The Data Coordination (DC) Component of the Global Forest Observations Initiative (GFOI) aims to support the acquisition, availability and accessibility of datasets and tools for forest and carbon monitoring, as well as countries’ awareness and ability to use them. This includes a focus on both ground datasets and remote sensing data.

The component also works with partners to encourage the use of the GFOI Family of Resources (GFoR) – MGD, REDDcompass, Registry of Products and OpenMRV platforms – as a pathway to helping countries with operationalizing their national forest monitoring systems (NFMSs) and associated emissions measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) procedures. The GFoR helps developers to include their products in a systematic framework that supports country uptake of their products.

The component builds on the success of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites‘ (CEOS) Land Surface Imaging Virtual Constellation (LSI-VC) Forests & Biomass Subgroup in making large volumes of space data publicly available. The component’s expansion to include not only ground data, but also remote sensing data, recognizes that countries not only receive data from other sources but often generate and manage their own ground data as part of a NFMS, which poses a unique set of challenges and opportunities.

The specific activities of the component are likely to include:

• influencing the space data community to ensure the systematic acquisition and ongoing availability of data in light of the increased volume, frequency and variety of data;
• providing a forum for collaboration and coordination on the development and availability of tools for data accessing, processing, integrating and storing;
• considering options and approaches for the delivery of analysis-ready data to meet countries’ monitoring goals in the context of rapidly increasing data availability and limited internet connectivity;
• facilitating awareness of approaches for integrating ground data and space data to improve the accuracy, precision and efficiency of NFMSs and national forest inventories (NFIs);
• facilitating access to data and tools to support the activities of the Capacity Building Component, including training and system development support;
• identifying new science and technology needed to support improved methods for using datasets and tools with the Research and Development (R&D) Coordination Component;
• developing and maintaining neutral guidance to allow countries to consider, select and use appropriate datasets and tools to meet their monitoring requirements with the Methods and Guidance Documentation Component; and
• supporting the GFOI R&D programme with dedicated satellite datasets.

The work of the component is based on the collaborative efforts of GFOI’s partners. It is led by CEOS, which provides the component’s management functions, in close collaboration with other GFOI partners.

For more information on specific activities, please see the News and Events pages.