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For two years, 16 multidisciplinary teams traveled through the forests of the United Republic of Tanzania, stopping at 3,400 sampling sites to measure and map the forests and talk to local people. The teams were part of one of the largest-ever forest land mapping efforts in the developing world, and even estimated carbon stocks. Today, the results of the survey, designed and implemented by FAO and the government, are helping scientists and policymakers develop a national forest program. The program will be based on statistically sound biophysical data, but will also facilitate a deeper understanding of the socio-economic context of how local communities use forests. This information will allow the government to develop more coherent land use and livelihood policies, calling for more participatory management plans that give local people a say in caring for and protecting the forest resources they depend on.
From simple measuring tapes to check the diameter of trees to sophisticated satellite images that provide an overview of forest cover – FAO’s National Forest Resources Monitoring and Assessment Project (NAFORMA) combines traditional inventory methods with new tools and approaches to generate the most comprehensive information to date on the forests of the United Republic of Tanzania. This includes biophysical data on trees and landscapes that can be used by land-use planners and environmental and climate change experts, as well as socio-economic information from local people that can be used by decision-makers to help them participate in the management and conservation of forests.
FAO worked with the country’s forestry policy-makers, survey and remote sensing experts to design the survey, develop statistically sound methods and tools to evaluate the results, and implement computer models that will allow the country to monitor changes in carbon stocks over time. Thanks to the survey, the country now has a wealth of baseline information that can be used for future work. One third of the country is forest. Yet, every year, a portion of this resource is lost to deforestation. This not only reduces the possibility for local people to benefit from the forest, but also increases carbon emissions, which contribute to climate change. The United Republic of Tanzania is the first of five pilot countries to carry out such an in-depth survey, which also calculates the impact of deforestation on carbon stocks in forest soils. Future surveys will be conducted in Ecuador, Peru, Viet Nam and Zambia.
Multidisciplinary team collects extensive data
The 16 teams tasked with collecting the data spent two years traveling the country, gathering information and taking soil and tree samples from 3,400 sites mapped using satellite imagery. These multidisciplinary teams included experts in tree species, soils, climate change, livelihoods, and gender. For example, the team learned that men and women view issues differently, with women actually placing more importance on the role of forests in their daily lives. This type of information is critical for policymakers who need to develop management plans in consultation with the beneficiaries involved in forest management and conservation.
Promote experience and methods to other countries
As the United Republic of Tanzania is only the first of five pilot countries to conduct such a survey, there is a need to ensure that the information collected can be viewed as part of a whole. Therefore, FAO works with countries to help develop tools to tailor the methodology to their needs, while also standardizing and harmonizing the methodology so that the information can be analyzed across countries.
NAFORMA also works with the United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation (UN-REDD). Now, looking ahead, having baseline data on forest and soil carbon stocks will help the United Republic of Tanzania participate in the REDD+ mechanism proposed by UN-REDD. REDD+ will provide countries with payments linked to their progress in reducing deforestation or forest degradation, thereby increasing their carbon sequestration. The wealth of information provided by the survey will also help establish more sustainable forest management plans, integrating the maintenance of rural livelihoods into national forest programs.
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