More Training in Preparation for REDD, WWF
By: Oala Iuda, GIS Officer, WWF WMPO PNG
Oala Iuda, GIS Officer for WWF WMPO, was among a number of PNG participants who attended a week-long training workshop on “Methods of Biomass Estimation and Forest-Cover Mapping in the Tropics” sponsored by the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC) and the Center for Climate Change Studies (C3S) at the University of Mulawarman, East Kalimantan, Indonesia from the 8 to 12 November 2010.
This was part of an on-going educational and capacity building initiative follows an earlier workshop in Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam in 2009.
The primary aim of the training was to learn the new technique WHRC has developed for estimating biomass and carbon in the tropics. WHRC is using the technique to produce an above-ground biomass map covering the tropical regions of Central Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia including PNG. Once completed, the pan-tropical biomass map and associated datasets will be available for free to be used by government and non-government organizations (NGOs) interested in forest carbon estimations for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD).
The main objective of the workshop was to share knowledge and experiences on current activities regarding implementation of REDD projects, especially in Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) within South-East Asia and Pacific countries.
The Woods Hole Research Center is a non-profit organization based in Falmouth, Massachusetts, United State of America (USA) with long history of studying carbon cycle, land use, and recently work on forest carbon measurement and forest cover mapping in the tropics.
 Biomass Survey plot about 4-5 km away from Kikori Town, near and north of Veiru Village, December 8 2010. Picture by Oala Iuda, WWF |
 A group photo of some of the workshop participants at a National Park in Indonesia while doing a practical biomass field work. Picture by Oala Iuda, WWF |
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