Open Foris: Innovative, free and open tools and platforms catalysing climate action

Open Foris is an innovative, open-source software that helps countries measure, monitor and report on forests and land use, paving the way for improved climate change mitigation plans and more informed land-use policies. Accurate information is crucial for the sustainable management of natural resources. In collaboration with many countries and partners, FAO, with support from UN-REDD, NICFI, BMU-IKI, Finland and other donors, developed Open Foris to meet the urgent need for systems that enable accurate, yet cost-effective monitoring, reporting and verification of forest and other land cover.

Open Foris tools are helping more than 30,000 people across 180 countries collect, analyse and report forest data. The tools make the processes of data collection, analysis and reporting more accessible, accurate and transparent, catalysing progress for REDD+ reporting and laying the groundwork for the transition to the Enhanced Transparency Framework in the coming years. By making data collection, analysis and reporting easier, people and governments can measure, report, plan, make policy and verify policy impacts more effectively.

With support from the UN-REDD Programme, Open Foris has been instrumental in supporting 45 countries in development of transparent, reliable, relevant, accessible and sustainable National Forest Monitoring Systems. Open Foris tools and platforms have been used for data provision to 70% of the 50 REDD+ Forest Reference Levels submitted to the UNFCCC. These 50 countries represent 75% of global deforestation, according to FAO’s 2020 Global Forest Resources Assessment.

Continue reading at: https://www.un-redd.org/post/open-foris-innovative-free-and-open-tools-and-platforms-catalysing-climate-action