1. Osamu Ochiai, GEO Secretariat GEO Work Program Symposium
GFOI supports SDGs
Osamu Ochiai, GEO Secretariat
On behalf of GFOI Leads
GEO Work Program Symposium
Tshwane, South Africa
12-13 May 2017

2. Objectives
Assist REDD+ developing countries to develop sovereign technical, human and institutional capacity to monitor their own forests and account for their own GHG emissions.
The GFOI aims to:
Foster the sustained availability of observations for national forest monitoring systems;
Support governments that are establishing national systems by providing a platform for coordinating observations, providing assistance and guidance on utilising observations, developing accepted methods and protocols, and promoting ongoing research and development;
Work with national governments that report into international forest assessments such as the national greenhouse gas inventories reported to the UNFCCC using methods of the IPCC.

3. Coordination and management
Leads:
USA: Evan Notman & Sylvia Wilson (USAid, USGS)
Norway: Henrik Fliflet (NICFI)
Australia: Anthony Bennie (DOTE, Chair)
CEOS: Masanobu Shimada with Stephen Ward alternate (JAXA, CSIRO/NASA)
FAO: Anssi Pekkarinen
Phase 2 allows for new Leads
GFOI Office:
Staffed since Feb 16 (Australia and Norway $$)
Funding outlook extended to the end of 2017 whilst Phase 2 is being finalized
Phase 2 definition close to conclusion – strong country emphasis

4. Space Data Coordination
The Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) coordinates the world’s civil space agencies and has taken on the leadership of this component to support supply of data to participating countries.
Continued coordination of core data streams (e.g., Landsat, Sentinel) and addition of new core data streams and products;
Continued development of data services tools for data acquisition planning (CEOS COVE tool), data storage, and data processing to support country needs (Data Cube pilots)
Expansion of R&D data supply and improved coordination of efforts; Engagement of priority countries in the implementation of the above via all channels available; and,
Contributing to the GFOI end-to-end demonstration with the other component in targeted countries.

5. Methods and Guidance (MGD)
Co-ordinates the publication of methodological advice for countries wishing to make use of remotely sensed and ground-based data for forest monitoring and reporting of reduced emissions from deforestation, forest degradation and associated activities, jointly referred to as REDD+ in the climate negotiations.
REDDcompass launched in April 2016 and has established a strong user base
MGD Edition 2.0 released October 2016
French and Spanish versions completed April 2017
Communications and Assessment Readiness Level (CARL) framework
for progressive development of new technologies towards operational levels and hence applicability for capacity building activities
Complements guidance published by IPCC ,GOFC-GOLD

6. Capacity Building
Help nations develop a capacity to utilise Earth Observation data in a credible national forest monitoring system that can provide input to national MRV systems for GHG emissions and removals in IPCC-compliant reporting to the UNFCCC, REDD+ and future carbon markets.
GFOI enables stronger coordination on Capacity Building between FAO (UN-REDD), SilvaCarbon, GOFC-GOLD and World Bank
UN-REDD now the REDD+ team within FAO (diversified funding). New focus is on 14 priority countries and the 64 UN-REDD countries, also more and more involved in FCPF implementation
SilvaCarbon continuing to implement full work plan until September SilvaCarbon partnering with other US capacity building programs to leverage capacity and funds. For example SERVIR
Proposing a GFOI CB Summit (donors, CB partners, and selected countries) ICIMOD – Kathmandu, Nepal - Sep 2017

7. R&D Coordination
Developed an R&D plan which identifies priority areas where research is required to achieve its goals.
Identified priorities include: forest degradation; mapping of particular forest types (mangrove, peat forests, etc); interoperability; comparison of uncertainties associated with forest biomass estimation methodologies; and data model integration
Successful R&D science meeting Nov in The Hague (see report:

8. Achievements
Space Data Coordination Group has facilitated access to and use of ever- increasing amounts of remote sensing data
Development of Methods and Guidance Documentation has consolidated information from diverse sources disseminated through REDDcompass
3000 unique users from 101 countries have accessed REDDcompass since its inception
Capacity Building has brought partners together to help countries meet their reporting commitments to the UNFCCC and under multilateral initiatives for REDD+
R&D Coordination has provided extensive training on methods in the context of needs identified by developing countries and capacity developers

9. GFOI supports SDGs
13.2 Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning 13.3 Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
15.1 By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements
15.2 By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally
15.B Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management and provide adequate incentives to developing countries to advance such management, including for conservation and reforestation
17.14 Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development

10. Goal 15 being achieved through GFOI
The GFOI was established as a partnership of countries and international institutions to help coordinate support for forest measurement, reporting and verification (MRV), which is critical at a time when MRV systems are required for REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation, Forest Degradation, Sustainable Management of Forests as well as the Conservation and Enhancement of Forest Carbon Stocks).

11. Challenges
Following challenges identified through the GFOI review report towards the GFOI Phase 2 planning
Enhanced access to data is not yet matched with the capacity of countries to use it.
Only a few operational forest monitoring and MRV systems in developing countries
National economic concerns for improved resource management an important driver
Significant capacity development is measured in decades rather than years
GFOI needs an overall strategic plan or logic model
Developing countries are under-represented
Need to bring in more partners
Communications need improvement
GFOI office will need more to take on new responsibilities
An increasing number of IPCC-compliant forest monitoring systems to meet UNFCCC requirements will be the best measure of GFOI success

12. Recommendations
GFOI is aligned with the SDGs targets, but more visibility is required to make these efforts reported through the SDGs process within GEO
Feedback, engagement and funding opportunities will make the GFOI Flagship more sustainable
Paris Agreement is also a targeted engagement agenda for GFOI