FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and Finland have signed an agreement to improve the ability of countries to manage forest resources and data.
The project, worth a total of 7 million dollars, will be implemented jointly by the FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment and National Forest Monitoring teams, will last four years, with an initial contribution of 2.3 million dollars from Finland and intends to develop national systems of modern, transparent, reliable and accessible forest monitoring. It also provides for the provision of free and open source tools for collecting up-to-date and reliable data with remote sensing systems and field inventories.
“This collaboration with Finland – commented FAO Deputy Director General Maria Helena Semedo – will help to enhance the capacity for innovative and accurate forest monitoring. With a focus on women’s empowerment in Africa, this project will bring our experience and tools to where they are needed most“.
“Finland has over 100 years of tradition and experience in forest assessment and monitoring. We are very pleased to cooperate with FAO and to offer our Nordic know-how. This is a great opportunity to help stop and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030”, said Ville Skinnari, Finnish Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade.
