27 June 2026, London: Norway has committed 90 million Norwegian kroner (approximately US$9.5 million) to support the third phase of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s System for Earth Observation Data Access, Processing and Analysis for Land Monitoring (SEPAL), reinforcing global efforts to monitor forests, combat climate change, and unlock climate finance.
The funding, provided through Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI), will support SEPAL through December 2030. The investment aligns with FAO’s Accelerating Innovative Monitoring for Forests (AIM4Forests) programme and will expand technical assistance to help countries strengthen national forest monitoring systems.
Announced during London Climate Action Week, the initiative aims to improve countries’ capacity to generate reliable forest data, meet international climate reporting requirements, and access results-based climate finance for forest conservation and restoration.
“As artificial intelligence accelerates, open and transparent data tools are becoming even more essential for forest countries,” said Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, Norway’s Minister of Climate and Environment. “SEPAL strengthens governments’ capacity to lead their own monitoring and make informed decisions for their forests.”
FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu emphasized the growing importance of accessible forest data. “Countries need reliable, transparent and accessible forest information to sustainably manage forests, meet climate reporting obligations, and secure science-based climate finance. This investment will accelerate the adoption of innovative technologies that transform data into better decisions for climate action and sustainable development,” he said.
Next-Generation Forest Monitoring
Developed in 2016 under FAO’s Open Foris initiative, SEPAL is an open-source digital platform that enables governments and technical institutions to access Earth observation data and advanced geospatial processing tools. The platform supports forest monitoring, land-use analysis, deforestation detection, restoration planning, and national reporting.
The third phase of SEPAL will introduce next-generation geospatial technologies while helping countries develop the technical skills, systems, and institutional capacity needed to independently monitor their forests.
As of June 2026, SEPAL serves more than 30,000 active users across 205 countries and territories, making it one of the world’s most widely used forest monitoring platforms.
Supporting Climate Transparency and Forest Finance
SEPAL Phase 3 will operate in close coordination with FAO’s AIM4Forests programme, a flagship partnership between FAO and the United Kingdom that supports countries through technical innovation, capacity development, and inclusive forest monitoring approaches.
Together, the two initiatives will enable governments to move beyond generating forest data towards using it for policy formulation, climate transparency, biodiversity conservation, and accessing international climate finance. They also promote the participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, recognizing their vital role in sustainable forest management and conservation.
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