The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Virginia Cram-Martos Director, Trade and Sustainable Land Management Division Geospatial World Forum, Rotterdam, the Netherlands 15 May 2013

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe 56 member States in Europe, Central Asia and North America

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe – Eight thematic Subprogrammes Economic cooperation Environment Forestry Housing and land management Statistics Sustainable Energy Trade Transport

ECE-FAO Forestry and Timber Section, Geneva ECE Committee on Forests and the Forest Industry & FAO European Forestry Commission United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Food and Agriculture Organizartion of the United Nations 1947

4 Work Areas of the ECE-FAO Geneva 1.Data 2.Analysis 3.Policy/Management Advice 4.Capacity Building

Pan-European and global reporting on forest resources Joint Forest Sector Questionnaire Joint Wood Energy Enquiry Short-term forecasts for Europe and North America Data

Reports on State of Europe’s Forests Global Forest Resource Assessments Sustainable Forest Management Forest Products Annual Market Reviews Outlook Studies Forests and Economic Development Ecosystem Services Analysis

15 May 2013, Rotterdam, the Netherlands World’s and region’s forests 19% 18% Source: FAO FRA 2010

15 May 2013, Rotterdam, the Netherlands Forests - Major Trends in the UNECE Region Source : EEA 2006, SoEF 2011, TBFRA 2010

15 May 2013, Rotterdam, the Netherlands Supply and Demand in 2030 Source: UNECE/FAO EFSOS II, 2011

Forestry and Geospatial data Forestry and Geospatial Data

15 May 2013, Rotterdam, the Netherlands Forests in the ECE/FAO Region 1.6 BLN HA 40 % WORLD’S FORESTS Source: FAO FRA 2010

15 May 2013, Rotterdam, the Netherlands Consumption of wood per capita Source: UNECE/FAO 2011 CIS – 0.3 NA – 1.6 E – 1.0

Remote sensing in international forest reporting Remote sensing has many and varied applications Technological progress and the increased availability of data sets allowing comparisons over time are increasing the use of remote sensing technologies and information Nonetheless There are still problems that prevent full realization of the potential

Remote sensing in international forest reporting WHAT IS MISSING? Comparability and interoperability across countries and regions Links between topographical map data and contextual data (land use, legal status, disaster impact, etc) Easy to use software – including for data uploading Applications tailored to end user needs

Remote sensing in international forest reporting WHY? National forest information systems are not harmonized The basic level of reporting is a country, which makes reference units extremely differentiated (Monaco – Russia) Differences in scope, definitions and timing affect data comparability Missing data and process standards Sampling granularity differs widely and the less granular, the more likely that samples extrapolated into national averages may distort the actual situation (for example, in cases of disaster damage or landscape phenomena)

15 May 2013, Rotterdam, the Netherlands Remote sensing in international forest reporting OTHER ISSUES Legal – national reporting is a prerogative of countries, international data cannot officially replace national data Nomenclatural – internationally endorsed definitions of forests include two basic criteria: (i) land use and (ii) land cover. Obtaining information about land cover via remote sensing is feasible, information on land use is not commonly available Incompleteness - only some information can be assessed via remote sensing, some can still be generated only through land or records based systems (ownership, employment, species mix, etc)

15 May 2013, Rotterdam, the Netherlands Remote sensing in international forest reporting OTHER ISSUES No one to one correspondences between many types of data – so very different maps have to be overlaid, creating work/costs. Capacity – insufficient knowledge and capacity in countries and organizations to analyze and utilize geo-referenced information

Remote sensing in international forest reporting OPPORTUNITIES Multi-national geospatial data sets from identical periods and based on a common methodology could: i) create more harmonized data; ii) support cross-border resource management; and iii) help us better understand forest dynamics Geo-spatial data could provide increased numbers of samples and measured variables which are more precisely geo- referenced Linking forest-related data with data from other areas (e.g. water, climate, other land uses) can create new uses, for example in measuring ecosystem services

Remote sensing in international forest reporting EXISTING APPLICATIONS FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment – Forest Area Monitoring with the use of Remote Sensing Survey – Tree Canopy density Survey – Forests in Climatic Zones European Forest Institute – Forests in Europe by Forest Types (simplified classification: conifers, broad-leaves and mixed) EU Joint Research Ispra – Monitoring of Forest Fires – Forest Connectivity and Fragmentation

15 May 2013, Rotterdam, the Netherlands Forests in climatic zones Source: FAO FRA 2010

15 May 2013, Rotterdam, the Netherlands Forest connectivity – change 2000 – 2006 Source: EU JRC Ispra / SoEF 2011

The Committee on Housing and Land Management Inter-governmental dialogue The exchange of information Support for policy formulation and implementation: - In-depth assessments - Policy guidance and recommendations - Advisory services and capacity-building activities

UNECE Committee on Housing and Land Management STRUCTURE

Committee on Housing and Land Management WORK AREAS Land administration and management Sustainable housing and real estate markets Sustainable urban development Country Profiles

Property registration and the structure of cadastres and land registries Informal settlements E-Government Current priorities of the Working Party on Land Administration (WPLA)

The UNECE WPLA and property registration Encourages registration, access to data, and data sharing between countries. “Survey on the Benchmarking of Land Registration Systems”, 2013/2014. System of Registration Coverage On-line availability and electronic access Status and security Taxes and fees Speed of registration Types of registration activities Complexity and Automation Cadastres Efficiency of service Gender equality Administrative structure

The UNECE and geospatial data – land management Urban and used land areas have expanded in the last 50 years: agricultural land +13% pasture land +10%, total forest area -15% World land cover, source: NASA

Property registration and geospatial media WPLA publication “Land registration and cadastre, one or two agencies”, 2015

Informal settlements in the UNECE region Significant in 20 UNECE countries, affecting over 50 million people Squatter settlements Settlements refugees and vulnerable people Upgraded informal settlements Illegal suburban land divisions Dilapidated urban housing

Challenges from Informal Settlements Economic: Keeps funds from the formal sector and interferes with planning Social: Can marginalize already disadvantaged groups Environmental: Complicates regulation and compliance with standards

Informal settlements and geospatial media

E-Government and changes in Europe Lowers costs, brings faster service Can make auditing and fact-checking easier Can present new challenges of fraud and user verification

The UNECE and E-Government in land registration The Challenges of Fraud to Land Administration Institutions (2011) “Collaborating for secured ownership”, 29 to 31 May 2013, Uppsala, Sweden

E-Government and geospatial media

Summary The UNECE and geospatial data

THE BIG QUESTION Standardized data and processes are needed In order to achieve the international semantic interoperability required for success This will require close collaboration with a broad range of users, everyone working together around the same table. The tables are here, but where are the foresters, the farmers, the energy companies, the urban planners, and the government regulators ? Without them the geospatial industry will never reach its full potential

Thank you Virginia Cram-Martos Director, Trade and Sustainable Land Management Division