The Global Forest Observation Initiative - GFOI

A GEO Flagship

Douglas M. Muchoney, Ph.D.Senior Scientist for Forests, Carbon and ClimateU.S. Geological Survey12 November 2015Mexico City

Global Forest Observations Initiative (GFOI)• The Global Forest Observations Initiative (GFOI) is a Group of Earth

Observations (GEO) initiative led by Australia, Norway, the USA, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS)

• The GFOI Advisory Committee includes experts from: – the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

– the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is represented through the IPCC Inventory Bureau. 

– the World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF)

– Global Observation of Forest and Land Cover Dynamics (GOFC-GOLD) and

– institutions in some of the 100 GEO Member countries

• The UK supports

Global Forest Observations Initiative Development of a governance structure around the 5 components

GFOI and FCT elements in all components

GFOI Principles

GFOI Components

Space Data Coordination Group: 3 Elements:

GFOI R&D Programme

Methodological advice from GFOI • GFOI Methods and Guidance Document

published in 2013• Provides operational link between IPCC

methods and all the REDD+ activities identified by UNFCCC

• Consistent with UNFCCC Warsaw Framework on REDD+

• Coordinated UN-REDD, World Bank, IPCC and GOFC-GOLD

• Consistent with the annual review of scientific developments provided by GOFC-GOLD Sourcebook

• Aimed at technical implementers, negotiators and those responsible for REDD+ nationally

• Supplementary documents being produced• For report and additional material see:

MGD Additional Material and Developments

Methods and Guidance DocumentIntegrating remote-sensing and ground-based observations for estimation of emissions and

removals of greenhouse gases in forests

•Development Lead by the Australian Government•Lead Author: Dr Jim Penman (IPCC Lead Author) •More than 50 contributing authors•2 years in development•Published December 2013•In country use and feedback 2014•Development of training materials and decision support tools•Available in English, French, Spanish

Methods and Guidance DocumentVersion 2.0 will be released in June 2016

•Technical material related to the following themes is currently being updated

– Institutional arrangements– Use of global data sets– Integration methods– Updates on emerging operational technologies– Extension of guidance on biomass estimation – Case studies from REDD+ countries

Capacity building for implementing Monitoring, Reporting and Verification systems for REDD+

Capacity Building

• In coordination with others including UN-REDD, FAO and WB

• Major effort through SilvaCarbon, other activities with Australia and Norway

• Tailored to meet country needs and requests

• Aims to build networks of experts in countries

• Programmes in South America, SE Asia and Central Africa

SilvaCarbon Program – US and FAO Contribution to GFOI

• Capacity building component of GFOI

• USG Program that utilize the expertise of each USG agencies, and collaborate with Academia, NGOs and Industry.

• Currently active in 3 regions, starting in 2011, and plan to be operative until 2016

• Areas of work: Remote sensing, forest inventory implementation and analysis, and greenhouse gas inventory

The Future

• 2016 GFOI Plenary and Open Forum Week of 22nd

February 2016 at ESA ESRIN, Frascati, Italy

• GFOI Programme Office at FAO Rome, November

2015

• MGD Version 2.0 will be released in June 2016

• MGD Web Application - April 2016

• MGD Version 2.0 - June 2016

• 2nd GFOI Data Summit: 1st quarter 2016• Continued development of data services tools for data acquisition planning, data storage, and data

processing to support country needs

• Expansion of R&D data supply

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Thank you!Douglas Muchoney (USGS): dmuchoney@usgs.gov

www.gfoi.orgwww.ceos.org/sdcgwww.silvacarbon.org#silvacarbonhttps://sites.google.com/site/talleresgeofct/https://sites.google.com/site gfoiseasiacapacitybuilding/homehttps://sites.google.com/site/gfoiafricacapacitybuilding/home/