©FAO/Pilar Valbuena Perez
The European Space Agency (ESA) has extended its funding to the Global Forest Observations Initiative (GFOI) Research and Development (R&D) Component, managed by the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences. A core part of the GFOI, this component helps advance new science and technology in forest monitoring to apply at an operational level in tropical countries.
“The continuity of the R&D Component of the GFOI goes hand-in-hand with assuring endurance in satellite data access and processing, which is at the heart of ESA’s mandate,” said Inge Jonckheere, Head of the Green Solutions Division at ESA.
ESA’s renewed support, running through the end of 2028, will help coordinate research on key topics such as forest degradation and regrowth, biomass and emissions estimation, land use and greenhouse gas (GHG) estimation, tropical wetlands, uncertainty analysis and deforestation alerts. The extension includes a renewed focus on direct country engagement, strengthening national capacities to apply Earth Observation data in decision-making.
"Supporting the continuous improvement of forest monitoring in tropical countries is central to the GFOI’s mission,” said Tom Harvey, GFOI Office Manager. “Funding from ESA for the GFOI’s R&D Component plays a vital role in connecting forest monitoring practitioners with the international research community. Together, they help ensure that new science and research is operationally ready and can be adopted by countries in practice.”
The GFOI’s R&D Component works to address methodological and technical issues that interfere with progress in the forest monitoring and GHG estimation efforts of tropical countries.
The component fosters a community of experts to identify science and technology that can improve the efficiency of forest monitoring, thus addressing unmet country needs. It also provides a forum for the efficient and effective coordination of existing and planned science and research activities in the forest monitoring sector.
This funding confirmation comes alongside recent news that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the government of Norway signed a new agreement to support FAO in continuing to host the GFOI Office.
The extension of both the GFOI Office and R&D Component reflects the strength and value of the GFOI partnership. The initiative can now continue its important work in providing efficient and effective support to tropical countries on forest monitoring. With this support, countries will be able to better generate important information on their forest resources and enable action on issues such as climate change and sustainable development.
