NATIONAL TECHNICAL COMMITTEE

1. BACKGROUND

Climate change is increasingly threatening Tanzania's natural environment, human health, livelihoods, and economic development. It is widely recognised that forest ecosystems are major carbon sinks. Deforestation and forest degradation are reported causes of greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries like Tanzania. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates global annual anthropogenic carbon emissions due to the loss of tropical forests ranging from 18-to 20%. Various forest management and conservation practices at local, national and international levels contribute to the efforts toward mitigating and adapting to the global climate change problem.

Through the Tanzania Forest Service (TFS) Agency, the Government of Tanzania is collaborating with REDD Carbon & Biodiversity Advisors and Livingway (URT) Ltd to implement Carbon Credit Harvest and Purchase Programme in Tabora region. The Programme centres its core vision and values on forest conservation to reduce emissions, ensure storage of CO2 and mitigate climate change and its associated impacts. The Programme is implemented considering the increasing pace and growing global forest carbon trade market.

Implementation of the Programme is guided by the national policies and strategies, including the National REDD+ Strategy and Action Plan. In this context, the Government of Tanzania has established and appointed a National Technical Committee to provide technical backstopping to the implementation of the Programme, including a review of operational instruments, plans and budgets pertaining to the programme implementation, as stipulated in the programme agreement.

2. Goal
The aim of establishing and appointing the National Technical Committee is to ensure proper and effective implementation of the Tabora Carbon Credit Programme, through technical backstopping. Specifically, the National Technical Committee will ensure smooth coordination of programme activities in the government systems through proper planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programme targets.

3. Composition
The National Technical Committee will comprise representatives from the key Government Ministries, Agencies and Departments, including Research and Academic institutions. The composition of the National Technical Committee may be expanded to accommodate the demands and expertise necessary for the effective implementation of the programme activities. Specifically, the composition of the National Technical Committee will include the following Institutions

Tanzania Forest Service (TFS) Agency (Chair)

President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government Authorities (Co-Chair)

Vice President's Office (Secretary)

Ministry of Finance

Ministry of Community Development

Ministry of Energy

Ministry of Industries and Trade

Forestry and Beekeeping Division

Ministry of Agriculture

Ministry of Livestock

Ministry of Land, Housing and Human Settlement Development

National Carbon Monitoring Centre (NCMC)

Regional Natural Resources Advisor

TFS Western Zonal Manager

Other members (such as TANAPA, TAWA, Universities, and Land use Commission) will be invited based on agenda and needs of the Committee.

4. Modalities of Work

The National Technical Committee will work as follows:-

1. National Technical Committee will be chaired by the Tanzania Forest Service (TFS) Agency, and the Division of Environment, Vice President’s Office will be the Secretary to the Committee. At the same time, REDDCOP/Livingway will be the Secretariat.
2. National Technical Committee will conduct regular quarterly meetings through working sessions to discuss and deliberate on key plans and budgets for implementing the programme activities related to Carbon trade. The Committee will also have an ad-hoc meeting if the need arises
3. They will have the role of reporting to the National Steering Committee on the progress of programme implementation. In addition, they will ensure that relevant policy and legal issues are mainstreamed into the programme implementation.
4. Play an active role in policy and technical issues related to the Carbon Credit Programme implementation.
5. The Programme will facilitate the functions of the National Technical Committee through TFS.

5.Activities

The proposed activities for the National Technical Committee include the following:

1. To develop a strategy for coordination of Carbon Credit Programme activities within the government system
2. To develop a mechanism on how Carbon Credit Programme activities can be coordinated appropriately within the government system.
3. To undertake institutional mapping of stakeholders relevant to the implementation of the Programme
4. To assist in identifying policy or legal conflicts & synergies in respective sectors that should be addressed by the National Steering Committee.

6. Time Frame

The National Technical Committee will work for Three Years from the appointment date, with the possibility of extension.

7. Criteria to become a member of

National Technical Committee members will be appointed by their respective institutions based on the following criteria.

1. The appointee should be a permanent employee of the said institution or department
2. The appointee should have relevant expertise and experience with the sector or institution being represented and core activities of the Carbon Credit Programme
3. The appointee should represent the institution and not an individual