3 August 2010: In the latest UN-REDD Programme media release, Peter Holmgren, UN Food and Agricluture Organization (FAO) Coordinator for the UN-REDD Programme, describes the importance of measuring, reporting and verification (MRV) for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of carbon stocks (REDD+), and outlines challenges countries face in setting up national monitoring systems.

Holmgren stresses the importance of transparent national forest monitoring systems to ensure that results from mitigation activities are reliable, especially considering the substantial investments being made into national REDD+ programmes. He notes that MRV is not just about monitoring carbon, as other forest values such as biodiversity, as well as governance issues, should also be monitored. He suggests that MRV requires information from the strategic level (national policies and international reporting) as well as the operational level (local actions). When setting up national REDD+ MRV, Holmgren calls for: developing synergies with other monitoring needs; establishing long term and clear institutional arrangements; and engaging stakeholders. [UN-REDD Press Release]