National Forest Monitoring and Information Systems for a transparent and truthful REDD+

The international cooperation project supported the process of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in 19 partner countries. To this end, it promoted the exchange of knowledge, knowledge transfer and the development of capacities for the application of forest monitoring tools developed by the project. The project was developed in cooperation with Google Outreach, the non-profit program of the company Google, a new MRV tool "Collect Earth". The software expands the monitoring systems of the target countries through an easy-to-learn evaluation routine of freely available satellite images. In this way, countries have been able to improve the monitoring of their REDD+ activities, as well as the reporting to the UNFCCC regarding greenhouse gas emissions and their reduction. In addition, the MRV system created important foundations for the transparent implementation of all REDD+ measures (eg the development of reference levels).

Project data

Countries: Algeria, Argentina, Bhutan, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Morocco, Mozambique, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay, Zambia
IKI funding: 3,999,996.60 €
Duration: 06/2013 till 12/2016
Status: completed
Implementing organisation: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Political Partner: Climate Change Commission (CCC) - Philippines

Committee for Environmental Protection - Tajikistan*

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) - Philippines

Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) - South Africa*

Department of Water Affairs and Forestry - South Africa*

Environmental Protection Agency - Ghana

Forestry Commission - Ghana

Institute for Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM) - Colombia

Ministry of Agriculture - Chile

Ministry of Agriculture and Environment - Tunisia

Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP) - Uruguay

Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry - Lao PDR

Ministry of Agriculture and Forests - Bhutan*

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development - Algeria

Ministry of Coordination of Environmental Affairs (MICOA) - Mozambique

Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment (MEMEE) - Morocco*

Ministry of Environment (MINAM) - Peru

Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MoNRE) - Lao PDR

Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development - Argentina*

Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Algeria; Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Chile; Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Colombia; Ministry of Foreign and Religious Affairs - Argentina; Ministry of Housing, Territorial Planning and Environment (MVOTMA) - Uruguay *; Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection - Zambia*; Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources - Zambia; Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) - Thailand; National Directorate of Land and Forests (DNTF) - Mozambique ; National Environment Commission - Bhutan; National Institute for Space Research - Brazil; State Agency on Environment Protection and Forestry - Kyrgyzstan*; Tajik Academy of Agricultural Sciences (TAAS) - Tajikistan
Implementing Partner: Google - USA

National Institute for Space Research - Brazil
Online: http://www.fao.org/forestry/nfms-for-redd/en/

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State of implementation/results

Project completed
The newly developed, license-free software "Collect Earth" was introduced in 16 of the 18 project countries for transparent and long-term, cost-effective use for their national forest monitoring. The software has been adapted to meet country-specific requirements. The software can be downloaded license-free from www.openforis.org/…
The Brazilian implementation partner INPE has developed a new version (4.6) for TerraAmazon software, which is primarily used in South America. The software can be downloaded license-free from terraamazon.org
The US-American University of Idaho has developed a web tool for quantifying emissions from biomass combustion. The web tool is available at ba1.geog.umd.edu/…
As planned, 15 countries were equipped with complete GIS/remote sensing laboratories or upgraded their existing laboratories.
There was close cooperation and joint use of resources with the IKI project "Global Forest Survey".
Training courses were conducted in all countries (a total of 41) with personnel from relevant authorities, so that they can use the license-free software for improved forest monitoring and their transparent, comprehensible reporting to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in the forestry sector. The exchange of experience and knowledge between countries also played an important role here.
Scientific publication on the MRV tool "Collect Earth" in the journal 'Remote Sensing', Vol. 8 (10), 2016.
In eight countries the national forest monitoring systems were operational (Argentina, Bhutan, Chile, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia, Uruguay) at maturity.
Five countries reported on the IPCC's REDD web platform through improved national forest monitoring systems (Chile, Ghana, Colombia, Peru, Zambia) at the end of the project.