Countries in West Africa are strengthening their technical and institutional capacities to support REDD+ readiness, with assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), through a dedicated training series on Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV). Thi...

The National Forest Inventory (NFI) online facilitated course plays a key role in strengthening forest data transparency by equipping professionals with essential skills in forest monitoring, reporting, and data management. This course aligns with FAO’s Food and Agriculture Microdata (FAM) Catalogue, a global initiative aimed at enhancing access to reliable forest-related data to support climate action, sustainable forest management, and policy development.  

Mongolia has taken a major step towards ensuring greater forest data transparency with the publication of the country’s Multipurpose National Forest Inventory (NFI) and make it available to the global audiences through the

Nepal has taken a significant step toward forest data transparency and sustainable forest management by making its National Forest Inventory (NFI) metadata and resources available on the Food a...

On February 12, 2025, the Capacity-Building Initiative for Transparency-Global Support Programme (CBIT-GSP) held its sixth Closing Conversations webinar as a part of its knowledge sharing and stakeholder engagement activities.  

This episode covered the

The Open Foris Arena platform, a free and open-source solution, has reached a new milestone with the launch of Arena 2.0. This latest version introduces significant enhancements, making it easier to capture, store, manage, and process survey data in a secure, web-based platform—representing a maj...

Vientiane Capital, Lao People's Democratic Republic – The Department of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has taken a significant step towards enhancing forest data transparency by registering its national forest monitoring system (NFMS) data on the Food and Agriculture Microdata Food and Agriculture Microdata (FAM) Catalogue, developed...

The recent webinar, Learning Opportunities for All: Forest Monitoring for Climate Action, that took place on December 26 at FAO headquarters, convened global experts and participants, including 128 online attendees and around 50 in-person participants, to explore FAO's approach to strengthening capacities in forest monitoring. The session showcased significant progress in eLearning resources particularly for National Forest Inventories (NFIs).

The National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR) of the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, as the National Forestry and Wildlife Authority, has taken a significant step in promoting open access to the information it generates, collects, processes, and makes available to the public. The first-phase data of the National Forestry and Wildlife Inventory (INFFS) has been published on FAO’s Food and Agriculture Microdata Catalogue (FAM).

Forests are central to the achievement of global climate and sustainability goals. From their critical role in carbon sequestration to providing sustainable materials for a forest-based bioeconomy, they hold great potential to mitigate climate change. But to unlock this potential, one foundational element is essential: transparent and reliable forest monitoring data. 

To advance sustainable forest management, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, in partnership with Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and with funding support from the European Union delegation in Freetown, conducted an in-depth training pro...

The Bangladesh Forest Department, under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC), has made a significant step toward forest data transparency by creating metadata, microdata, and supplementary resources from its National Forest Inventory (NFI) publicly available on the ...

Forests provide essential services to humanity and the planet, including climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and supporting livelihoods for millions of people, including Indigenous Peoples and local communities. However, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate, thr...

South-South cooperation plays a crucial role in improving forest data transparency, enhancing national forest inventories (NFI) and forest monitoring efforts across regions like Latin America and the Caribbean. By sharing resources, knowledge and technical expertise, countries can collaborativ...

The National Forest Inventory (NFI) online facilitated course officially begins today following an overwhelming international interest. A total of 2 520 participants from 141 countries have registered, signaling strong international interest to e...

The Network of National Forest Inventories of Latin America and the Caribbean, chaired by Mexico through the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR), together with the technical secretariat of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), organized a virtual exchange to pre...

The Government of Mexico, through the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR), has made metadata, microdata and supplementary documents from its National Forest and Soil Inventory<...

On July 26, 2024, the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO) and World Forestry Week (WFW) hosted a key side event  "Accelerating Innovation for Forest Data Transparency." The event spotlighted the essential role of transparent and accurate forest data in addressing deforestation and fostering sustainable forest management. 

Following the enriching sessions at the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) World Congress 2024, it's clear that forest data transparency, education, and climate action are critically intertwined. This newsletter edition focuses on initiatives designed to enhance the quality, timeliness, accessibility, and usability of forest-related data in line with the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) of the Paris Agreement. Here, we explore how forest data transparency and education are key for advancing sustainable forest management and effective climate action globally. 

From May 20-22, 2024, Tokyo hosted an important event on the climate action calendar—the Global Transparency Forum and the subsequent Support Providers' Meeting. These gatherings are contributing to international efforts to enhance forest data transparency under the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) of the Paris Agreement. As we move towards the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP) in November 2024, the implications of these discussions resonate even more strongly.