Forest Data Without Borders: FAO Launches National Forest Inventory Learning Program

March 28, 2025 | 02:58 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United Nations’ body, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has launched the “National Forest Inventory (NFI) Learning Journey” at a regional workshop in Bangkok, Thailand, on Thursday, March 27, 2025.

The innovative, self-paced learning initiative aims to help member nations plan, implement, and analyze their national forest inventories amid the challenges posed by climate change. According to FAO, this program provides an ongoing access to valuable resources to improve forest data management systems and strengthen national capacities

“Accurate, accessible, and transparent forest data tailored to national frameworks, allow countries to monitor ecosystems, track progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which is why National Forest Inventories (NFIs) are so important for collecting and analyzing this data for decision-making,” said Robert Simpson, the Deputy Regional Representative at the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, as quoted from the press release received by Tempo on Friday.

NFIs provide a scientifically sound, field-based approach to assess the status, trends, and potential of forest ecosystems. Consistent, high-quality forest data forms the basis for national actions such as restoration, conservation, and sustainable forest management; biodiversity conservation plans; evidence-based policymaking; and enables forest data reporting to the FAO (Forest Resource Assessment).

NFI data would also be used to develop National Forest Monitoring Systems, and for the reporting of forest mitigation actions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Julian Fox, the Senior Forestry Officer at the FAO, said that reliable forest data “empowers countries to take informed forest actions,” and bolstering national capacities on forest monitoring would help nations to “safeguard their forests and build a more resilient future.”

The NFI Learning Journey guides users through all key phases of a national forest inventory, from planning and implementation to data gathering and reporting. This self-paced course is available in English, Spanish, and French, and is designed to assist forestry experts, government agencies, researchers, and others involved in national forest inventories.

FAO reported that the course is tailored for various levels of expertise and covers topics such as field data collection, sampling, data analysis, and reporting. Users who successfully complete the final tests will be awarded digital badges, recognizing their proficiency in national forest inventory methodologies.

As a collaborative effort, the initiative is supported by key partners, including the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the "Building global capacity to increase transparency in the forest sector (CBIT-Forest)" project and the United Kingdom's Accelerating Innovative Monitoring for Forests (AIM4Forests) Initiative. 

FAO’s efforts to enhance national forest monitoring systems (NFMSs) are critical for improving forest data transparency and advancing climate action in Asia and the Pacific region. 

As member nations continue to make strides in forest management, strengthening NFIs at the regional level is essential for providing consistent and accurate data. This, in turn, will help the countries meet their commitments to sustainable forest management, ecosystem health, and climate mitigation.

FAO encourages all relevant stakeholders—governments, forestry experts, researchers, and institutions—to explore the NFI Learning Journey and strengthen their national capacities in forest monitoring.

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