Global monitoring post Kyoto
Groundbreaking agreements were reached at the Kyoto conference, but how will the results be monitored? Global Environmental Information Systems may have the answer. Background As a result of the Kyoto conference on the environment, the world's industrialised countries approved a protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change agreeing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to legally binding, specified and quantified levels. The Kyoto agreement differed from its predecessors in that it considered the issue of greenhouse gas emissions in a wider context: emissions are undoubtedly a problem, but the ability of the world's biological systems, notably the forests, to act as `carbon sinks' - and thus play a positive role - was taken into consideration for the first time. But recognition is one thing, quantifying forests' effect and monitoring forestry evolution are quite different. If policy-makers are to introduce sound legislation, and future binding agreements on international environmental protection measures are to be effective, monitoring the state, development and carbon-absorbing behaviour of global forest resource is vital. Global Environmental Information Systems (GEIS) will have key roles to play. Gathering, collating and interpreting satellite-generated data to produce maps for example, of the world's forests, will form a major part of the environmentalist's armoury. The "GEIS in the post-Kyoto context" project aims to fulfil this need. Description, impact and results Using high-resolution satellite imaging techniques, researchers have shown that, globally, forestry resources are diminishing by around 1% per year. Certain "hot spots", however, are suffering a 15% - and on occasions greater - loss. These areas are now being closely monitored. The team has developed the Tropical Forest Information system, which is installed in the DG XI Global Climate Unit. This resource includes an extensive database, containing forest maps and assessments of risks and extent of deforestation, as well as links to Internet sites containing media-reported details of major deforestation events, such as fires, logging activities and "slash and burn" farming. In future, the global relevance of the project results will be heightened by posting the results on the Internet, thus allowing local environmental workers access to quasi-real-time environmental information. Working partnerships Environmental information can be profitably employed in two major areas: it can contribute to our global "environmental responsibility", while helping in the development of effective, sustainable growth policies. Recognising these potential contributions, project workers from the European Commission Joint Research Centre's Space Applications Institute (SAI) have been collaborating closely with relevant EC Directorates-General (DGs), to maximise the impact of the results generated. DG VIII is using the results to help in the implementation of sustainable development aid projects, particularly in Central African forest management, in the ECOFAC programme; DG XI is applying the data to support policies aimed at developing an international forestry convention; DG XII has a major research programme investigating carbon flux (sources and sinks of atmospheric carbon). The GEIS data provide spatial context to flux behaviour measurements at sites in different types of forest environment.