The Executive Board of the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) approved a USD 1.2 million project aimed at assessing the recent drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in 6 countries of Central Africa. Deforestation and forest degradation are complex transboundary processes with many direct as well as underlying causes. A good understanding of why and where forest disturbances occur is instrumental for the development of targeted policies and actions aiming to reduce the loss of forests and the associated carbon emissions.  However, the lack of updated data reflecting the recent trends on tree cover loss and gaps in technical capacities for managing...

Uganda has become the first African country to submit REDD+ results to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), paving the way to potential results-based payments. In its recent submission of the REDD+ Technical Annex to the biennial update report (BUR), a reporting requirement for results-based payments, Uganda submitted Emission Reductions of 8 million tCO2 for 2016-2017.   Uganda’s commitment to protect its forests Uganda’s lush tropical jungles, rainforests, savannahs, lakes and rivers are home to an astonishing array of biodiversity. In addition to supporting wildlife, so vital for the country's future heritage and tourist industry, Uganda's forest resources are an...

Ecuador has been engaging in national efforts to reduce carbon emissions from the forest sector, as an integral part of the National Action Plan for REDD+. Hence, the Ministry of Environment and Water of Ecuador (MAAE, for their initials in Spanish) and the Sub-Secretary of Natural Heritage has been implementing the National System for Forest Monitoring, with the objective of providing continuous and rigorous information about the forest and other ecosystems’ status and changes.  In collaboration with FAO and international donor agencies, such as the KfW development bank and Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), Ecuador is building its National Forest Monitoring System. SERVIR-Amazonia, a...

WHEN: Wednesday, 24 June 2020, 12:00-13:00 CEST WHERE: Zoom, bit.ly/FOcovid (to receive the login details for the webinar series, please email [email protected]) LANGUAGE: Simultaneous interpretation in EN/ES/FR   The ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic pose an unprecedented challenge not only to human health and health systems, but virtually every aspect of society including the economy, the environment, and even human interactions. The current crisis gives us a glimpse of what a longer-term climate catastrophe may look like if immediate action is not taken. Within the complex and quickly evolving COVID-19 dynamic, forests play a critical role. They are a safety net for the most vulnerable...

The Governments of Myanmar and Finland today launched a trailblazing project designed to allow for monitoring of forests in a manner that is sensitive to local conflicts and protects human rights. The five-year project will be led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) thanks to a EUR 8 million endowment from the Government of Finland, a consistent partner in the promotion of environmental sustainability. The project is innovative in taking a conflict sensitive and human rights-based approach to forest monitoring. This has global relevance as it will provide insights into how to bolster sustainable forests in other...