From the International Day of Forests and World Water Day 2026: Digital Innovation is Shaping Inclusive and Sustainable Futures

On 19th March, for the International Day of Forests (21 March) and World Water Day (22 March), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) convened a high-level global event highlighting the interconnections between forests, water, economies and gender equality.

Under the themes “Forests and economies” and “Water and gender”, the event conveyed a clear and timely message: sustainable resource management today depends not only on natural systems, but increasingly on digital systems as well. A first key takeaway emerging from the discussions is the importance of making invisible systems visible. Forests regulate water cycles, protect watersheds and sustain agriculture, yet what cannot be measured cannot be effectively managed.

In this context, digital platforms such as Open Foris and WaPOR are transforming how countries monitor water and forest availability, agricultural use and resource stress. By enabling real-time data collection and analysis, improving the tracking of water-use efficiency under SDG 6.4, and supporting evidence-based policymaking, these tools are reshaping decision-making processes. Importantly, they also bring to light inequalities that were previously invisible, particularly those linked to gender.

In relation to the intersection between water, gender and digital inclusion, the The World Water Development Report 2026 highlighted persistent disparities shows that while women remain central to water management, they often lack access to resources, decision-making processes and technology. In this regard, digital innovation, including systems such as AQUASTAT, can either help bridge or further widen these gaps. FAO’s WaPOR Gender Equality and Social Inclusion strategy highlights the importance of ensuring that data reflects who uses water, not just how much is used, that digital tools are designed around real users and contexts, and that inclusion is grounded in continuous dialogue with communities. When these conditions are met, digital solutions can empower women farmers, improve productivity and strengthen resilience.

Moreover, in the forest sector, digital innovations like artificial intelligence play a key role in moving from data to decisions. Through platforms such as Open Foris, SEPAL, FERM, and the AIM4Forests initiative are enabling automated deforestation risk analysis, the integration of satellite, LiDAR and field data, real-time monitoring of forest change, and predictive modelling of forest growth and carbon stocks. AI-powered tools like Open Foris Whisp are now capable of generating automated and interpretable risk assessments, making complex geospatial analysis accessible even to non-specialists. At the same time, innovations such as satellite embeddings and multi-sensor data fusion are pushing forest monitoring beyond traditional limits, allowing countries to analyse ecosystems at scale with unprecedented precision.

Overall, the event highlighted that technology alone is not sufficient. The effectiveness of digital and AI solutions ultimately depends on the availability and quality of data, the existence of open and interoperable systems, the strength of institutional capacity and skills, and the presence of inclusive governance frameworks. Without these enabling conditions, even the most advanced tools risk reinforcing inequalities or producing unreliable outputs.

As countries work towards halting deforestation and achieving water security, the integration of technology, local knowledge and inclusive governance will be essential. From empowering women farmers to enabling transparent forest monitoring, digital innovation is no longer simply a technical enhancement, but is increasingly becoming a foundation for sustainable and equitable development.

Learn more: https://www.fao.org/international-day-of-forests/events/detail/celebrating-forests-and-water/en