FAO, INPE, UNDP and the Brazilian Governments join forces to improve data accuracy assessments for better forest monitoring
Participants of the “Uncertainty Assessment of BiomasBR Products in the context of Measurement, Reporting and Verification” workshop in Brazil (3-4 June 2025)
In early June 2025, the National Institute for Space Research (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais - INPE) in Brazil hosted the workshop “Uncertainty Assessment of BiomasBR Products in the context of Measurement, Reporting and Verification for REDD+”. The event was held in São José dos Campos, focused on improving forest monitoring data and assessing its accuracy.
It brought together experts from INPE, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and representatives from several Brazilian states. This workshop is part of Brazil’s ongoing efforts under the Accelerating Innovative Monitoring for Forests (AIM4Forests) programme, supported by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The workshop was also supported by the Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI).
The main goal was to work on improving the accuracy assessment of data produced by the BiomasBR program which includes the three key satellite-based forest monitoring systems: PRODES, DETER, and TerraClass - observing national and jurisdictional emerging needs on activity data production. These systems are essential for Brazil to meet international climate commitments, such as the Paris Agreement, and to access climate finance, including through programs like the Green Climate Fund and voluntary carbon markets.
“The high-level technical discussions allowed us to clearly define the current challenges and outline the next steps we must take together. FAO will continue working with INPE to develop a methodology that meets the various requirements for activity data production and associated uncertainties” noted Flora Martins, Forest Monitoring Specialist and coordinator of AIM4Forests activities in Brazil.
Around 35 participants took part, including technical experts and government officials from the states of Acre, Pará, Roraima, and Tocantins, as well as representatives from the National Commission for REDD+ (CONAREDD+). Participants discussed ways to better measure and reduce uncertainties in forest activity data, ensuring the information is accurate, consistent, and cost-effective.
Marcos Adami, responsible for the national product uncertainty analyses at INPE, highlighted the importance of this work, “The momentum of methodological refinement at the national level is a great opportunity to take into consideration the emerging demands from State Governments in meeting TREES technical requirements. This not only strengthens the national monitoring system but also represents reduced costs for stakeholders.”
Marco Adami from INPE gives the opening remarks of the workshop
The workshop also showcased new technical solutions under development, including a QGIS plugin being developed by FAO and INPE to facilitate access to forest data at smaller scales. Another highlight was a presentation on the Open Foris Initiative, including the Framework for Ecosystem Restoration Monitoring (FERM) platform, designed to help track efforts aimed at increasing forest carbon stocks.
Alongside the workshop, FAO provided practical training on Open Foris solutions in remote sensing to 27 students and researchers at INPE. Using the SEPAL platform, participants explored how to process satellite images with techniques that just a decade ago would have taken years to master. Andreas Vollrath, FAO Forestry Officer leading the training, noted “In just a few hours, we were able to carry out a processing task that, a decade ago, would have got you a PhD.”
Students and researchers participated in the SEPAL training at INPE