Pan-tropical Monitoring of Deforestation
This paper reviews the technical capabilities for monitoring deforestation from a pan-tropical
perspective in response to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) process, which is studying the technical issues surrounding the ability to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation in developing countries. The successful
implementation of such policies requires effective forest monitoring systems that are
reproducible, provide consistent results, meet standards for mapping accuracy, and can be
implemented from national to pan-tropical levels. Remotely sensed data, supported by ground
observations, are crucial to such efforts. Recent developments in global to regional monitoring
of forests can contribute to reducing the uncertainties in estimates of emissions from
deforestation. Monitoring systems at national levels in developing countries can also benefit
from pan-tropical and regional observations, mainly by identifying hot spots of change and
prioritizing areas for monitoring at finer spatial scales. A pan-tropical perspective is also
required to ensure consistency between different national monitoring systems.
Data sources already exist to determine baseline periods in the 1990s as historical reference
points. Key requirements for implementing such monitoring programs, both at pan-tropical and
at national scales, are international commitment of resources to increase capacity, coordination
of observations to ensure pan-tropical coverage, access to free or low-cost data, and
standardized, consensus protocols for data interpretation and analysis.
Data sources exist to determine base periods in the 1990s as historical reference points. Key constraints for implementing programs to monitor deforestation at pan-tropical to national scales are international commitment of resources to increase capacity, coordination of observations to ensure pan-tropical coverage, access to free or low-cost data, and standard and consensual protocols for data interpretation and analysis.
DEFRIES Ruth;
EVA Hugh;
HANSEN Matthew C.;
MAYAUX Philippe;
STIBIG Hans-Jurgen;
ACHARD Frederic;
2007-12-17
Institute of Physics and IOP Publishing Limited
JRC38159
http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/1748-9326/2/4/045022/,
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC38159,
10.1088/1748-9326/2/4/045022,
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