03.02.2014

Global Forest Observations Initiative

Simon Eggleston

GFOI Side Event, GEO X, Monday 13th January, Geneva

Climate Change and Forests

Deforestation and forest degradation globally are significant sources of CO2 (nearly 12% to global total emissions)

Forests support indigenous and forest peoples and their livelihoods, preserve biodiversity and maintain water resources

The UNFCCC has established REDD+: Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries

REDD+ is an effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests by offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and to invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development.

REDD+ adopts a phased approach starting with strategy development and culminating in payments for verified emission reductions and removals in the context of low-carbon development.

To demonstrate verified emission reductions and removals countries must implement National Forest Monitoring Systems (NFMS) and Measuring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems compliant with the requirements of the UNFCCC and the IPCC guidelines for estimating emissions and removals of greenhouse gases

Responding to the urgent need to reduce deforestation and forest degradation, the Global Forest

Observations Initiative fosters the sustained availability and use of satellite data for national

forest monitoring systems.

Are:

Essential to plan and monitor forest protection

Part of Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV)

Required for REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest

Degradation, Sustainable Forest Management, Conservation and

Enhancement of Carbon Stocks) under the UNFCCC

Must be sustainable and efficient

Use reliable, timely and affordable ground and satellite data

Estimate greenhouse gas emissions and removals and changes in carbon

stocks

National Forest Monitoring Systems

GFOI

The Global Forest Observations Initiative (GFOI) mission is to foster the

sustained availability and use of satellite and ground observations in support

of national efforts to better manage forest resources.

GFOI will:

– support countries’ national efforts to implement the national forest monitoring and

measuring, reporting and verification (MRV) systems that they wish to implement;

– help countries report in accordance with relevant internationally accepted frameworks,

including:

• UNFCCC guidance

• the IPCC Good Practice Guidance

GFOI will:

• provide a platform for coordinating observations: in order to assure the

systematic, sustained and worldwide acquisition and supply of forest observations

the GFOI will work with the space agencies of the Committee on Earth Observation

Satellites (CEOS), commercial data providers and researchers collecting relevant

ground data; and

• provide assistance and guidance on utilising observations: GFOI will

collaborate with national institutions and international bodies such as the FAO,

World Bank and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to ensure

that countries are able to utilize the available data; by

– developing methods, guidance and advice;

– providing capacity building;

– promoting ongoing research and development.

Why GFOI!

There are many organisations supporting the implementation of REDD+ (UNREDD, World

Bank …)

UNFCCC

– decisions on REDD+, reporting and MRV

IPCC

– guidelines on estimating emissions and removals of GHG,

Countries:

– implementation, specifically national forest monitoring and MRV

Support Programmes (UNREDD and FCPF …)

– Support to Countries

GFOI

– provide a platform for coordinating observations:

– provide methodological advice and support in using observations

Why GFOI!

There are many organisations supporting the implementation of REDD+ (UNREDD, World

Bank …)

GFOI’s unique features are

– its links to space agencies and their commitment to acquire data needed for annual forest

monitoring.

– Participation by many experts in Earth Observation, organisations involved in REDD+ and

developing countries

GFOI has:

– Active support and involvement of 13 space agencies

– Active involvement of key REDD+ and GHG institutions: UNFCCC, FAO, World Bank, IPCC

– Explicit endorsement by 90 countries (GEO) and 67 international organisations

– Active involvement of developing country participants

Development of GFOI

GEO Forest Carbon tracking started in 2008

Worked with national demonstrator countries and supported capacity development and

provision of satellite data

Development of GFOI

GEO Forest Carbon tracking started in 2008

Worked with national demonstrator countries and supported capacity development and

provision of satellite data

Now we wish to continue and extend this to more countries in a more systematic way.

Want to continue to work with these countries in a way that suits country needs

This is the GFOI - the Global Forest Observations InitiativeGFOI is led by

FAO,

ESA,

Australia,

Norway

and the USA

GFOI Methods and

Guidance report

guiding the use of

Satellite and

Ground data for

national forest

monitoring and

estimation of

carbon stocks and

greenhouse gas

emissions. This

advice is consistent

with IPCC

Guidelines and

UNFCCC

requirements.

GFOI provides capacity

building in coordination

with others such as UN-

REDD. It supports the use

of satellite and ground

data to monitor forests,

estimate carbon stocks

and greenhouse gas

emissions

GFOI ensures the

acquisition of core

satellite data for 11

countries in 2013 rising to

global coverage in 2016

GFOI

reviews and

promotes

research and

development

needed to

implement

national

forest

monitoring

Integrating remote-sensing and ground-based observations for estimation of

emissions and removals of greenhouse gases in forests

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meeting in Warsaw, in November 2013, decided on the rules for REDD+.

The Global Forest Observations Initiative (GFOI) now provides operational advice to countries and international organisations on the use of Earth Observations information in the development of national forest monitoring and Measuring, Reporting and Verifying (MRV) systems consistent with the decisions made in Warsaw.

a guide for developing countries and international organisations

in collaboration with leading multilateral and bilateral initiatives

provides advice on how to implement UNFCCC and IntergovernmentalPanel on Climate Change (IPCC) approaches

assists in choosing the most appropriate technical solutions

Will be translated into French and Spanish and be available electronically

Training tools and web support are being developed

CEOS Baseline Global Acquisition Strategy for GFOI

CEOS has agreed a coordinated global data acquisition strategy involving core

data streams that can be shared openly and acquired free-of-charge for GFOI

purposes.

Provides annual, systematic and sustained wall-to-wall acquisitions of forested

areas, for National Forest Monitoring and consistent with REDD+ requirements.

Global coverage by 2016

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

2009 2010 2011 2012

Dat

a D

elve

red (G

B)

Thailand

Cambodia

Nepal

Tasmania Is

Tanzania

Sumatra

Peru

Mexico

Guyana

D.R. Cong

Colombia

Cameroon

Xingu 1 & 2

Brazil

Borneo

Data Delivered for GFOI

Thank you