Space Data Management System (SDMS)

Acquire, Query, Process and Deliver Earth Observation Data and Forest Information

Products to Developing CountriesPilot & Project

FAO Forestry Department

I. Jonckheere, E. Lindquist & A. Pekkarinen

SCDG Country Day, 25th February 2014

Problem• Deforestation in the tropics constitutes of 15-20% of global

greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)• Reduction of GHG needed to achieve the two-degree target• Norway advocates internationally for performance-based measures

in developing countries– Land should be paid in order to reduce deforestation

• This requires qualified measurements of forest cover in developing countries

• Poor access to satellite data, limited expertise and computing power are bottlenecks– Particularly challenging to turn data into useful information / country statistics

• Many players working in the field– United Nations (UN-REDD), World Bank, Space centers/agencies, NGOs– Fragmented, overlapping, poorly coordinated, insufficient coverage

REDD+: Decision 4/CP.15• Requests developing country Parties, on the basis of work conducted on the

methodological issues set out in decision 2/CP.13, paragraphs 7 and 11, to take the following guidance into account for activities relating to decision 2/CP.13, and without prejudging any further relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties, in particular those relating to measurement and reporting:

• Par. 1 (d) To establish, according to national circumstances and capabilities, robust and transparent national forest monitoring systems and, if appropriate, sub-national systems as part of national monitoring systems that:

(i) Use a combination of remote sensing and ground-based forest carbon inventory approaches for estimating, as appropriate, anthropogenic forest-related greenhouse gas emissions by sources and removals by sinks, forest carbon stocks and forest area changes;

(ii) Provide estimates that are transparent, consistent, as far as possible accurate, and that reduce uncertainties, taking into account national capabilities and capacities;

(iii) Are transparent and their results are available and suitable for review as agreed by the Conference of the Parties;

REDD+: Decision 11/CP.19Decides that the information hub will contain, as reported through the appropriate channels under the Convention:

(a) The results for each relevant period expressed in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year and a link to the technical report referred to in decision -/CP.19,7 paragraph 14;

(b) The assessed forest reference emission level(s) and/or forest reference level(s) expressed in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year and a link to the final report of the technical assessment team referred to in decision -/CP.19,8 paragraph 18;

(c) The summary of information on how all of the safeguards referred to in decision 1/CP.16, appendix I, are being addressed and respected, as referred to in decisions -/CP.199 and 12/CP.17, chapter I;

(d) A link to the national strategy or action plan as referred to in decision 1/CP.16,paragraph 71(a), as appropriate;

4 Draft decisions proposed for adoption under agenda item 5 of the SBSTA

(e) Information on the national forest monitoring system, as provided in the technical annex referred to in decision -/CP.19.

Possible problem solvers

-CEOS has ‘’recommended” to channel the acquisition of satellite data

-NRS has supported GFOI / SDCG to make data accesible

-GFOI / SCDG's strategy includes that others provide satellite data

Comparative advantage of FAO

FAO is identified as candidate to deliver data to developing countries

Is responsible for MRV component of the UN-REDD

Has close contacts with forest countries (49 members in UN-REDD)

Works closely with the World Bank's forest program (FCPF)

Great potential to streamline their own work

Solution

• FAO already supplies data from space centers and commercial satellite companies to “forest countries”, supporting/guiding them to process the data further;

• FAO will make the relevant satellite data and processing tools available over the internet (through a portal to a server in the cloud);

• The countries will be trained to use the data platform;• Data access is a political issue - countries will control it fully• Data algorithms should be adapted to each land type / purpose

(public / private data sources)• Forest countries can process data for their NFMS portal, or they can

get FAO assistance• Forest countries only need to download the “desired level of satellite

data product"

Project Objectives To directly support the UNFCCC REDD+ readiness process in selected

developing countries: to deliver satellite data and develop free tools for forest monitoring that can be used by developing countries.

The project has two main components: 1) training (capacity building and technical assistance/help desk) and 2) the development of a cloud computing infrastructure.

