13 April 2015: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and the Government of Norway are partnering to aid developing countries in their monitoring and reporting of changes to forest resources. The US$4.5 million partnership agreement will allow these countries to access Earth observation data, such as from satellite imagery, and create an easy-to-use platform for collating and analyzing the data.

The information acquired will be a valuable asset for measuring carbon stocks and informing the development of sustainable forest management (SFM) policies, according to FAO. Using a cloud-based supercomputer, the platform caters to the needs of countries with poor internet connections or outdated computers. Countries will receive training on how to use the software, and, as many countries cannot afford the license costs associated with proprietary software, the platform will be made freely available to its users. In addition, users will be free to adjust it to their needs.

The platform will be piloted in 13 UN-REDD implementing countries over three years to help forestry technicians measure the carbon stocks of their forested areas. This monitoring will support the implementation of REDD+, which requires verified emissions reductions for results-based payments. The information gathered will also be used to further develop policy frameworks for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

The agreement with FAO is funded under Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative. [FAO Press Release] [UN-REDD Website]