GEO Forest Carbon -Ongoing Activities and Work Plan- Alex Held (CSIRO), CEOS-Plenary, Lucca, Italy

The GEO FCT Task a framework for coordination: governments, space and forest agencies, research scientists, intergovernmental and international organisations national demonstrators showing the elements of a global system of systems institutional arrangements for secure data access and continuity – time series of optical and SAR satellite mid-resolution images (<30m) for semi-annual ‘wall-to-wall’ full country coverage a focused R&D program supporting integration with modelling and forest measurement (satellite; in-situ), 2

National Demonstrators in 2010 Initially 7 National Demonstrators in more added in

GEO FCT Guidance Documents in support of National Measurement, Reporting, and Verification Systems (MRV) GEO FCT Guidance Documents in support of National Measurement, Reporting, and Verification Systems (MRV) Reporting National Accounts To meet international obligations under UNFCCC (Emissions Estimates and Projections) & to enter Carbon Markets Reporting National Accounts To meet international obligations under UNFCCC (Emissions Estimates and Projections) & to enter Carbon Markets Verification of National Accounts Verified by UNFCCC, Independent reviewers Verification of National Accounts Verified by UNFCCC, Independent reviewers 8. Guidance on Establishment of National Demonstrators 1. Annual Satellite Data Requirements for National Demonstrators 2. In Situ Forest Measurements Standards and Protocols 3. Satellite Forest Information Product Specification 4. Satellite Data Processing and Product Development Plan 5. Interoperability Satellite Data Processing 6. Methods on Validation of Remote Sensing Data Products and Accuracy Metrics 7. Linking of In-Situ Forest Measurements, Remote Sensing and Carbon Models REDD+ and other Market-based Reporting REDD+ and other Market-based Reporting Country Reporting 9. FCT Continuous Improvement and R&D Program Data Acquisition Analysis Data-Model Integration and Outputs GEO FCT

Current FCT Satellite Data Processing Approach ND Government Agencies Responsible for Forest Mapping CEOS Agencies committing to FCT-specified data acquisition Optical/SAR Mid-resolution, wall-to-wall data for each ND GEO FCT Technical Product Development Team ND Government Agencies Responsible for MRV Reporting to UNFCCC GEO FCT Countries

FCT Achievements Data and products produced by ND’s are starting to become available, and the proof of concept for global wall-to-wall monitoring is being demonstrated. – e.g. more than 116,000 optical and SAR images delivered by CEOS Agencies since Significant progress towards achieving the 4 FCT objectives: – Methodology guidance documents being further developed – Closer coordination with CEOS WGCV and GEO QA4EO Initiative – GEO FCT and the US ‘SilvaCarbon’ program strengthening links to FCT ND’s in the Americas (Mexico, Peru, Colombia) with dedicated technical workshops and expert advice. establish a framework for coordination, cooperate with a number of national demonstrators, provide a better access to data, and work on methods and protocols for ensuring comparability and interoperability Systematic observations will support governments in obtaining analyses and reporting information. 6

FCT Work Plan National Demonstrator ‘Summit’ – Feb – Tanzania Science Data Summit – Feb – Tanzania – Finalise FCT R&D Tasks & Planning Document Increased satellite data delivery to ND government agencies responsible for establishment of MRVs. Continue with successful model of technical training workshops – Americas, and extend to Africa and Asia Finalising FCT Guidance Documents Increased engagement between ND national governments and FCT Technical team (eg PD-team)

