To help forest agencies ensure that the right information about forests reaches the right people at the right time to support decision making, UNEP-WCMC, and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), have developed a methodology for designing and building forest information systems. This Forest Information Strategy (ForIS) is a tool that helps identify the minimum information required to produce a working forest information system at minimum cost. It involves analysis of information supply, demand and use in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, to highlight information needs and bottlenecks in information flow.

A draft Pactioners' Manual for ForIS has been produced and is available upon request. The manual will be finalised in the coming months with input from forest agencies and advisors. UNEP-WCMC will then collaborate with forest agencies in implementing the ForIS approach at national level.

For further information about ForIS and the capacity-building support in forest information management that UNEP-WCMC provides, please contact the Forest Programme.