The overarching project goal: allow developing countries to build the autonomous capacity to monitor their forest-related REDD+ activities by guaranteeing data access and delivery of (pre)processed satellite data. This data will allow the country to get information on forestry related subjects to report regularly to the different international conventions and agreements.

Project Focus and Outputs

• Project focuses on NFMS using (pre)processed satellite data• Capacity building of experts on the use of RS& GIS techniques for forest

monitoring• Data delivery of (pre)processed satellite data at desired processing stage

for countries through a cloud computing initiative• Development of specific open-source software tools and country-specific

methodologies and procedures to assess forest canopy changes and to monitor forestry and REDD+ activities

• Setting up or further developing RS-GIS trainings in the selected countries that are not yet receiving specific support from other programmes/projects– FAO coordination with ongoing initatives (FRA, FAO FIN, UN-REDD) & external

(Silvacarbon, World bank, GIZ, JICA, etc.)

Cloud computing structure

(SDMS)

• User menu will allow to access data & tools available on the portal• Optical and radar, public and private satellite data will be made available• Relevant algorithms for the respective data sets, modular approach• Process automatization (started already), more in the future• Tools to select and upload the relevant satellite data sources• Following "products" to be made available during the project period

Tree/non-tree cover (Forest/non-forest cover in GFOI MDG)Tree cover change (Forest cover change in MDG)Land use/land coverLand conversion category (activity data)Near real-time change indicators (early warning system)

• Countries can download the final product ( or raw data )• All methods / tools developed will be made available

SDMS structure

Countries preliminary priority

• Total: 13 countries

Africa (4) DRC, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda

South America (7) Colombia, Peru, Paraguay, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Guyana, Mexico

Asia (2) Vietnam, Nepal

• Target priority countries based on actual capacity, FAO actually working in-country– Countries with documented need, willingness, ability

Why is this different from other initiatives?

What does this initiative offer more to the forest countries than what Global Forest Watch / Google Earth Engine & other online mapping services already provide?

• Provides access to open and commercial data (HR);• Provides support for data processing, training in the use and programming (if

needed);• Provides countries access / insight / control over data and image processing;• Hosted by FAO: representing the countries' interest;• Data made available on request based on demonstrated need and project results;• More efficient processing for FAO and for the countries;• Enables FAO to uses the data for other purposes (e.g. agriculture)

Project implementation• Management and staffing (mostly) by FAO (incl. set-up of Advisory

group)• SDMS: joint project/ strengthening of existing efforts in FAO's

existing programs in Forestry: FAO-FIN, FRA, UN-REDD and BMU• FAO has already a training program for developing countries that

will be used in SDMS• Rental of space/ computing power in data platform / cloud• Collaboration with space agencies/centers to develop user interface

– Cooperation in SDMS-pilot with NASA / AMA for the current demonstration / development of user interfaces for SDMS platform

• Existing KSAT consortium with FAO and Norwegian/ German SAR for ESA-supported development of computer platform and development tools for processing SAR data

• FAO could transfer negotiation of data access, as well as processing needs that can not be done in the computer platform

SDMS PilotSDMS Pilot to demonstrate a prototype cloud-based architecture• Timing: January to June, 2014 (Basic version should be ready within half a

year)

• Partners: FAO, Kongsberg Satellite Services AS (KSAT), NASA and Analytical Mechanics and Associates, Inc. (AMA) .

• Test countries: three countries (Ecuador, Uganda and Tanzania) already initiated to test the concept

• Actual status:– Set-up of platform with NASA/AMA actually ongoing– Set-up of high band-width internet connection in countries

• Goal:

1. Interactive selection and storage of optical land imaging scenes,

2. Storage of historical image coverage archive, and

3. Interactive and automated processing of stored imagery using an existing set of algorithms/tools,

4. Distribution of data & forest information products to the 3 predefined pilot countries

Project

• 3 year project• 4 countries in 2014• 4-6 new countries in 2015• 4-6 new countries in 2016• Selection of 13 countries in which FAO will work anyway• FAO mechanism is expected to rationalize the work that

FAO already performs, thereby enhancing its capacity allowing to assist more developing forest countries in a more efficient way using the cloud-based architecture