Mongolia joined the UN-REDD Programme in June 2011. Guided by a Multi-stakeholder taskforce multi-stakeholder taskforce, the national REDD+ Readiness Roadmap is now nearly complete. Some final adjustments are currently being made to ensure that the Roadmap is fully aligned with the country's latest green development agenda. The UN-REDD Programme has meanwhile begun its support for designing a framework to strengthen the functional and technical capacities of relevant national institutions, as well as establish a strong foundation for the implementation of the Roadmap.

Progress against the Warsaw Framework for REDD+

Following Mongolia’s request, initial target support assisted the country in its REDD+ efforts and to initiate the implementation
of the National REDD+ Readiness Roadmap, while the country was preparing for a full fledge National Programme. The National
Programme was successfully prepared by the country and approved in 2014. Complementary targeted support is assisting the country on a NFMS and a Forest Satellite Monitoring System, forest Inventory methodology; governance and social safeguards, spatial analysis and information systems to support the forest sector and REDD+ planning that incorporates multiple benefits and environmental safeguards, options for addressing drivers of deforestation and forest degradation; and stakeholder engagement and sectoral coordination.

National REDD+ Strategy/Action Plan
Through targeted support, two key preliminary studies on the Drivers of Forest Change and the Institutional Capacity and Arrangement Assessment for REDD+ were completed in 2015 with the involvement of a broad range of stakeholders. These studies highlight strategic issues and entry points for further consideration during the design of candidate REDD+ PAMs, which will feed into the preparation of the National REDD+ Strategy. A study on forest sector financing flows and economic values was also conducted, identifying a number of instruments and mechanisms to mobilize financing for sustainable forest management in the context of REDD+, which can increase forest sector funding. The NP will also benefit from coordination with the FAO/GEF project “Mainstreaming Biodiversity Conservation, SFM and Carbon Sink Enhancement into Mongolia’s Productive Forest Landscapes” which will design and pilot community- based Policies and Measures for consideration under the REDD+ Strategy.

National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS)
Support was provided to the Climate Change Project Implementation Unit (CCPIU) on the development of historical forest cover change data (Activity Data) for the national GHG inventory, following on from training provided on GHG Inventory provided through targeted support earlier in the year, including a refresher training on Open Foris Collect Earth for planning for future land use change assessments and development of Activity Data. Satellite Land Monitoring System (SLMS) capacity was also enhanced with a technical support mission. The NFMS Action Plan was completed in 2014 and the NP supported NFMS and FREL/FRL work will begin in first week of January 2016. The NP will also benefit from the achievements of the GIZ project “REDD+ Compatible National Forest Inventory for Mongolia”, which has completed the NFI for the entire boreal forest area of Mongolia.

Forest Reference Emission Level / Forest Reference Level (FREL/FRL)
In advancing the development of the FREL/FRL, Mongolia’s stocktaking of relevant work has been initiated, including a review of the NFMS Action plan.

Safeguards and Safeguards Information System (SIS)
In 2015, while there have been no achievements directly relating to the country’s SIS, targeted support is being provided to enhance the capacity of decision-makers in the consideration
of potential benefits and risks and spatial analyses related to REDD+. Available REDD+ spatial planning concepts and techniques as decision support tools have been reviewed by a wide range of stakeholders, with The Environmental Information Center of Mongolia, The Forest Conservation and Reforestation Division of the Ministry of Nature, Green Development and Tourism and the Forest Research and Development Centre being main players. Government, civil society and private sector have engaged in identifying priority multiple benefits from forests.