Enviro News Asia, London – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has announced a new investment from Norway to strengthen forest monitoring worldwide, helping countries improve climate transparency, enhance decision-making, and unlock finance to protect and restore forests.
Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) will provide 90 million Norwegian kroner, approximately US$9.5 million, to support the third phase of FAO’s System for Earth Observation Data Access, Processing and Analysis for Land Monitoring (SEPAL) through to December 2030. The announcement was made at a forest monitoring event during London Climate Action Week.
“As artificial intelligence accelerates, open and transparent data tools are becoming even more essential for forest countries. SEPAL strengthens governments’ capacity to lead their own monitoring and to make informed decisions for their forests for the benefit of their citizens, and for all of us,” said Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Eriksen.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu said countries need reliable, accessible, and transparent forest data to manage forests sustainably, meet climate reporting requirements, and access science-based finance. “This new funding will strengthen national forest monitoring systems and accelerate the use of innovative technologies, turning data into better decisions for climate change and sustainable development,” he said.
First developed in 2016 as part of FAO’s Open Foris initiative, SEPAL is an open-source platform providing instant access to Earth observation data and advanced processing tools, enabling countries to detect change, track deforestation, and support restoration efforts. As of June 2026, SEPAL reported more than 30,000 active users across 205 countries and territories.
Phase 3 will focus on delivering next-generation geospatial solutions, helping countries meet climate reporting requirements while building the skills, tools, and systems needed to monitor forests independently. Norway’s support for SEPAL is aligned with the Accelerating Innovative Monitoring for Forests (AIM4Forests) programme, a flagship FAO-United Kingdom partnership supporting countries to strengthen forest monitoring through technical innovation, capacity development, and inclusive approaches.
Together, SEPAL and AIM4Forests aim to help countries move from generating forest data to using it for policy decisions, climate transparency, and greater engagement with finance, while also promoting the participation of indigenous peoples and other stakeholders whose knowledge and involvement are essential for sustainable forest management. (*)
