5 March 2018, Rome/Toluca--- FAO has launched today a new online platform for reporting on the status and trends of the world’s forest resources. The platform enables countries to increase the efficiency of their reporting process and improve the consistency, reliability and transparency of forest data. Efficient monitoring of and reporting on forest cover and land-use change has become crucial as countries adopt measures to adapt to and mitigate climate change. The platform will be used for the next 2020 Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) report. The tool was presented at a technical meeting in Toluca, Mexico (5-9 March).

The new tool contains a number of new features including improved data entry and data visualization, and review and analysis functions. The platform has a more user-friendly interface, which allows easy data entry, copying and pasting from existing entry sheets and uploading documentation.