Antigua, Guatemala – In a critical move to enhance forest management and address deforestation, Guatemala is taking significant steps to strengthen its national forest monitoring system (NFMS). The country faces environmental and climatic challenges, from water regulation to biodiversity conservation, making a strengthened monitoring system a key priority.

The Global Forest Observation Initiative (GFOI) is actively supporting Guatemala in consolidating its forest monitoring efforts through the Country-Led Planning (CLP) programme. This initiative emphasizes institutionalizing the NFMS by building local capacities, establishing a clear framework and ensuring that resources are allocated accordingly. Guatemala’s NFMS, as a nationally owned and operated system, can be used to inform national policies and actions that reduce deforestation and enhance forest management more broadly.

A roadmap to institutionalizing the NFMS

To achieve this, the Government of Guatemala hosted the “Inter-institutional Workshop for Developing a Roadmap for the Institutionalization and Sustainability of the National Forest Monitoring System”. This workshop aimed foster broad discussion among stakeholders and generate key inputs to define the scope, objectives and key indicatorsoftheNFMS.

The workshop was led by the Government of Guatemala with support from the GFOI CLP programme, with financial backing from the United Kingdom's AIM4Forests programme as well as technical and logistical assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Guatemala. This collaborative effort aims to solidify the NFMS’s national planning process, define roles and responsibilities, and establish a roadmap for its consolidation.

Representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN), National Forest Institute (INAB), National Council of Protected Areas (CONAP), Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food (MAGA), Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, and GFOI partners such as FAO Guatemala gathered to participate in this strategic event.

"This workshop was a great opportunity to discuss and build consensus on the essential elements of the NFMS, laying the groundwork for its institutionalization, integration, and strengthening," stated Gabriela Nuñez Iturri, GFOI CLP Specialist.

Conserving forests for global goals

Forests play a vital role in Guatemala, and their loss not only threatens natural resources and communities but also limits the ability to meet international commitments such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

To combat this, the Guatemalan government, with support from international partners, is focusing on establishing a robust, institutionalized and integrated NFMS. This system aims to provide reliable and timely information on forest cover, land-use change and other key indicators, enabling informed decision-making and effective land-use planning.

The Inter-institutional Group for Forest and Land Use Monitoring (GIMBUT) has been instrumental in generating forest cover maps and change dynamics. However, it is essential to renew the GIMBUT cooperation agreement and continue strengthening inter-institutional collaboration by formalizing roles and responsibilities of participating institutions.

With a consolidated NFMS and the active participation of all relevant stakeholders, Guatemala continues enhancing forest governance, ensuring the sustainability of its natural resources, and fulfilling its international commitments, which contributes to a more resilient and sustainable future. The collaborative approach underscores the importance of collective action in addressing the pressing challenges of deforestation and climate change, while also highlighting Guatemala’s ongoing efforts in forest recovery and conservation.