18 February 2014: The Global Forest Observations Initiative (GFOI) has released a methods and guidance document, titled ‘Integrating remote-sensing and ground-based observations for estimation of emissions and removals of greenhouse gases in forests.’

The document contains advice for countries on using remote-sensing and ground-based data to estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals associated with REDD+ activities, and recommendations on establishing national measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) systems.

This is the first of a series of methods and guidelines documents developped by GFOI aimed at estimating future carbon stocks to support countries in their efforts to build national forest monitoring systems, which will help ensure credible, comparable and transparent forest carbon assessments. GFOI aims to accomplish this through helping to: secure the long-term provision of satellite Earth observation data to countries; and build capacity to use such data in combination with ground-based observations to estimate and report on changes in forests and their carbon stocks.

The documentation also, inter alia: provides an overview of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methods, and their application for UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reporting and implementation of REDD+; and discusses synthesizing resulting material into reporting consistent with UNFCCC requirements.

GFOI, an initiative of the intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO), is a partnership of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), Australia, Norway and the US. GFOI fosters the continued availability of observations for national forest monitoring systems by providing a platform for coordinating observations and providing assistance and guidance on employing these observations. It also develops methods and protocols, and promotes ongoing research and development. GEO is a voluntary partnership of governments and international organizations. [Publication: Integrating Remote-sensing and Ground-based Observations for Estimation of Emissions and Removals of Greenhouse Gases in Forests: Methods and Guidance from the Global Forest Observations Initiative] [GFOI Methods and Guidance Documentation Webpage] [GFOI Homepage]