Brazil will provide technical assistance to help tropical countries improve their forest monitoring capabilities, according to an official with the South American country’s satellite agency.
Carlos Nobre, head of the Earth System Science Center at the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), said Brazil will share “knowledge and technology” on its leading satellite-based deforestation monitoring system with countries in Africa and Southeast Asia.
“The goal is to train countries in geospatial information systems so they can eventually adapt and benefit from the REDD system that will be defined under the UN Convention on Climate Change,” said Nobre in a statement.
INPE’s system tracks deforestation, degradation, and associated emissions.
Nobre added that INPE will also help other countries with climate modeling.
INPE’s engagement comes under an agreement Brazil signed with U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) at COP-15 in Copenhagen to support the UN-REDD program, according to Gilberto Camara, the director INPE.
“With the support of FAO, INPE is committed to train remote sensing specialists from developing nations in the methods and techniques we use,” Camara told mongabay.com. “The purpose is to allow all interested nations to build the same type of monitoring system we have.
Camara added that INPE has built a new state-of-the-art data center in Belem to support its “data democracy” initiative, which includes national and international capacity building.
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