Accurate and consistent information on forest area and forest area change is a requirement if a country is to access results-based payments for its REDD+ activities. The goal is to obtain as accurate area estimates as possible but what is ‘as accurate as possible’? ‘What is the level of precision a country can achieve when estimating its area of forest and how the area is increasing or decreasing over time’? These questions can help clarifying the complex issue of area estimation but do not have straight-forward answers. The accuracy depends on many factors which experts from FAO, FCPF, GFOI, USFS, JRC of EC,...

Most developing countries participating in the REDD+ process and willing to access Result Based Payments (RBP) are now in transition from their readiness phase to implementation of specific actions and measures. Most of these countries have developed and/or strengthened their National Forest Monitoring Systems (NFMS) which are also moving towards the implementation phase and towards the monitoring of the results of mitigation actions. However, many countries still face multiple challenges in accessing the information and data they need to make their NFMS sustainable in the long term.

FAO and the Argentina UN-REDD National Programme supported the second Working Meeting of the Latin American Network of National Greenhouse Gases Inventories (NGHGI) in Buenos Aires in early July. Technical specialists from a dozen countries discussed their work in preparing their NGHGI with the ultimate objective of periodically present their Biennial Update Reports (BUR) and National Communications (NC) to UNFCCC. Exchange of experiences and knowledge on quality assurance and control procedures, management of information and reporting of NGHGI were discussed.

Countries are showing significant progress in measurement, reporting and verification of REDD+ activities under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), says a new paper launched at an FAO REDD+ event.

Executive Board members of UN-REDD applauded Norway’s new pledge of NOK 240 million (about USD 29 million) in funding for the programme, made during Board meeting this week at the Rome headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The funding will be applied to the work plan for 2018-2020, approved by the Board, for UN-REDD’s work in supporting countries to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, delivered by FAO, UNDP and UN Environment.