In order to keep the GOFC Regional Networks vibrant and active during this COVID period, START and the Global Observation of Forest Cover and Land Dynamics (GOFC-GOLD) program planned and hosted a series of virtual Regional Network meetings. Between January and September of this year, eight GOFC-GOLD Regional Network Meetings have taken place. Information about these meetings, including final meeting reports, will be hosted on the GOFC-GOLD website by the end of the month. You can find full list of the Regional Network meetings that have taken place this year below:

– The South-Central European Regional International Network (SCERIN) convened on Jan 21-22, 2021 for a virtual seminar on “Bark Beetle Damage in the SCERIN domain.”

– The Mediterranean Regional Network (MedRIN) met virtually for their Annual Event on Feb 25, 2021, to review the potential and limitations of modern techniques and methodologies for land cover and land use mapping in the Mediterranean region, as well as the impact of climate change in terms of environmental sustainability.

– The Western Africa Regional Network (WARN) held a virtual workshop on March 24-25, 2021 to showcase recent research in West Africa that focused on the use of open access Remote Sensing (RS) data to assess or monitor land surface characteristics.

– The Red Latinoamericanade Teledeteccione Incendios Forestales (RedLaTIF) Annual Meeting was held virtually on April 22-23, 2021 featuring presentations on a large number of topics related to the use of satellite information.

– The Central Asia Regional Information Network (CARIN) Virtual Meeting took place May 6-7, 2021 to share research and programmatic presentations and, amongst other objectives, identify key regional challenges and potential collaborative projects that CARIN could facilitate.

– The Mediterranean Regional Network (MedRIN) and South-Central European Regional International Network (SCERIN) convened a Joint Capacity Building Workshop (CBW) on June 15-17, 2021. The CBW focused on ecosystem health, droughts, and wildfires in the context of climate change and explored joint issues and activities for future collaborations between the networks.

– Observatoire Satellital des Forets d’Afrique Central (OSFAC) held a virtual workshop on the theme “Congo Basin Forest Monitoring For Sustainable Management,” from July 12-13, 2021.

– The 11th Southern African Fire Network (SAFNet) Meeting was held virtually from July 28-29, 2021 to discuss progress of network activities in the region since the SAFNet 2018 meeting in Kruger National Park and work towards building synergies and collaboration with the Miombo network, among other objectives.