Global Forest Observations Initiative

There is a growing need for countries to better understand their forests, how they change over time, and in particular the role they can play in addressing climate change and enabling sustainable development. For this reason, tropical countries are seeking to develop national forest monitoring systems (NFMS) and associated emissions measurement reporting and verification (MRV) procedures to generate more accurate information to inform decision-making and action.

Furthermore, the increased demand for improved forest information has coincided with a boom in the availability of data, tools, other products, and international support to help countries enhance their forest monitoring capabilities.

Without global coordination and a targeted effort to align the boom in both the demand for better forest information and the supply of new products and support, developing countries risk being overwhelmed by diverse approaches, making it difficult to implement systems that best suit their needs.

GFOI is a partnership focused on coordinating international support for improving forest monitoring and associated greenhouse gas (GHG) estimation capabilities in tropical countries. Through collaborative action, GFOI partners support countries in designing, developing, and operationalizing their own national forest monitoring systems and associated measurement reporting and verification procedures to guide forest management and track progress in climate action.

Through global coordination, tropical countries receive more coherent package support from the international community, which better enables them to operationalize their NFMS and associated MRV procedures. These systems and procedures provide countries with meaningful information, empowering them to better manage their forests and take responsible action on climate change. There are also significant co-benefits, such as improved livelihoods and biodiversity protection.

During the period 2025–2030, the GFOI community will continue to support tropical countries in developing NFMS that utilize Earth Observation technologies to address major challenges, including forest management, climate change, sustainable development, and biodiversity loss. This effort will focus particularly on helping countries operationalize and sustain their NFMS through the new Country-Led Planning (CLP) program. GFOI will also continue to produce new guidance modules, provide capacity building, deliver operationally focused Research and Development (R&D), and coordinate the availability of data and tools to further enhance forest and carbon monitoring efforts globally.

GFOI coordinates assistance from international development partners to tropical countries across four central components: (1) Capacity Building, (2) Data, (3) Methods and Guidance, and (4) R&D. International coordination relies heavily on regular partner meetings and the exchange of information with the broader community of forest monitoring stakeholders (or experts), which GFOI organizes, and ultimately on the productive working relationships fostered within the Initiative. GFOI has also developed a series of structured coordination mechanisms to enhance global collaboration and support for tropical countries. These mechanisms include the new Country-Led Planning initiative, the GFOI Family of Resources, the GFOI Inventory Activities, Focused Discussions, Expert Meetings, and the biennial GFOI Plenary. Furthermore, GFOI components work in close coordination to achieve their respective objectives and goals.