FAO hosts meeting on above-ground forest biomass

©Roberto Cenciarelli

13 September 2017, Rome, Italy - Over 60 experts from 21 countries around the globe gathered at FAO headquarters in Rome this week to discuss the final results of a cutting-edge project that has been an important stepping stone to characterizing above-ground forest biomass.

Launched in 2015 for a three-year period and working closely with FAO’s Forest Resources Assessment team, the GlobBiomass Project has used innovative technologies such as satellite imaging to map and characterize the world’s forests both from an aerial view as well as inside the forests themselves. This will help monitor and combat climate change, and provide necessary data to sustainably manage our forests for the benefit of future generations.

Ultimately feeding into the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, the project has particular relevance to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 15 that focuses on the sustainable management of forests.

Forests and trees are an integral part of the global ecosystem, and critical to human health and well-being. The communities who depend on them for their livelihoods are now facing some of the most formidable development challenges in history.

“In order to tackle these daunting global challenges it is crucial we equip ourselves with the most accurate data and knowledge at hand, which is one of the reasons why the GlobBiomass Project is so important” said Hiroto Mitsugi, FAO Assistant Director-General, Forestry. “FAO is delighted to be one of the numerous partners contributing towards the project’s success.”

Managed and coordinated by the Department of Earth Observation at the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena in Germany, and through partnerships with major NGOs and countries, the project has formed an expansive network of the world’s top scientists to develop effective new solutions to some of the world’s increasingly complex challenges by leveraging joint resources and expertise.