03635nas a2200277 a 450000500170000000800410001703500150005810000280007324501410010126000570024230000230029949000330032250001430035550200570049852023220055565000360287765000240291370000360293770000400297370000500301370000440306371000710310771000410317881000650321985600730328420260817161419.0240110s2023    th u  m  tt   0|0 a1eng d  a.b124157901 aVijitharan, Sharaniya  10aAccounting for forest carbon stocks in Vavuniya district, Sri Lanka using google earth engine:bimplications for carbon-based incentives  aPathum Thani :bAsian Institute of Technology,c2023  a234 leaves :bill.1 aDissertation ;vno. NR-23-01  aA dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Natural Resources Management  aThesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2023  aThis study examines the challenges of carbon accounting in emerging nations like Sri  Lanka and proposes a novel approach to estimate carbon stocks in forests and changes  as the basis for assessing the baseline carbon emissions, Forest Reference Emission  Level (FREL), and revenues from emission reductions and carbon removals with or  without REDD+ activities. The study utilizes combined phenology-based threshold  classification (PBTC) methods in Google Earth Engine (GEE) and modelling to address  the difficulty of acquiring reliable historical forest cover data, particularly at the  subnational or district level. The study leverages Landsat 5 and 8 satellite imageries to  assess forest cover changes and identify Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) threshold  values for classifying open and dry monsoon forests, which are critical to accurately  quantify carbon stocks. The results reveal that the open forest gained 3.62%, but the  dry monsoon lost 0.3% annually. Notably, GEE overcame obstacles in collecting past  data on land covers to assess forest cover and carbon stocks with high accuracy. Carbon  removals and emissions during the study period were estimated to be 24,064.5 MgCO2 yr-1 and 165,306.6 MgCO2 yr-1 , respectively, due to gain and loss in open and dry  monsoon forest cover. The established subnational FREL was 155,187.9 MgCO2 yr-1 for the period of the Paris Agreement (2020-2030). Based on the carbon price selected  at the voluntary carbon market and the European Union emission trading system, total  emission reductions and removals can be equivalent to carbon revenues ranging  between USD 7.3 million and USD 87.5 million, which can be received under the Paris  Agreement if REDD+ activities are commenced positively. Furthermore, qualitative  comparative analysis (QCA) was conducted to determine the sufficient conditions for  result-based payment. The results suggest that a combination of conditions such as  pressure from the lack of forests, availability of funds for performance-based activities,  and already commenced policy shifts in the presence status with the absence of  transformative coalition provided sufficient conditions. Moreover, continuous  monitoring and adaptation to changing conditions can facilitate successful progress  toward REDD+ goals in Sri Lanka. 0aCarbon sequestrationzSri Lanka 0aGoogle Earth Engine1 aSasaki, Nophea,eCo-Chairperson1 aTsusaka, Takuji W.,eCo-Chairperson1 aTripathi, Nitin Kumar,eExamination Committee1 aPramanik, Malay,eExamination Committee2 aAHEAD Operations, Sri Lanka/World Bank Project,eScholarship Donor2 aAIT Scholarships,eScholarship Donor2 aAsian Institute of Technology.tDissertation ;vno. NR-23-01403Full-Textuhttp://203.159.5.9/ait-thesis/Viewer/viewer.php?id=B20292