More than half of Panama is covered with forests, while more than one-third of these forests are in indigenous territories. According to the country’s NDCs submitted to the UNFCCC under the Paris Agreement, Panama aims to increase the absorption capacity of the forest sector by over 10 percent, with the possibility of increasing this up to 80 percent with adequate international financial support. This initiative aims to encourage landowners to maintain forest cover of their lands and promote the creation of incentive schemes for the sustainable management of forest resources, reforestation, and restoration of degraded forest lands. The involvement and...

A technical course in REDD+ measurement reporting and verification (MRV) for 30 Indonesian government officials took place at University of Melbourne’s Creswick Campus from 4 to 15 September 2017. The training strengthened the capacity in a range of Indonesian government ministries and departments that play a role in MRV processes and REDD+ UNFCCC submissions. The curriculum for this training was built on a successful pilot masters’ level course on MRV which was carried out in late November and early December 2016 for Pacific Island countries. Read more at the University of Melbourne website.

The Global Forest Observations Initiative (GFOI) supports REDD+ countries to develop their national forest monitoring systems and associated emissions measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) procedures. GFOI Capacity Building Summits are held to provide an opportunity for partners of GFOI to reflect on progress to date in forest monitoring capacity building efforts and discuss the way forward. Bringing 50 persons from 14 countries together, the 3rd GFOI Capacity Building Summit took place from 18 to 21 September 2017 in Kathmandu, Nepal. Once again, this gathering created a much-needed global forum for capacity building and stocktaking, as well as designing, developing, and operating forest...

The endorsement of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure (VGGT) five years ago was commemorated at FAO’s headquarters in Rome from 5 – 10 October.  The events celebrated the importance of the VGGT and the achievements of the last five years in some 78 countries. The guidelines have inspired policy and legal reforms in countries from Gabon to Guatemala, making a real difference in people’s lives. Communities are already using the VGGT to claim, secure and restore their legitimate rights to land, forests and fisheries.

In recent years, the Papua New Guinea Forest Authority (PNGFA) has significantly improved its capacity for monitoring the nation’s vast forests, supported by various partners including FAO through the UN-REDD National Programme and the EU funded National Forest Inventory Project. In support of this work, a new National Forest Inventory (NFI) Office funded by the EU was opened in a ceremony on 3 August 2017 by the EU Ambassador to PNG H.E. Ioannis Giogkarakis-Argyropoulos. The inauguration was also attended by Minister for Forests & Climate Change Hon. Douglas Tomuriesa, Managing Director of the PNG Forestry Authority Mr Tunou Sabuin, and...