Pristina, November 21, 2024 – During an event held in Blinaja near Pristina, the proposed methodology for implementing the third cycle of the National Forest Inventory in Kosovo (NFI) was presented. This cycle will be conducted during the 2024-2025 period and is supported by the program “Support to Strengthening Sustainable and Multipurpose Forest Management to Improve Rural Livelihoods and Address Climate Change in Kosovo,” funded by the European Union and Sweden, and implemented by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The third forest inventory follows the previous cycles conducted in 2002 and 2012 and aims to provide an updated status of Kosovo’s forests and strengthen their role as a critical natural and economic resource. The NFI will provide accurate data on the current state of Kosovo’s forest resources, playing a key role in shaping future policies and strategies for sustainable forest management.
During the presentation of the methodology and the launch ceremony, representatives from institutions and international partners welcomed the initiative and emphasized its importance for creating a reliable database that will benefit the forestry sector in Kosovo.
Fidan Dema, Acting Chief Executive of the Kosovo Forestry Agency, stated that this project aims to achieve a detailed and accurate inventory of Kosovo’s forests.
“This inventory will include data on tree species, forested areas, the condition of forest resources, and factors affecting their development and conservation. Additionally, it will identify elements contributing to forest degradation, such as illegal logging, fires, erosion, and biodiversity presence”, said Dema, adding that the process is also crucial for enhancing the agency’s capacity for sustainable forest management.
Fatos Mulla, Program Officer at the Swedish Embassy in Kosovo, highlighted the importance of conducting the forest inventory to address some of the challenges facing the forestry sector. According to Mulla, the forestry sector in Kosovo “lacks sustainable funding, qualified professionals, and sufficient recognition of its economic and environmental role. While Swedish investments have supported development, further efforts are needed to ensure sustainability.”
Meanwhile, Naser Krasniqi, local team leader for FAO, emphasized that this activity will provide an accurate overview of forest resources, offering sufficient and reliable information for drafting policies, strategies, and projections for sustainable forest resource management in the future.
The proposed methodology for the National Forest Inventory will utilize the digital platform Open FORIS Arena, which enables real-time data collection and processing. This was presented by FAO Forest Inventory Specialist, Mr. Mondal Falgoonee Kumar, who shared international experiences from countries that have already implemented this platform.
Ergin Hajredini, a local forestry expert at FAO, presented the objectives, methodology, and techniques for the inventory, the timeline for data collection, and the overall implementation of the project.
The data from the third cycle of the National Forest Inventory in Kosovo are expected to be published in 2025. The official opening of fieldwork began in Blinaja, where selected teams underwent training and demonstrations for initiating the forest measurement process.
