About the training ICIMOD’s SERVIR Hindu Kush Himalaya (SERVIR-HKH) initiative and the REDD Implementation Centre (REDD IC) at the Ministry of Forests and Environment, Nepal are organizing a five-day refresher training on using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for monitoring forest cover change and carbon stocks. This is a continuation of the earlier training on Using GIS for monitoring forest cover change and carbon stocks organized in April 2021. The training will cover topics in GIS applications in forest monitoring along with hands-on exercises on vector and raster data visualization and analysis, forest area mapping, forest cover change analysis, carbon stocks calculation, and map production. The training will be delivered using a blended learning approach – presentations and guided practical exercises – to enhance the scientific and technical skills on the effective use of GIS in forest monitoring to meet REDD IC’s forest carbon mapping goals. Participants will work with experts to generate forest carbon maps for Nepal using annual land cover data (2000–2019) from the National Land Cover Monitoring System (NLCMS) for Nepal developed by the Forest Research and Training Centre (FRTC) and ICIMOD. Objective The overall objective of the training is to train professionals working at the REDD IC and other relevant government departments on the use of GIS for monitoring forest cover change and carbon stocks. It will focus on providing refresher technical training on GIS and on mapping and quantifying forest carbon stocks at the province/district level. Expected outcomes Upon completion of the training, the participants will have a better understanding of the applications of Earth observation (EO) and GIS in monitoring forests and carbon stocks, enabling them to apply this knowledge in their working areas, while also supporting the achievement of REDD+ goals for regular and effective monitoring of forests. Expected participants 15 professionals from REDD IC and relevant government agencies in Nepal, who joined the earlier training, are expected to participate in this training. Resource persons/Facilitators Rajesh Bahadur Thapa Senior Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Specialist, ICIMOD Shankar Adhikari Forest Officer (Under Secretary), REDD IC, MoFE Poonam Tripathi Geospatial Training Analyst, ICIMOD Sajana Maharajan Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Analyst, ICIMOD Background Traditional carbon mapping methods are expensive and challenging to apply over large areas. EO coupled with GIS can serve high-resolution, spatially explicit forest maps to assist measuring, reporting, and verifying (MRV) processes by monitoring changes in forest cover and carbon stocks. GIS provides a variety of tools to support data management, research, decision-making, and tracking for forestry professionals and enables them to test and consider choices in both temporal and spatial environments. Limitations in individual and institutional capacities have limited the adoption and practical use of EO/GIS technologies in forest applications in Nepal. Capacity development in the field of forest cover change and carbon stock monitoring workflows using GIS data and tools can contribute towards bridging the capacity gap and underpin the achievement of REDD+ goals for regular and effective monitoring of forests. Tentative agenda Day 1: 14 March 2022 Time Topic 09:00–10:30 Opening session (S1) Registration (20 min) – REDD IC/ICIMOD Training overview and introduction of the participants (20 min) – Rajesh Bahadur Thapa, ICIMOD and Shankar Adhikari, REDD IC Welcome remarks (7 min) – TBC, REDD IC/ICIMOD Reflections by participants on the previous training (30 min) – Shankar Adhikari, REDD IC, and Rajesh Bahadur Thapa, ICIMOD Group photo (6 min) 10:30–11:00 Break 11:00–12:30 Morning session (S2) Pre-training assessment (15 min) – Poonam Tripathi, ICIMOD Refresher hands-on exercises – Poonam Tripathi and Sajana Maharjan, ICIMOD Vector/raster data exploration and visualization in QGIS 12:30–13:30 Lunch break 13:30–17:00 Afternoon session (S3) Hands-on exercises – session continued Spatial data handling, geo-processing tools, query builder 15:00–15:30 Break Hands-on exercises – session continued More on raster/vector data analysis, merging, clipping, interpolation, information extraction, tables, charts, visualization, results interpretation Day 2:15 March 2022 Time Topic 09:00–12:30 Morning session (S4) Reflections on the previous day (30 min) – Shankar Adhikari, REDD IC Hands-on exercises (previous day) – Poonam Tripathi and Sajana Maharjan, ICIMOD Introduction to NLCMS data (20 min)- Sajana Maharjan, ICIMOD 10:30–11:00 Break Hands-on exercises – Poonam Tripathi and Sajana Maharjan, ICIMOD Spatio-temporal forest cover change analysis 12:30–13:30 Lunch break 13:30–17:00 Afternoon session (S5) Hands-on exercises – session continued Calculating forest carbon stocks – Rajesh Bahadur Thapa, ICIMOD 15:00–15:30 Break Hands-on exercises – session continued Map production – Poonam Tripathi and Sajana Maharajan, ICIMOD Group formation and project work assignment – Rajesh Bahadur Thapa, ICIMOD and Shankar Adhikari, REDD IC Day 3: 16 March 2022 Time Topic 09:00–12:30 Morning session (S6) Reflections on the previous day (30 min) – Shankar Adhikari, REDD IC Project work on carbon stock change at province level supervised by subject matter experts (SME) – Rajesh Bahadur Thapa, Poonam Tripathi and Sajana Maharjan, ICIMOD 10:30–11:00 Break Project work– Participants work with SME 12:30–13:30 Lunch break 13:30–17:00 Afternoon session (S7) Project work – session continued 15:00–15:30 Break Project work – session continued Day 4: 17 March 2022 Time Topic 09:00–12:30 Morning session (S8) Project work– Participants work with SME 10:30–11:00 Break Project work – session continued 12:30–13:30 Lunch break 13:30–17:00 Afternoon session (S9) Project work – session continued 15:00–15:30 Break Project work – session continued Day 5: 18 March 2022 Time Topic 09:00–12:30 Morning session (S10) Final group work and preparation of presentations – Participants work with SME 10:30–11:00 Break 11:00–12:15 Group presentation on project work (Each group will get 10 min presentation, 5 Q/A) Selected Province/District – Group A Selected Province/District – Group B Selected Province/District – Group C Selected Province/District – Group D Selected Province/District – Group E 12:15 – 13:00 Closing session (S12) Post-training assessment (15 min) – Poonam Tripathi, ICIMOD Reflections on the training and way forward (10 min) – Shankar Adhikari, REDD IC Certificate distribution (10 min) – Rajesh Bahadur Thapa, ICIMOD Closing remarks (5 min) – TBC, ICIMOD Closing remarks (5 min) – TBC, REDD IC 13:00–14:00 Lunch break