Current SAC Meeting

Home > Current SAC Meeting

SAC # 54: Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD): The changing geography of forest protection initiatives in Aceh, Indonesia

OPEN AND FREE TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES

When

Thursday 9 October 2008, 4pm onwards

Where

Seminar Room, Centre for Innovation, 87 St. David St.
Click here for a map. Note: Limited parking is available on Castle St. and must be arranged with the Centre for Innovation Front Desk (phone 479-8469)

Speaker

Andrew McGregor

Abstract

At the 2007 United Nations Climate Change Convention in Bali there was debate over the viability of a mechanism to prevent further carbon emissions from deforestation. The REDD proposal, referring to Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, intends to reward governments who avoid deforestation by allowing them to sell carbon credits based on estimates of how much deforestation they have prevented. Indonesia, a country which Greenpeace claims to have the highest rate of deforestation in the world, has much to gain from this initiative however it has ignited a wave of debate amongst forest protection activists that highlight the differences between Western and Indonesian environmental movements. This paper reflects on these debates by reporting on a recent trip to Aceh in Indonesia where a green governor, who happens to be a former independence fighter and elephant vet, has propelled the province to the forefront of REDD implementation. Two ecosystems have been identified for REDD accreditation, each being run by different institutions with very different views on community involvement in forest conservation. In discussing the new geographies associated with these proposals I explore the new international networks and alliances that are forming, the new places and spaces that are being created, shifting values and human / nature relationships, and the politics of enforcement, inclusion and exclusion.

About the Speaker

Andrew McGregor is a Senior Lecturer in the Geography Department at the University of Otago. He has researched widely in Southeast Asia and has recently published a book entitled Southeast Asian Development through Routledge. He is active in the development community being a former Chair and current member of the Steering Committee for the Aotearoa New Zealand International Development Studies Network (Devnet), co-editor of Asia-Pacific Viewpoint and a former UNICEF Australia project officer. He also likes forests.