There is a growing need for consistent forest biomass monitoring in the context of sustainable livelihoods, ecosystem services, and REDD+ monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV). Reliable baseline data on forest biomass need to be developed for proper reference. It is imperative to establish standardized methods at multiple scales which can be easily replicated.
This publication presents a review of current biomass assessment and monitoring systems and the application of geospatial data and tools in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, and the scope for strengthening such systems. It showcases the contributions of participants of an international expert meeting on ‘Geospatial Information Systems for Multi-scale Forest Biomass Assessment and Monitoring in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region’ held in December 2013. Papers in the volume cover topics ranging from an overview of the geospatial datasets, models, and methodological frameworks being adopted in the HKH region to different capabilities related to biomass assessment and geospatial analysis, different levels of preparedness and implementing capacity for REDD+ MRV, and applications of active and optical sensors using a range of models, methods, specific data, and techniques.