Steering group
Why a European NFIs Network?
Forests play a vital role in a variety of sectors by sequestering carbon, preserving biodiversity, protecting water and soil resources, and supporting livelihoods. These essential functions experience increasing pressures under global change. Forest monitoring is critical for understanding the state of forest ecosystems. Continuous monitoring enables the detection of such changes in forests over time. National Forest Inventories are comprehensive monitoring systems that in some countries date back over 100 years. Their monitoring designs are developed to provide statistically sound estimates, which are essential for effective policy making and sustainable resource management. National Forest Inventories (NFIs) are essential tools for assessing and managing forest resources, playing a pivotal role in addressing the challenges posed by global environmental change. NFIs provide comprehensive, systematic data on forest composition, health, biomass, carbon stocks, and biodiversity.
With increasing cooperation between countries and challenges on forests posed by global change, the need for cross-national information on European forests has increased, too. Yet, with their differing designs catered to national conditions comparing NFI data as they are can be difficult. This led to the idea of binding efforts between European National Forest Inventories towards National data that can be interpreted across Europe. In 2003, several representatives of European NFIs gathered in Vienna to establish ENFIN – the European National Forest Inventory Network. Over the years, more and more Members joined the Network that counts 30 Members across Europe.
ENFIN Association
The more than 30 European organisations in charge of National Forest Inventories (NFIs), have been working in collaboration through the voluntary network (ENFIN) since 2003. Building on their experience and willing to strengthen the role the network has been playing for many years in developing science, technology and governance on the European level, the members established a formal ENFIN Association on October 14, 2024. The association is registered in France where the office will be established.
The ENFIN Association will work towards better harmonised forest information and help NFIs collectively contribute to European and international debates on a wide range of forest related policies.
ENFIN’s vision is for a Europe where forests thrive and hence contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation. The association will work towards European Forest Monitoring by providing a discussion forum for bodies responsible for NFIs in Europe and strengthening their outreach through enhanced visibility and credibility to their products that support the development of forest related policies. ENFIN’s core values are a transparent approach and scientific rigour to its work while serving societal needs.
During its inaugural meeting, 18 organisations became founding members, with several others expected to join shortly. ENFIN Association also offers partnership for other organisations that want to promote the aims of the association.
Founding organisations
- Austria – Federal research and training centre for forests, natural hazards and landscape
- Denmark – Ministry of green transition
- Finland – LUKE
- France - IGN
- Germany – Thünen instititute
- Iceland – Land and forest
- Ireland – Forest service, department of agriculture, food and marines
- Italy – Academy of forest sciences
- Latvia – State forest research institute (SILAVA)
- Lithuania – State forest service, NFI department
- The Netherlands – WENR
- Norway – Norwegian Institute of bioeconomy research
- Poland – Bureau of forest management and geodesy
- Romania – National Institute for research and development in forestry
- Slovenia – Slovenian forest institute
- Sweden – SLU
- Switzerland – Federal institute for forest, snow and landscape research, WSL
-
Ukraine – Ukrainian state forest management planning association Board members
-
For BFW, Austria, Alexandra Freudenschuss
- For NIBIO, Norway, Johannes Breidenbach
- For IGN, France Nicolas Paparoditis
- For SLU, Sweden, Mats Nilsson
- For WSL, Switzerland, Christoph Fischer
- For Academy of Forest sciences, Italy, Gherardo Ghirici
- For WENR, The Netherlands, Gert-Jan Nabuurs
- For Thünen instititute, Germany, Thomas Riedel
ENFIN Association Chair : Kari T. Korhonen, LUKE, Finland
- Vice-Chair : Alexandra Freudenschuss, BFW, Austria
- Secretariat : Manuel Fulchiron, IGN, France