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Boosting transparency of forest data

Global CBIT-Forest project will strengthen countries' capacities for transparency in the forest sector

03/03/2020
The project 'Building global capacity to increase transparency in the forest sector (CBIT-Forest)' aims to strengthen the institutional and technical capacities of developing countries to meet the enhanced transparency requirements of the Paris Agreement, responding to Article 13 and contributing to tackling climate change. The CBIT-forest project will be a unique opportunity for countries to learn about the ETF and the importance of national forest monitoring systems. This two year project will build on earlier lessons-learned from countries for instance under REDD+ and will explore how to best implement the enhanced transparency framework in the transition period up until 2024.

Interview with Rocio Condor-Golec, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

Can you give us a bit of background about the CBIT-Forest project?

The main objective of the CBIT-Forest global project is to strengthen the institutional and technical capacities of developing countries to collect, analyze and disseminate forest-related data. It will support countries in meeting the enhanced transparency framework (ETF) requirements of the Paris Agreement and contribute with information necessary to track progress made in implementing and achieving the nationally determined contributions (NDCs). The FAO Forestry Department will implement the project, through its Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) and National Forest Monitoring (NFM) teams. And it will do so by ensuring that relevant national institutions responsible for forest-related data are able to report and respond to the transparency requirements thanks to improved institutional capacity; by enhancing technical capacity of governmental counterparts in pilot countries in reporting forest-related data in an accurate and consistent manner, and by increasing knowledge sharing among transparency practitioners and experts

The project will ensure on-going coordination and collaboration with United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Global Forest Observations Initiative (GFOI), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UNEP DTU Partnership, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), among others.

 

The project will directly benefit 26 targeted countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. How were the countries selected and how will you engage with such a large number of countries throughout the project?

The project will directly benefit 26 targeted countries and more broadly some 185 countries and territories that are part of the global network of National Correspondents for the Global Forest Resources Assessment. Project activities will be linked closely with FAO’s ongoing global and national forest monitoring work currently supported by other donors such as European Commission, Norway and a number of other donors.

The selection of countries was based on-going forest monitoring work at global and national level and a series of criteria, including: i) forest-related data collection and analysis processes status; ii) reporting status to the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement status; and iii) FAO staff based in the country with on-going collaboration or activities. In addition, technical consultations and meetings with FAO regional and country offices to obtain their perspectives, and teleconferences with countries took place.

 

Continue reading at: https://www.cbitplatform.org/articles/perspectives/global-cbit-forest-project-will-strengthen-countries-capacities-transparency