GAF AG new REDD Project in the Congo Basin

20 July 2010, 11:27am

Munich 20.07.2010 - GAF and a consortium of European and African partners submitted a proposal for the European Commission Framework Programme 7 (FP7) GMES Space Call in 2009, and were notified that this proposal received one of the highest evaluation points achievable in the FP7 programme. The focus of the programme is related to forest monitoring of deforestation and forest degradation which is required for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) and quantifying carbon credits in a post-2012 scenario.

The main objective of the GAF co-ordinated “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation in Africa (REDDAF)” project is to further build on the existing company experiences in implementing a REDD Pilot Project in Cameroon, and initiate such a Pilot in a new country in the Congo Region. The methods tested in Cameroon, will be fully implemented in the Central African Republic (CAR) which is one of the countries that has been actively following the REDD process.

The UNFCCC Focal Points in both Cameroon and CAR have supported and endorsed the REDDAF concepts and objectives. The main activities for the project will include:

• User Requirements in CAR to identify the needs of stakeholders in terms of specific policy drivers, working practices and decision making cycles as well as the technical specifications for reporting.

• Reference scenarios for estimating deforestation and degradation; remote sensing analysis will provide forest area maps and forest cover change maps applicable for a national REDD scenario.

• Developing methods for degradation assessment,

• Testing a ‘direct’ approach to biomass mapping using new sensor data (based mostly on the radar sensors),

• Undertaking technology transfer and capacity building to the countries.

A key objective in the REDDAF project is to provide improved methodologies to develop pre-operational service chains which will enable the REDD services and products to be provided at a national scale. These pre-operational service chains can then be adapted in other countries involved with REDD implementation. The REDDAF project will contribute to the scientific and conceptual understanding of the technical challenges, whilst taking note of the most recent developments in the scientific and policy communities.

About GAF AG

GAF AG is an international consulting company with leading competence and expertise in applied remote sensing and spatial information systems. GAF has worked in the last 20 years in more than 100 countries throughout Europe, Africa, South-America and Asia. GAF AG offers a comprehensive portfolio of services ranging from supply of geo-data (e.g. satellite and aerial imagery, digital elevation models), and geo-services (e.g. image processing, thematic mapping, GIS/DBMS applications and software development). GAF AG has a proven track-record in performing technical assistance projects in the natural resources and environment sector.

GAF AG

Geo: International