Global Forest Resources Assessments

FAO FRA global data collection is finalized in line with 2025 launch

19 September 2024 - In examination of the condition, extent, management and uses of more than 60 forest-related variables in 236 countries and territories from 1990 to 2025, the Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) is delighted to share that its ongoing cycle is progressing with great success in anticipation of its launch next year.

FRA 2025 data are collected using commonly agreed terms and definitions through a transparent, traceable reporting process and a well-established network of officially nominated National Correspondents and their collaborators covering 191 countries and territories.

The country reporting process concluded in July of 2024 after a series of 14 workshops from February to November 2023. It supported National Correspondents with country reporting according to FRA standards and the finalization of data by FRA team experts.

“The finalization of this comprehensive data collection is a testament to the remarkable collaboration between countries, partner organizations, National Correspondents and our dedicated team of experts,” said Anssi Pekkarinen, FAO Senior Forestry Officer. “This achievement sets a strong foundation for the analysis of the results for the forthcoming FRA 2025 launch next year, providing the world with critical, transparent insights into global forest resources.”

Remote Sensing Survey workshops

Meanwhile, FAO is conducting a complementary global FRA Remote Sensing Survey (RSS). The FRA 2025 RSS will update data on variables from the previous report and collect new information on agroforestry systems, pastoral systems, types of crops, burned forests, mangroves and trees outside of forests up to the year 2024.

Experts of the FRA Remote Sensing Survey (RSS) have held 11 regional, subregional and national workshops in recent months to provide guidance in the use of advanced remote sensing tools and satellite imagery, with further workshops to come. Thus far, the locations that have received advanced training, in order of occurrence, are India; Mexico; Central America; Anglophone West Africa; Francophone West Africa; Southeast Asia; Kazakhstan; Anglophone East Africa; Madagascar; the Caucasus, Central Asia and Türkiye; and Argentina.

The remote sensing workshops are designed to introduce participants to the FRA 2025 methodology, physics of remote sensing, theory of photointerpretation and FRA land-use classes. Practical guidance is also provided to collect data with the Collect Earth Online (CEO) platform, developed in collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Google.

Advancing forest monitoring capacities

Simultaneously, FAO launched its highly anticipated online facilitated course on national forest inventories (NFIs) 11 September 2024 on the FAO eLearning Academy platform. This course explains the key phases of an NFI from planning and implementation to data gathering and reporting. With a total of 2 520 registrants from 141 countries, strong international interest to enhance skills in forest data collection, analysis and reporting is abundantly clear.

For those who were unable to register for the live sessions, a self-paced version of the NFI course is also available online in English, French and Spanish. Please view this page for more information on the course.

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