Reliable forest monitoring systems are key to realizing the climate change mitigation potential of tropical forests. In fact, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol was not able to provide meaningful incentives for avoiding deforestation in tropical developing countries partly because of concerns that those countries could not monitor emission reductions accurately. The debate continued until 2007, when the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) decided to include reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation as a key element of the Bali Roadmap, laying the foundation for REDD+. Making REDD+ a reality has required an investment in a ‘readiness’ phase for tropical developing countries. Among other things, that includes building National Forest Monitoring Systems (NFMS) that can accurately and transparently track mitigation actions and facilitate the measurement of results. Notably, the United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (the UN-REDD Programme) was founded in 2008 to provide technical support on building NFMS as one of its goals.

Through this Programme and parallel efforts alike, donors have allocated funding, and developing country governments around the world have placed forest monitoring high on their agendas. As such, REDD+ has been catalytic in improving data collection and fostering a deeper understanding of forest resources. This information holds value well beyond REDD+ for improved forest management. But how far have countries progressed since 2008? Where do the remaining capacity gaps lie? How can existing momentum for forest monitoring capacity development be consolidated and further strengthened? In line with the 10-year anniversary of the UN-REDD Programme, these questions are being explored in a series of publications and events.

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