Improved Information to promote Forest Management for Protection of Soil and Water
A thematic study to assess the accuracy and cost efficiency of different field methods for gathering data to promote forest management for soil and water in developing countries.
Forests have a significant role in soil and water protection. Trees, forest litter and undergrowth protect soil from degradation and erosion and maintain high-quality water by filtering pollutants. In addition, forest also conserve water by increasing infiltration, reduce runoff velocity and surface erosion, decrease sedimentation, regulate water yield and flow, moderate floods, enhance precipitation and mitigate salinity.
Reliable data on the soil and water protective function of forest can help sustainable forest management for water security and sediment- and water-related disaster resilience in developing countries.
With the support of the Japanese Forestry Agency, FAO launched the project “Improved Information to promote Forest Management for Protection of Soil and Water” in September 2013. A comparative study was carried out to identify the most scientifically valid and least expensive method for collecting data on the soil and water protective function of forest in developing countries. Different methods were field tested and evaluated in collaboration with partner organizations in Mexico, Nepal and Viet Nam.
The new developed method is intended to improve reporting to national inventories and national and global forest resource assessments, to support evidence-based decision- and policy-making for sustainable forest management in developing countries. The study is complementary to the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015 (FRA 2015).
Coming Soon!
A tool kit for forest resources assessment will soon be available for Android Tablets and Phones. The application will facilitate field measurements of the protective functions provided by forest for soil and water and also the dissemination of the method in itself.