25 June 2010: The UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD Programme), along with the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and the Mexican Forestry Commission (CONAFOR), held a workshop titled “Measurement, reporting and verification (MRV), a roadmap for implementation at the country level,” from 22-24 June 2010, in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The workshop brought together representatives from pilot and partner countries of the UN-REDD Programme, as well as other forested countries. Participants shared experiences in implementing MRV systems for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of carbon stocks (REDD+) while identifying current challenges, bottlenecks and data issues.
Over 80 participants from 30 different countries discussed methodological approaches to monitoring land use changes, focusing especially on forest land use changes; developing Green House Gas (GHG) inventories for forests; measuring Reference Emission Levels (REL) and Reference Levels (RL); and estimating emission factors (carbon stock changes) by implementing national forest inventories.
The GEO group offered its support to work jointly with the UN-REDD Programme to make satellite imagery available to countries, which will allow for better integration of MRV systems. The World Bank expert on MRV expressed his willingness to work jointly with the UN-REDD Programme to maximize the resources offered to countries.
Participants agreed to strengthen capacity building towards improved design and operation of MRV systems along the lines of the current cooperation between the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE) and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). [UN REDD Press Release]
