The Open Foris Arena platform, a free and open-source solution, has reached a new milestone with the launch of Arena 2.0. This latest version introduces significant enhancements, making it easier to capture, store, manage, and process survey data in a secure, web-based platform—representing a maj...

The recent webinar, Learning Opportunities for All: Forest Monitoring for Climate Action, that took place on December 26 at FAO headquarters, convened global experts and participants, including 128 online attendees and around 50 in-person participants, to explore FAO's approach to strengthening capacities in forest monitoring. The session showcased significant progress in eLearning resources particularly for National Forest Inventories (NFIs).

The National Forestry and Wildlife Service (SERFOR) of the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, as the National Forestry and Wildlife Authority, has taken a significant step in promoting open access to the information it generates, collects, processes, and makes available to the public. The first-phase data of the National Forestry and Wildlife Inventory (INFFS) has been published on FAO’s Food and Agriculture Microdata Catalogue (FAM).

Forests are central to the achievement of global climate and sustainability goals. From their critical role in carbon sequestration to providing sustainable materials for a forest-based bioeconomy, they hold great potential to mitigate climate change. But to unlock this potential, one foundational element is essential: transparent and reliable forest monitoring data. 

To advance sustainable forest management, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, in partnership with Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and with funding support from the European Union delegation in Freetown, conducted an in-depth training pro...

The Bangladesh Forest Department, under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC), has made a significant step toward forest data transparency by creating metadata, microdata, and supplementary resources from its National Forest Inventory (NFI) publicly available on the ...

Forests provide essential services to humanity and the planet, including climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and supporting livelihoods for millions of people, including Indigenous Peoples and local communities. However, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate, thr...

South-South cooperation plays a crucial role in improving forest data transparency, enhancing national forest inventories (NFI) and forest monitoring efforts across regions like Latin America and the Caribbean. By sharing resources, knowledge and technical expertise, countries can collaborativ...

The National Forest Inventory (NFI) online facilitated course officially begins today following an overwhelming international interest. A total of 2 520 participants from 141 countries have registered, signaling stron...

The Network of National Forest Inventories of Latin America and the Caribbean, chaired by Mexico through the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR), together with the technical secretariat of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), organized a virtual exchange to pre...

The Government of Mexico, through the National Forestry Commission (CONAFOR), has made metadata, microdata and supplementary documents from its National Forest and Soil Inventory<...

On July 26, 2024, the FAO Committee on Forestry (COFO) and World Forestry Week (WFW) hosted a key side event  "Accelerating Innovation for Forest Data Transparency." The event spotlighted the essential role of transparent and accurate forest data in addressing deforestation and fostering sustainable forest management. 

Following the enriching sessions at the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) World Congress 2024, it's clear that forest data transparency, education, and climate action are critically intertwined. This newsletter edition focuses on initiatives designed to enhance the quality, timeliness, accessibility, and usability of forest-related data in line with the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) of the Paris Agreement. Here, we explore how forest data transparency and education are key for advancing sustainable forest management and effective climate action globally. 

From May 20-22, 2024, Tokyo hosted an important event on the climate action calendar—the Global Transparency Forum and the subsequent Support Providers' Meeting. These gatherings are contributing to international efforts to enhance forest data transparency under the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) of the Paris Agreement. As we move towards the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP) in November 2024, the implications of these discussions resonate even more strongly.

On 30 April 2024, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the Global Environment Facility (the GEF) hosted a webinar aiming to launch the second phase of the “Building global capacity to increase transparency in the forest sector (CBIT-Forest)” project. The event represented all regions, with 912 participants registered from 140 countries. Supported by the GEF, CBIT-Forest aims to enhance the capacity-building, knowledge-sharing and awareness-raising necessary to foster transparency in forest data worldwide.

UN Climate Change News, 01 May 2024 – Nearly 100 experts from around the world gathered in Bonn on 24-25 April for the first-ever meeting of Lead Reviewers under the Paris Agreement’s enhanced transparency framework (ETF), marking the launch of the review process under the ETF. The scope of this meeting was to provide guidance on the review of biennial transparency reports (BTRs): the new national climate progress reports that all countries are required to submit under the Paris Agreement.

Read the full article here: https://unfccc.int/news/lead-experts-convene-to-pave-the-way-for-comprehensive-reviews-of-national-climate-progress-reports 

8 January 2024, Rome – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) today launched a new phase of work – supported with $2 million from the Global En...