FAO Actions Related to GFOI Components FAO history

FAO Actions Related to GFOI Components

FAO history in forest monitoring and assessment • Began in 1946 focused on commercial timber • Activities involving all countries with forest • Work in 1950’s and 1960’s included aerial imagery and starting in the 1970’s expanded to Landsat • Purposes: – Land classification and management – Forest resource change – Climate change mitigation

FAO actions supporting forest monitoring • Including – Needs assessments – Methods and software development – National forest monitoring systems design – Technical assistance in implementation – Remote sensing support – Capacity building – Analysis and reporting • Nearly all of this work is “Country engagement”

Context • About 112 countries representing 80% of the world’s forest is measured by forest inventory • Satellite or aerial imagery is used on about 70% of the inventoried area • Repeated inventories are becoming more common – but still lacking • Most often the most important constraints are not related to a lack of image access

Specific-GFOI related actions • National forest inventory support: – Over 50 countries – Has covered commercial timber, fuelwood, carbon stocks, multi-purpose – Estimated investment: >$100 million • Land classification and mapping – Remote sensing and ground surveys – Estimated investment: >$30 million

Specific-GFOI related actions • Capacity building (2005 -present): – Over 130 countries – Long-term, short-term training plus institutional development – Estimated investment: >$25 million • Software and methods development (2010 present): – Change detection, Open. Foris, SDMS, degradation – Estimated investment: >$15 million

Specific-GFOI related actions • Remote sensing support: – Over 50 countries – Image acquisition, processing, mapping, analysis, interpretation – Wall to wall and sample based – Estimated investment: >$30 million

Future plans • Forest monitoring, assessment and reporting with countries is a permanent FAO mandate • Investments in supporting member countries will continue • REDD+ specific MRV targeted to >50 countries, forest monitoring work covers 234 countries and territories • FAO is committed to communicating activities through GFOI network, participating in GFOI components and to supporting GFOI office