According to the latest estimate from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2013), land-use change, largely from deforestation, has accounted for an estimated net contribution of 10% of global anthropogenic emissions in the past decade. Management of forest carbon stocks has therefore been recognised as an important climate change mitigation strategy under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

REDD+ aims to incentivise reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, as well as the conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks. While these activities have the potential to provide multiple social and environmental benefits, there is also a need to avoid social and environmental risks. This report examines steps in the REDD+ planning process that can support the delivery of multiple benefits in Uganda. It discusses the importance of identifying potential benefits and risks in designing REDD+ interventions and country approaches to safeguards. It also highlights the potential for synergies between REDD+, the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the National Biodiversity Action Plan. Using example maps for Uganda, the report illustrates how spatial analysis can support REDD+ planning. The report has been produced under the REDD-PAC project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety.