Grounded in data: FAO’s take on harnessing the power of national forest inventories for climate action and transparency

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, threatening these critical services. To reverse this trend and support informed decision-making, many countries are creating or improving their national forest inventories (NFIs) as they represent a powerful tool that offers reliable, comprehensive data on the status of forest ecosystems. 

What is a national forest inventory?

An NFI is a systematic process of data collection, analysis, and reporting on a country’s forest resources. It is a technical, multi-purpose process designed to monitor the conditions, management, and use of forests. NFIs provide a detailed snapshot of forest characteristics at any given point in time and are updated cyclically. The goal is to generate robust data that can support forest management, climate reporting, policy formulation, and socio-economic assessments.

The success of NFIs lies in their ability to integrate various types of data from a multitude of sources. NFIs employ in situ (field-based) and ex situ (remote sensing) methods, creating a comprehensive dataset that informs both national and international decision-making.

NFIs are not limited to a single purpose; they encompass a broad range of objectives aimed at ensuring forests continue to provide the full range of goods and services. Some of the objectives include:

• Assessing forest resources: NFIs provide up-to-date data on biodiversity, forest health, carbon stocks, and GHG emissions, essential for monitoring forest functions and climate change mitigation.
  
• Supporting policy development: NFIs offer transparent, scientific data that helps governments shape and adjust policies related to climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable development, including informing NDCs under the Paris Agreement.
  
• Informing research and education: NFI data supports studies in forest ecology, biodiversity, climate adaptation, and sustainable management.
  
• Promoting transparency and accountability: NFIs provide data to evaluate the performance of government agencies and stakeholders in forest management, fostering improvements and accountability.
  
• Assessing socio-economic functions: NFIs capture data on how forests support livelihoods, particularly for Indigenous Peoples and local communities, highlighting their socio-economic importance.

Global impact

Around the world, NFI efforts have demonstrated significant impact by leveraging a variety of data collection methods and tools to achieve forestry and climate action results.

For instance, Mexico and Panama have utilized NFI data to track and forest-related climate reporting. This data has been critical for assessing carbon stocks and supporting national climate action strategies. In Brazil, NFI data has played a pivotal role in biodiversity conservation and has enhanced transparency in international environmental reporting, contributing to the country’s sustainable development goals.

On a broader scale, regional NFI networks have emerged as key platforms for knowledge-sharing, capacity building, and harmonizing forest data collection efforts. These networks connect countries, experts, and organizations, fostering technical exchange and ensuring that forest data is comparable across regions, which is essential for addressing global environmental challenges.

To showcase a more detailed overview of NFI’s capabilities and case studies, FAO in collaboration with the United Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has recently published the brochure "Grounded in Data – Informing Climate Action and Reporting with National Forest Inventories." The brochure highlights the importance of using NFIs for climate action and international reporting and presents comprehensive insights into how NFIs provide transparent, scientifically robust forest data to support national and international frameworks like the Paris Agreement. Explore the brochure here: https://openknowledge.fao.org/handle/20.500.14283/CD2668EN

With the rapid advancement of technology and the scaling up of collaborative networks, NFIs will continue to be at the forefront of shaping the future of forest monitoring, contributing to global efforts to combat climate change, protect biodiversity, and ensure sustainable development.