Learning opportunities for all: Forest monitoring for climate action

The recent webinar, Learning Opportunities for All: Forest Monitoring for Climate Action, that took place on December 26 at FAO headquarters, convened global experts and participants, including 128 online attendees and around 50 in-person participants, to explore FAO's approach to strengthening capacities in forest monitoring. The session showcased significant progress in eLearning resources particularly for National Forest Inventories (NFIs).

FAO’s Forest Monitoring for Climate Action e-learning series has become a pioneer for inclusive capacity development, offering accessible and flexible learning opportunities. The event highlighted the success of the recently concluded National Forest Inventory (NFI) online facilitated course, which drew the interest of over 2,520 individuals across 141 countries that registered for the course. The course demonstrated its inclusivity, with 36 percent of participants being women, 54 percent representing young professionals aged 18 to 35, and 40 percent identifying as Indigenous Peoples.

The course featured three comprehensive learning paths focusing on field data collection, sampling and data analysis, and data management and reporting. It combined expert-led live sessions, engaging discussion forums, and a wealth of digital resources to emphasize practical applications. Approximately 800 participants earned a digital badge certification, and a post-course survey revealed that 98 percent of learners were either satisfied or very satisfied with the experience, citing its strong relevance to their professional needs.

The webinar also showcased testimonials from participants who highlighted the tangible impact of FAO’s e-learning courses on their work. Professor Fandohan from Benin shared how incorporating the NFI course into an academic master program at the National University of Agriculture has enriched forestry curricula and bolstered institutional capacity.

Olga Hellens, a forest carbon champion from Kenya, explained how FAO’s eLearning series and solutions like FAO’s SEPAL platform helped improve conservation efforts in the Ramogi Forest by enabling land-cover classification and hotspot identification. She emphasized the value of community involvement in forest monitoring, which enriched conservation outcomes and created opportunities for knowledge exchange.

Raquel Álvares Leão, an environmental analyst with the Brazilian Forest Service, reflected on how the course directly aligned with her role in managing the country’s National Forest Inventory and the National Forest Information System. Highlighting the practical utility of the course, Raquel remarked, “The knowledge and skills acquired are directly applicable to my role, especially in ensuring that forest data is accurate, transparent, and up to date. This is vital for effective policymaking and transparency.”

Addressing challenges and unlocking opportunities

FAO Forestry Officer Rebecca Tavani elaborated on the technical, institutional, and financial hurdles countries face in implementing NFIs. These challenges include limited budgets for large-scale data collection, gaps in technical capacity, high staff turnover, and inadequate legal frameworks and data management systems. Additionally, constraints in data accessibility and sharing continue to hinder long-term sustainability.

In response, FAO offers a suite of solutions to address these challenges. Open-source platforms such as Open Foris   enable efficient data collection and analysis, while capacity-building initiatives, including in-person technical assistance and eLearning programs, ensure sustained knowledge transfer. FAO also supports countries through data repositories and transparency platforms, providing secure storage and facilitating the sharing of forest data with relevant stakeholders.

Looking Ahead

During her presentation, Rocio Condor, FAO Forestry Officer, outlined exciting developments in FAO’s eLearning portfolio, including new courses scheduled for launch in 2025. These include modules on uncertainty and forest emissions estimation, focusing on Monte Carlo simulations, and a specialized course on institutionalizing forest data to build robust management systems. Additionally, FAO introduced the publication Grounded in Data: Informing Climate Action and Reporting with National Forest Inventories, which offers a comprehensive guide to NFIs’ role in supporting global climate strategies.

The webinar reaffirmed the importance of promoting open and transparent data systems, strengthening regional collaborations, and equipping individuals with the skills needed to address complex environmental challenges. By the end of November 2024, over 13,000 learners have engaged with FAO’s e-learning series, highlighting the organization’s pivotal role in shaping a sustainable future through innovative forest monitoring initiatives.

The event not only served as a platform to share knowledge and exchange best practices but also demonstrated the transformative potential of accessible education and technical assistance. Ghislaine Gill, webinar’s moderator, summed up the impact perfectly, noting that “FAO has brought together its expertise and solutions, making them freely accessible to all stakeholders."

This webinar was held alongside a weeklong series of workshops at FAO headquarters in Rome from 25 to 28 November 2024, this webinar was part of the Accelerating Innovative Monitoring for Forests (AIM4Forests) programme and the “Building global capacity to increase transparency in the forest sector (CBIT-Forest)” project.