The Decision 2/CP.15 of the UNFCCC countries are requested to develop national forest monitoring systems (NFMS) that support the functions of measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of actions and achievements of the implementation of REDD+ activities.

Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) framework involves a collaboration of multi-agencies. National experts developed the procedures and modalities for activity data generation and monitoring. Likewise, emission factors are derived from the National Forest Inventory and permanent sampling plots.

In this sense, accurate MRV of REDD Plus actions is vital to making sure that the overall mechanism delivers results in terms of emissions reductions. Whenever a REDD Plus action is undertaken, its results are verified by:

1 measuring its impact in terms of reducing emissions
2 monitoring the action or project with the aid of the National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS)
3 reporting these results through submissions to the UNFCCC
4 applying a domestic verification process

The MRV framework for REDD Plus achieves these functions by pooling the resources of agencies at the national and state levels.

MRV Institution Functions

MRV Function	Institution	Function
Measurement	Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia Sabah Forestry Department Forest Department Sarawak	Periodic ground based measurement through the National Forest Inventory Growth and Yield Plots and research plots Technical advisory on reference levels/ emission factors
Monitoring	Remote Sensing Department Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia Sabah Forestry Department Forest Department Sarawak State Departments of Agriculture	Updating National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS) land use maps
Reporting	NRES Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia Sabah Forestry Department Forest Department Sarawak	Reference levels and periodic submissions to UNFCCC (NRES) Maintaining a technical annex for results based payments (NRES)
Verification	Malaysia Timber Certification Council (MTCC) LULUCF Experts Working Group	Implement domestic verification processes through the forest certification Verification of results
Biennial Update Report – International Consultation and Analysis (ICA) Process	UNFCCC

National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS)

What is a National Forest Monitoring System?

A National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS) is the key component in the management of information for national REDD+ programs. A fully functional monitoring system can go beyond the requirements posted by the UNFCCC to include issues such as a registry of projects and participants, and evaluation of program achievements and policy effectiveness.

Malaysia’s National Forest Monitoring System was established in 1972 and has been updated every 10 years since. In the context of REDD Plus, its purpose is to support the accurate measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of emissions reductions achieved through the implementation of REDD Plus activities. This is achieved by obtaining high quality and reliable data on forest carbon stocks which can then be benchmarked against Malaysia’s Forest Reference Level (FRL).

NFMS Practice in Malaysia

Forest monitoring has been conducted in Malaysia since many decades with a variety of objectives and methods. It consists of both ground and spatial monitoring and has since evolved to meet current needs. Due to the geographical composition of Malaysia, different forest monitoring efforts have taken places in Peninsular Malaysia and in the state of Sabah and Sarawak however, methodologies and objectives have often overlapped.

The first documentation of forest inventory methods implemented in Peninsular Malaysia is the “Manual of Malayan Silviculture for Inland Lowland Forest” published in 1954. Since then, various forest inventory methods have been formulated and documented. Forest Management inventories have been conducted to obtain information on stands of forest districts to provide information for management decisions. National Forest inventories were aimed at providing data for large scale planning.

The National Forest Monitoring System is organised in such a way respecting the constitutional arrangements within the country. It consists of two components:

Short term – use of geospatial images assessment
Long term monitoring – national forest inventory

For more details, see the NFMS .

How is Forest Monitoring Carried Out?

In line with UNFCCC guidelines, Malaysia’s NFMS consists of two monitoring components, relying upon remote sensing and on-ground observations.

National Forest Monitoring System in Malaysia

These monitoring activities provide a detailed picture of the carbon stocks in Malaysia’s forests which can then be used to assess the effectiveness of specific REDD Plus activities, while allowing resources to be channelled to forested areas which need extra attention.

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Total Forested Areas in Malaysia

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) keeps updated data on the size of forested areas of Malaysia since 1990, generated by the National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS). Forested areas are divided in Totally Protected Areas, Permanent Reserved Forest / Permanent Forest Estates, and State Land Forests.

Click on the links below to view the latest forest figures from the website on the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES):