Online course: Forest and land monitoring for climate action

• Level: Introductory
• Time commitment: 5 modules, approximately 2.5-3h per module
• Learning product: Facilitated online course (free, self-paced)
• Sector: Forest and land management
• Hosted by: Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
• Language: English, Spanish and French
• Certificate available: Yes (through FAO’s Digital Badges system)

Introduction

The overall objective of this course is to support knowledge and skills development to operationally apply high-resolution satellite imagery to critical forest and land monitoring in tropical forest countries. More specifically, the course focuses on how the System for Earth Observation Data Access, Processing and Analysis for Land Monitoring (SEPAL) platform can support land and forest monitoring for climate action.

Institutional background and contributors

This course was designed and developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and was funded by Norway’s International Climate and Forests Initiative (NICFI), and the United Kingdom’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

This course has been implemented thanks to the collaboration among the following contributors:

National Forest Monitoring team leadership: Julian Fox, Forestry Division, FAO.

SEPAL project Lead Technical Officer: Erik Lindquist, Forestry Division, FAO.

Course subject-matter experts (in alphabetical order): Elisabet Rams Beltrán, Zhuo Cheng, Rocío Dánica Cóndor Golec, Francesca Felicani, Yelena Finegold, Julian Fox, Ghislaine Gill, Erik Lindquist, David Morales, Teo Nakalema, Maria Nuutinen, Anatoli Poultouchidou, Marieke Sandker, and Laura Villegas of the Forestry Division, FAO.

SEPAL presentation developers (in alphabetical order): Remi D’Annunzio, Annalisa De Vitis, Yelena Finegold, Daniel Guerrero Machado, Erik Lindiquist, Pablo Martin, Pierrick Rambaud, Andreas Vollrath, Daniel Wiell, and the entire SEPAL team of the Forestry Division, FAO.

Who is this course for?

The course is designed for staff in governmental and implementing agencies, but also for anyone who might be interested in the topic. In particular, remote-sensing experts from academia, civil society and private sector, who can contribute to further development and transparency of national forest and other ecosystems monitoring.

Course structure

The course is composed of five learning modules:

• Module 1: Institutionalization of forest data
• Module 2: Introducing SEPAL for forest and land monitoring
• Module 3: High-integrity measurement, reporting and verification
• Module 4: Monitoring of forest and ecosystem restoration
• Module 5: Peatland mapping and monitoring

Each module includes a set of training materials such as handouts, presentations, quizzes and additional resources.

Upon completion of the activities of all five learning modules, you are encouraged to attempt the final test to earn the Digital Badge (FAO’s certification system).

Learning outcomes

• Understand the foundations and operations of a NFMS; and
• Understand how a NFMS can be operationalized through institutional and legal arrangements.
• Understand how SEPAL can support forest and land monitoring;
• Identify SEPAL’s basic functionalities including data organization, resources, instances and applications; and
• Describe SEPAL’s functionalities for optical and radar mosaics, classifications, change detection, and time series analysis.
• Recall the benefits of using high-quality data and sample-based area estimation for high-integrity MRV; and
• Identify the main steps to perform sample-based area estimation with the SEPAL.
• Recall FAO’s set of tools that facilitate efficient data collection, analysis and reporting for forest and ecosystem restoration; and
• Describe the main steps to generate information and maps through se.plan – A forest restoration decision suppor tool – see below.
• Recall the main principles for peatland mapping and monitoring; and
• Identify the main steps to perform soil moisture mapping through SEPAL, and the main SEPAL tools that can be used for peatland monitoring.