Descriptions

Since 2019 CIFOR has been implementing the initiative, the Observatory of Forests for Eastern and Southern Africa (OFESA), together with the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD). The overall objective of OFESA was to create a reliable system of monitoring to assist countries in reporting on their climate obligations.

This new Action builds on the emerging OFESA’s outcomes, by strengthening the governance structures needed to support the long-term efforts required by the Centres of Excellence, and by improving, increasing and enhancing the use of data and information for informed policy decisions that address current and future forest and biodiversity challenges.

Ultimately, this action aims to enhance forest and biodiversity conservation and management in Eastern and Southern Africa – and broadly in Sub-Saharan Africa via collaboration and coordination with the Central and West Africa’s Centres of Excellence, and other regional and continental bodies – by providing improved, regular and updated information for informed decision making. This is achieved through strengthening the Centre of excellence for Eastern and Southern Africa as a reference data-provider.