as: slope, distance from roads, distance from markets, elevation, etc... These variables can be static or dynamic.

REDD Land Change Prediction and Scenario Modeling

Projecting future scenarios is crucial to understanding the potential impacts of proposed project interventions. Based on the historical patterns of change and identified driver variables, users can engage in scenario modeling of future outcomes and assess the impacts of these predictions as they pertain to REDD projects. These modeled impacts include not only forest and carbon assessments, but also impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services.

GEOMOD Land Change Simulation with IDRISI Taiga

GEOMOD is a land change simulation modeling tool. It predicts the locations where land is likely to change from one category to another. In combination with the IDRISI statistical modules, such as ROC and VALIDATE, these tools allow users to measure the certainty of scenarios of future land change.


C A S E S T U D I E S :
	Read further about how IDRISI is used in the following REDD applications: Conserving Bolivia's Critical Resources Using Land Change Modeler ArcNews, Spring 2008


	Related Links:
	REDD Modeling Blog Press Release - Collaboration with Google to develop online prototype for REDD support. Download the IDRISI Taiga brochure. Download the Land Change Modeler brochure. Download the Land Change Modeler Focus Paper.