CAN Nations Define Plans to Strengthen Deforestation Monitoring
August 2012: The Andean Community's (CAN) biodiversity program, BioCAN, has convened delegates from Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru to define national plans to strengthen capacities in monitoring land cover, deforestation and environmental degradation, and agreed to promote the development of methodological processes and reports on deforestation for the Andean subregion.
During the workshop delegates exchanged experiences on implementing national monitoring systems and discussed progress made by BioCAN's Working Group on Land Cover in developing protocols and standards for mapping land cover at the subregional level, as well as building national capacity in the field. Also participating in the workshop were delegates from Brazil's Environment Ministry and representatives of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization's (ACTO) project to monitor deforestation, logging and changes in land use in the Amazon. ACTO representatives briefed the workshop on their activities and plans and sought to identify possible areas of joint or complementary work.
The workshop was held under the Territorial Planning component of BioCAN. Created in 2007 with funding from Finland, and in its second phase since June 2010, BioCAN's mission is to contribute to the quality of life of CAN member countries in their Tropical Andes-Amazonian Regions "through the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in an equitable manner respectful of cultural diversity."
The BioCAN workshop was held in Quito, Ecuador on 23 August 2012. [CAN Press Release (in Spanish)]