Looking after forests and responding to needs

Forests are increasingly recognised for their important contributions in solving global environmental challenges. They can play significant roles in climate change mitigation, for biodiversity conservation and in building a greener economy.

In response to the 1992 Rio Summit on sustainable development, FOREST EUROPE and other processes and organisations have developed criteria and indicators for monitoring central aspects of forests and sustainable forest management. Extensive information on forest status and trends has been collected through the criteria and indicator processes in Europe and worldwide.

The new attention to contributions by forests leads to expanding demands for information on forests. In order to build on existing knowledge of the world’s forests, it is essential that the existing forest information is utilised to serve emerging needs and that existing monitoring systems are adapted to new demands. This is the best way to ensure consistency in data collection and help reduce reporting burden on countries.

The Montreal Process, FOREST EUROPE and the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO) - three of the regional criteria and indicator processes - and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in a joint workshop last week discussed how existing information can be better utilised to respond to current and emerging needs. To serve this purpose, the participants at the workshop in Victoria, Canada, elaborated  possibilities for strengthened partnership, advancing the awareness of the current monitoring systems, and short and long term improvements in reporting on criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management.