GEO FCT – Silvacarbon Technical Workshops st Technical Americas GEO FCT ND- Regional Forest Monitoring Workshop Topic 1: Tropical Geo Forest Inventory Methodologies LANDSAT Land Cover Mapping Methodologies MODIS Imagery processing for Land Use Monitoring Location: Peru Proposed Dates: August nd Technical Americas GEO FCT ND- Regional Forest Monitoring Workshop Topic: Developing Consistent GEO Forest Information Products from Time-series Mid- resolution Optical Data Location: USGS-EROS Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA Proposed Dates: September 19 – September 22, er Technical Americas GEO FCTT ND- Regional Forest Monitoring Workshop Topic: Integration of In-situ Forest Information, Remote Sensing Data and Carbon Models Possible Venue: Mexico Proposed Dates: October 10-11, th Technical Americas GEO FCT ND- Regional Forest Monitoring Workshop Topic: Wide-area SAR processing and GEO Forest Products Multi-Sensor, Mid-Resolution Land Cover Change Mapping Methodologies optics and radar Possible Location: Bogota Proposed Dates: March 5-9, th Technical Americas GEO FCTND- Regional Forest Monitoring Workshop Topic: Exchange of experiences on mapping methodologies Models to Estimate Degradation, and different methodologies to map forest degradation Location: Quito, Ecuador Proposed Dates: May 2012 (tbc) 6th Special GEO FCT Global Workshop Topic: Modeling Approaches for National-Scale Land- Surface Carbon Accounting Host Institution: CATIE – Costa Rica Proposed Dates: July – August, 2012 (tbc) Technical Americas GEO FCTND - Regional Forest Monitoring Technical Exchange Topic: Forest Inventories with low cost methodologies. Combining field work, data processing, and satellite data. Review all ecosystems Location: Chiapas – Mexico Proposed Dates: September 2012 (tbc)

Close cooperation with National Demonstrator country governments and capacity building is underway

GEO FCT Workshop – Toluca Oct , 2011

Extra Slides

Forest Carbon Tracking Goals Demonstrate that coordinated Earth Observations, complimented and validated by in situ measurements and properly linked to forest models can provide the basis for reliable, accurate, consistent and continuous information services to support forest carbon Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV), leading to eventual establishment of a network of national forest carbon monitoring systems Develop methods and protocols for comparability, interoperability in satellite observations and integration with ground measurements. Assist countries develop their own national forest and carbon monitoring systems.

Cal / Val of RS outputs GEO FCT Supporting development of end-to-end National Forest Monitoring Reporting and Verification Systems Satellite Data In-situ data & management practices Climate & Model Ancillary Data Verification Reporting Data Integration and Forest Carbon Modelling

FCT Satellite-Derived Products Horizon-1: 1a – Forest/Non-Forest coverage maps (ultimately annually wall-to-wall national coverage) 1b. - Forest change maps (direct/indirect derivative of dual- or multi-year Horizon 1a products or input data) 1c – Land-use map (with six broad land use categories - forest land, cropland, grazing land, wetlands, settlements, other land)) (for use in estimation of area change and land-use conversion as per IPCC GPG) 1d. – Land-use change and conversions (direct/indirect derivative of Horizon-1c products or input data) Horizon-2: 2a - Forest Degradation Information Products (still TBD); might include: – Forest cover/density change and trends – High-resolution forest change, structure or physiology products (from satellite, airborne systems – eg. lidar, X-band SAR, imaging spectrometers) 2b - Forest-type: Softwood, hardwood, native, primary, secondary 2c - Sparse woody perennial cover

Growing FCT the Network Growth will require increased efforts in: ND Country Coordination & databases, to ensure consistency Data Processing: Load-balancing of in-country vs. ‘regional processing centres’, to cope with processing needs/capacity/product consistency Coordinated Capacity- Building program – consistency across NDs Many REDD+ countries outside the tropics, incl. temperate & boreal forests 2011 post-Kyoto treaty; REDD+, etc. 2012

Proposed FCT+GFOI Satellite Data Processing Linkages ND Government Agencies Responsible for Forest Mapping CEOS Agencies committing to FCT-specified data acquisition Optical/SAR Mid-resolution, wall-to-wall data for each ND GEO FCT Technical Product Development Team (R&D, Demos) ND Government Agencies Responsible for MRV Reporting to UNFCCC GEO FCT Countries High-Capacity Regional Intermediate Processing Centres GFOI