Глобальная оценка лесных ресурсов

Enhancing global forest data: FAO and Canada team up for FRA 2025 Remote Sensing Survey


6 December, Victoria – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and 39 Canadian forest experts joined forces this week at the Pacific Forestry Centre in Victoria, Canada, and online from a number of locations across Canada. The event focused on satellite image interpretation for FAO’s Remote Sensing Survey (RSS) using a learning-by-doing approach with cutting-edge tools. The national experts contributed to the RSS of FAO’s 2025 Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA), which provides essential information on the extent, changes, management and uses of forest resources across the globe.

Throughout the workshop, the national experts were introduced to the FRA RSS methodology, its terms and definitions and their use in the survey. Each participant collected 300 RSS samples falling within their geographical area of expertise with the Collect Earth Online platform.

"By providing participants with the tools and methods used by experts around the world with FAO support for the Global Forest Resources Assessment’s Remote Sensing Survey, this workshop empowered our experts to contribute accurate, high-quality and globally consistent data to this important endeavor," said Graham Stinson, Director of Forest Information at the Pacific Forestry Centre.

Exploring new ways of quantifying burned areas

Climate change is driving more dynamic changes in Canada’s forests, especially as its forest cover is impacted by more frequent and severe wildfires. 

In 2023, Canada faced the growing impacts of climate change as wildfires highlighted vulnerabilities in its infrastructure, ecosystems and communities. An estimated 14.6 million hectares of forest were burnt, amounting to more than five times the average in 20 years. Extreme weather conditions – including lightning strikes and prolonged dry spells – intensified fire activity in all provinces, territories and regions.

Canada already does full area mapping of burned areas and other disturbed areas using state of the art remote sensing, but by providing data collected as part of a global effort using globally consistent tools and classifications, the FRA 2025 RSS will enable improved understanding of burned forest area and its trends at the global, regional and biome levels. This information will also support the knowledge and data sharing pillar of the Global Fire Management Hub, an initiative launched by FAO and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2023. The initiative brings partners together to strengthen countries' capacities for integrated fire management.

Furthermore, Canada is planning WildFireSat, a satellite mission designed to provide near-real-time wildfire intelligence. “This system, planned to be operational by 2029, will enhance fire detection and management in remote and northern regions of Canada, therefore mitigating the growing risks posed by a changing climate”  said Dr. Joshua Johnston, WildFireSat Mission Principal Investigator.

FAO’s global Remote Sensing Survey

Since 1948, FAO has conducted assessments on the condition, extent, management and uses of global forest resources. The assessments compile comprehensive country reports every five years from officially nominated national correspondents with a standardized methodology to inform the decisions and recommendations of civil society, the private sector, governments and international conventions.

The Remote Sensing Survey, conceptually developed in 1990, is used by the Global Forest Resources Assessment to assess the status and changes in forest area and other key land uses at global, regional and biome levels with satellite imagery and remote sensing. The FRA 2025 RSS will update data on variables from the previous cycle up to the year 2024. It will also collect new information on agroforestry systems, pastoral systems, types of crops, mangroves, trees outside of forests, fires and natural disturbances. 

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