Reducing deforestation, restoring forests, and sustainable forest management are vital pathways for achieving 2030 global goals. Access to accurate forest data is crucial for international commitments on deforestation, restoration, and climate action. FAO is a global leader on forest and ecosystem monitoring, supporting countries to build robust national forest monitoring systems. The webinar "Forest Monitoring for Climate Action" launches a FAO eLearning Academy series of courses on forest monitoring for climate action, presenting testimonials from professionals about their experience with the courses and their usefulness for their work. This international technical webinar is part of the series organized by the FAO...

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been at the forefront of championing a sustainable future through the institutionalization of forest data. Their recent launch of the online course 'Institutionalization of forest data' is a testament to their commitment. This self-paced course is meticulously designed for all individuals - from legal experts to interested individuals - to establish and enhance the national forest monitoring system (NFMS). Monitoring forests has become essential, given the need for up-to-date data to track changes, enhance decision-making, and provide reliable reporting for both national and international frameworks, including REDD+. With many countries...

Capacity development activities in forest monitoring, including face-to-face workshops and online courses, can serve as important tools for increasing awareness on gender. However, women and other underrepresented groups, including youth, Indigenous peoples and people with disabilities, face significant barriers to accessing opportunities to participate in training and other capacity development initiatives, particularly in the forest sector. These barriers commonly include household burdens such as childcare, as well as social norms that undervalue the role of women in forestry. While there are a number of strategies for improving women’s participation in these initiatives, it can be useful to canvas ideas directly from...

The International Forestry Students' Association (IFSA) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held a series of webinars featuring presentations from Chile, Costa Rica, Ghana, and Papua New Guinea. The objective was to shed light on their respective efforts to enhance forest data transparency, crucial to sustainable forest management and climate change mitigation.    Webinar 1: LatinAmérica, the case of Chile and Costa Rica:transparency, data accuracy, and institutionalization.  In the first episode, representatives from Chile and Costa Rica demonstrated how Latin American countries are harnessing the power of technology and policy-making to enhance forest data transparency. Both...

The GFOI Plenary 2023 was a significant event that focused on the role of forest information in addressing climate change. The discussions revolved around how the international community can work together to support tropical countries in establishing their national forest monitoring systems (NFMS) for multiple purposes. The plenary agenda included dedicated sessions on four sub-topics: REDD+, the enhanced transparency framework (ETF), Blue Carbon, and Ecosystem Restoration.  The ETF session, that took place on 10 May 2023, highlighted the importance of transparency, showcased country implementation and promoted transparent forest data in supporting the ETF. The speakers included Rocío Cóndor from FAO, Jenny...