Boosting transparency of forest data

Join our webinar Forest data for climate action: the importance of legal and institutional frameworks

24/02/2021

Forests, and forest monitoring in particular, are critical to ensuring that countries stay on target with emission reduction goals within the framework of the Paris Agreement. A robust National Forest Monitoring Systems (NFMS) can support the formulation, monitoring and adjustment of sub- and national forest-related policies, inform citizens and stakeholders and help track progress towards sustainable forest management and reducing emissions related to forest loss. The institutionalisation of NFMS is a crucial next step necessary to enhance country ownership and pave the way for more streamlined, sustainable and transparent use of forest data. The FAO webinar “Forest data for climate action: the importance of legal and institutional frameworks” will highlight how a legal basis, financial commitment and a permanent institutional framework are vital to ensuring efficient implementation and operation of an NFMS. The webinar is free and open to everyone on:

 

Date: 17 March 2021

Time: 14:30 - 16:00 CET

Registrationbit.ly/2ZwofuI 

 

OBJECTIVES OF THIS SESSION

  • Clarify why legal and institutional arrangements are paramount to implement robust and sustainable National Forest Monitoring Systems (NFMS);
  • Launch of the FAO paper on “Institutionalisation of forest data: Establishing legal frameworks for sustainable forest monitoring in REDD+ countries”;
  • Share experiences and lessons learned from Colombia and Uganda for the institutionalisation of forest data and enhacement of NFMS.                                                                       

 

SPEAKERS & BIOS

This technical webinar will moderated by Ms Emily Donegan (FAO) and Ms Cristina Petracchi (FAO).

Julian Fox has 20 years experience in forest monitoring as a manager of international and national projects, researcher, teacher, and technical specialist. He also has 7 years experience living and working in developing countries managing projects in Papua New Guinea and Zambia. Julian holds a PhD in forest monitoring. Dr Fox is Team Leader, National Forest Monitoring (NFM), Forestry Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). As Team Leader NFM, Julian coordinates global normative NFM work, global NFM tools (Open Foris and SEPAL), and a significant portfolio of country support activities of the NFM team (active in forty-five countries).

Rocío Cóndor-Golec is leading the "Building global capacity to increase transparency in the forest sector (CBIT-Forest)” global project of the FAO financed by the CBIT trust fund of the GEF. She is coordinating activities to make forest data more transparent, accessible and available and helping developing countries meet the Paris Agreement's enhanced transparency framework (ETF), in collaboration with key international stakeholders. Rocío has 20 years of experience working at the national and the international level on measurement, reporting and verification under the UNFCCC and currently supporting the ETF implementation at the FAO.  Rocio holds a Masters Degree in Environmental Science and a PhD in Forest Ecology.

Francesca Felicani Robles is a Forestry Officer specialized in REDD+ legal matters. She has more than 10 years of experience in assisting developing countries in forest law development processes. She has worked in Panama on legal and institutional arrangements for National Forest Monitoring Systems, providing legal advice to many countries in Latin America  (e.g. Ecuador, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, Peru). Francesca holds an International Law Master Degree, practiced at Allen & Overy international law firm, visited more than 30 countries and lived in several of those (including Chile, England, Venezuela, Belgium, Oman, Malaysia and Panama). She also has experience with the UNHCR and the EU Delegation in Kuala Lumpur.

Bob Kazungu is a Senior Forestry Officer, in the Monitoring and Assessment Division of the Forestry Sector Support Department of the Ministry of Water and Environment, where he is in charge of Monitoring and Assessment of implementation of the forestry sector aspirations and initiatives. Bob is also a core member of the National REDD+ Secretariat, where among other things is in charge of coordinating the compilation of reports to the UNFCCC. Bob, together with colleagues in the department have a core responsibility for the formulation and development of forest sector policies, regulations, guidelines and standards.

Héctor Gonzalex Rubio is currently a Technical Advisor to the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies of Colombia (IDEAM), the institute in charge of the National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS). Héctor has extensive experience in other institutions and has also worked as a teacher in several universities in the country.  He is a Forestry Engineer with a master's degree in Economics of the Environment and Natural Resources, and a PhD in Environmental Sciences.

Emily Donegan joined FAO in 2013. Her work focuses on forest monitoring, REDD+ and climate change. She is currently working on the CBIT-Forest project to deliver knowledge and training materials such as the e-learning course “Forests and Transparency under the Paris Agreement”. Emily is interested in climate action, biodiversity, research and communicating science and promoting knowledge exchange. She holds a master’s in Environmental Sciences with a focus on soils and a bachelor’s in Plant Sciences. She is from Northern Ireland.

Cristina Petracchi heads the FAO eLearning Academy. She manages and coordinates the design, development, delivery and language adaptations of an extensive portfolio e-learning courses and blended learning programmes for the benefit of FAO member countries, and is responsible for the creation of University Masters' and Post Graduate Degree Programmes. She engages actively in consolidating partnerships across United Nations agencies, academic institutions and universities, regional organizations, CSOs and NGOs, for capacity development initiatives. In addition to a University Degree in Biological Sciences, Ms Petracchi holds a PhD in Nutrition and Food Science, and has several years of experience of capacity development activities, in a number of countries.

 

This international technical webinar is part of the series organized by the FAO eLearning Academy, Agreenium (l'Institut agronomique, vétérinaire et forestier de France) and UN-ESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific). Please visit the FAO elearning Academy elearning.fao.org, which offers free multilingual courses on the thematic areas covered in the Technical Webinar.

 

For more information, please contact:

Rocio Condor

FAO Forestry Officer

[email protected]