Understanding the Forest-Water Nexus – Monitoring Framework Expert Workshop Summary

An intense three-day workshop from 27-30 September 2016 was organized with the theme “Understanding the Forest-water Nexus” as the latest phase of the development of the FAO Forest-Water monitoring Framework.Hosted at SIWI headquarters in Stockholm, approximately twenty participants convened to brainstorm indicators that would encourage data sourcing and enhance the observation for and understanding of forestwater relationships. With participants spanning the globe, and coming from various disciplines, sectors and levels of exposure to the Forest and Water Agenda, the workshop was highly interactive and packed with presentations, breakout groups, and plenary discussions. Presentations from participants confirmed a growing awareness and the importance of forest-water interactions, yet expressed continued knowledge gaps and a lack of coordination. Informal assessments from the participating practitioners reported that forests are rarely included in the indicators for water and vice-versa.