The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) announced on 24 June 2026 a new investment from Norway to strengthen forest monitoring worldwide, helping countries improve climate action, transparency, and access to finance for forest protection and restoration, according to a press release issued by FAO. Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) will provide 90 million Norwegian kroner (approximately $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 in Rome and London during London Climate Action Week. It coincided with the event “Forest monitoring for communities, conservation and climate.” The funding aims to turn forest data into better climate decisions worldwide.
First developed in 2016, SEPAL is part of FAO’s Open Foris initiative, a suite of open-source digital public goods. These tools are used by governments, technical institutions, and practitioners worldwide. They support forest and land-use monitoring, national reporting, and sustainable land management. The SEPAL platform provides instant access to Earth observation data and advanced processing tools. It enables countries to detect change, track deforestation, and support restoration efforts.
Norway’s support for SEPAL is aligned with the Accelerating Innovative Monitoring for Forests (AIM4Forests) programme. Together, they will expand technical assistance for forest monitoring. Phase 3 will focus on delivering next-generation geospatial solutions. It will help countries meet climate reporting requirements while building the skills, tools, and systems needed to monitor forests independently. As of June 2026, SEPAL reported more than 30,000 active users across 205 countries and territories.
“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 Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, Minister of Climate and Environment, Norway.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu noted that countries need reliable, accessible, and transparent forest data to manage forests sustainably. He added that the new funding will strengthen national forest monitoring systems. It will also accelerate the use of innovative technologies. The aim is to turn data into better decisions for climate change and sustainable development.
The third phase of SEPAL is designed to work in close coordination with AIM4Forests, a flagship FAO–United Kingdom partnership. The partnership supports countries through technical innovation, capacity development, and inclusive approaches. Together, they enable countries to move from generating forest data to using it for policy decisions, climate transparency, and greater engagement with finance. They also promote inclusive approaches to forest monitoring. This includes supporting the participation of Indigenous Peoples and other stakeholders whose knowledge is essential for sustainable forest management.
