2 December 2013: The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) launched an online portal for the dissemination of information on forests and climate change. The portal contains information on forests and REDD+, climate change adaptation, governance, finance and landscapes. The portal also highlights news, research, and debate and analysis on international negotiations.

The launch of the portal was announced as part of the summary of the CIFOR participation in the 19th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 19) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Warsaw, Poland, including the convening of the Global Landscape Forum.

Other CIFOR events at COP 19 included the launch of a high-resolution forest cover map, which presents data at a 30m resolution. The dataset, developed by a team from the University of Maryland, provides a baseline for the calculation of reference emission levels (RELs) and, in doing so, can support the implementation of REDD+.

The events are noted in the November issue of the CIFOR newsletter, which also announces the release of a special report on lessons learned from forest management in the Amazon. The special report includes 14 stories ranging from gender mainstreaming in Ecuador to land rights as an incentive for small scale REDD+. Also included on the report are videos and photos illustrating forest management issues in the region.

CIFOR is a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. [Publication: CIFOR Newsletter – November 2013] [Forests Climate Change Website] [CIFOR Press Release]