FAO and the Argentina UN-REDD National Programme supported the second Working Meeting of the Latin American Network of National Greenhouse Gases Inventories (NGHGI) in Buenos Aires in early July. Technical specialists from a dozen countries discussed their work in preparing their NGHGI with the ultimate objective of periodically present their Biennial Update Reports (BUR) and National Communications (NC) to UNFCCC. Exchange of experiences and knowledge on quality assurance and control procedures, management of information and reporting of NGHGI were discussed.

Countries are showing significant progress in measurement, reporting and verification of REDD+ activities under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), says a new paper launched at an FAO REDD+ event.

Executive Board members of UN-REDD applauded Norway’s new pledge of NOK 240 million (about USD 29 million) in funding for the programme, made during Board meeting this week at the Rome headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The funding will be applied to the work plan for 2018-2020, approved by the Board, for UN-REDD’s work in supporting countries to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, delivered by FAO, UNDP and UN Environment.

The UN-REDD Programme supported a workshop on “Land Cover Map Accuracy and Training Workshop on FAO SEPAL Remote Sensing Tool” jointly organised by FAO and the Indonesian Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) from 2-6 May 2017 in Bogor. This training workshop provided practical technical support to Indonesia on forest change detection including deforestation and fire mapping which are vital for the advancement of REDD+ in Indonesia.

The endorsement of the Sri Lanka's National REDD+ Investment Framework and Action Plan followed another milestone by the country. A week earlier and with the vision of “Forests and beyond, sustaining life and livelihoods in a greener Sri Lanka”, Sri Lanka’s Forest Department launched the country's National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS).