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, OpenForis, 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