22 June 2015
Indicators and Monitoring the Focus of SFM Work
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Governance, indicators and monitoring have been the focus of a number of forest-related initiatives seeking to: establish standards for monitoring and evaluation; build capacity for their application; and ensure that forest management can contribute to livelihoods, the delivery of ecosystem services and the achievement of sustainable development.

fao-forests-cifor-wbJune 2015: Governance, indicators and monitoring have been the focus of a number of forest-related initiatives seeking to: establish standards for monitoring and evaluation; build capacity for their application; and ensure that forest management can contribute to livelihoods, the delivery of ecosystem services and the achievement of sustainable development.

In the Near East and North Africa, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and other partners developed proposals on indicators for sustainable land management. The proposals were devised through an expert meeting, which considered Criteria and Indicators (C&I) that could be applied to forests and rangelands, as well as forest-like ecosystems such as oasis and mangroves. The list of proposed indicators will allow for the further development of a roadmap for their adoption and application.

Indicators also figure significantly in the draft decisions for the seventh FOREST EUROPE Ministerial Conference to be held from 20-21 October 2015. In addition to revised C&I for sustainable forest management (SFM) in the region, the meeting further developed draft decisions related to forests and the green economy, forest protection in a changing environment, the future direction of FOREST EUROPE, and how to address global challenges through SFM at the regional level.

Also in Europe, the World Bank Ukraine country office hosted an award ceremony for the Forest Law Enforcement and Governance Program (FLEG II) writing competition. Winning entries covered the illegal privatization of forest land, protection of the Bilychi forest park, and illegal logging and kickbacks in timber sales. The FLEG II Program, funded by the EU, is being implemented in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.

Finally, linking monitoring to the delivery of programmes, the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) released the findings of an assessment of experiences in monitoring deforestation and forest degradation for REDD+ in Tanzania. The assessment found that while forest cover change is useful for establishing a baseline for REDD+, global level data is not sufficiently accurate. The study explores the use of biomass prediction models combining field-level data with remote sensing. The report also notes that attention must be paid to avoiding sample bias, establishing standards for processing data and quality control, and agreeing to a national definition of forests. CIFOR is part of the CGIAR Consortium. [IUCN Press Release] [FOREST EUROPE Press Release] [Website: 2nd Drafting Meeting for the Preparation of the 7th FOREST EUROPE Ministerial Conference] [World Bank Press Release] [Publication: Monitoring Deforestation and Forest Degradation in the Context of REDD+ – Lessons from Tanzania]

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