Mapping to support REDD+ planning and secure multiple benefits: toolbox and tutorials for QGIS and ArcGIS

GIS training materials and tools have been developed for use in planning REDD+ activities that deliver multiple benefits. These resources are designed to assist technical staff to undertake spatial analysis to identify areas suitable for specific REDD+ policies and measures, and which are likely to yield multiple benefits. Materials have been developed for both QGIS (open-source) and ArcGIS software, according to the needs of individual partner countries. The materials continue to be developed and tested with country partners, with tutorials shared in different languages as available. 

The latest addition to this series is new guidance document that  incorporates knowledge gained from working with over 20 developing countries to build capacity and analysing where REDD+ actions could result in non-carbon benefits:

How to Present Complex Data on Maps and other Visuals for Effective Policy Communication: Using visual tools and spatial information to support decisions for REDD+ implementation. Low Res (English)  High Res (English)

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This article provides links to step-by-step tutorials for QGIS and ArcGIS, and an ArcGIS toolbox and manual.  Map-based resources and outputs produced by or with individual partner countries can be found on the Multiple Benefits Country Resources Hub. 

Step-by-step tutorials: Using spatial information to support decisions on safeguards and multiple benefits for REDD+

(1) Open-source: QGIS 

Open-source software is released under a license that allows software to be freely used, modified, and shared (http://opensource.org/licenses). Therefore, using open source software has great potential in building sustainable capacity and a critical mass of experts. Training materials to aid users of open-source GIS software have been produced under the UN-REDD Programme. Please check QGIS software version specified in tutorial before use:

  • Creating an Open Foris Xubuntu Live USB - the basics (English).
  • Introduction to QGIS 1.8 – the basics (English, French, Mongolian).
  • Introduction to QGIS 2.8 - the basics. ( French)
  • Introduction to QGIS 2.18 (English)
  • How to georeference a scanned map or image (English).
  • Extracting and processing IUCN Red List species data using a vector method (English).
  • Extracting and processing IUCN Red List species data using a raster method (English, French, Mongolian).
  • Evaluating the importance of forests for soil stabilization and limiting soil erosion (English, French, Spanish, Mongolian).
  • How to produce a matrix style legend using both vectors and rasters (English, French, Mongolian). Supporting files
  • Adding below-ground biomass to a dataset of above-ground biomass and converting to carbon (English).
  • Understanding and comparing carbon datasets (English, French).
  • Building spatial workflows to identify potential areas for undertaking a REDD+ intervention using the Graphical Modeler (English, French). Supporting files
  • Mapping areas of importance for multiple benefits of REDD+ using QGIS 2.18 (English)
  • Assessing the relative importance of forests for landslide mitigation using QGIS 2.14 (English)
  • Assessing the relative importance of forests for wind erosion control using QGIS 2.18 (English)
  • Processing and visualising fire data to identify potential pressures from fires on forest using QGIS 2.18 (English )

 

(2) ArcGIS Desktop: ArcMap

 ArcGIS is familiar to many users, widely taught and preferred by some national GIS teams. See tutorials for ArcGIS and a customised ArcMap toolbox, below.

  • Extracting and processing IUCN Red List species data using a vector method (English, Spanish, Vietnamese).
  • Extracting and processing IUCN Red List species data using a raster method (English, Spanish).
  • Evaluating the importance of forests for soil stabilization and limiting soil erosion (English, Vietnamese).
  • How to produce a matrix style legend with raster data (English, Spanish, Vietnamese).
  • Building spatial workflows to identify potential areas for undertaking a REDD+ intervention using Model Builder (English, Spanish). Supporting files

 

(3) Other open-source tools

  •  Evaluating the importance of forests for water provision and limiting soil erosion: A modelling approach using WaterWorld (English, French, Spanish)

 

Exploring Multiple Benefits: ArcGIS mapping toolbox for ArcMap 10.5 and 10.6

 

The latest version of the customised ArcGIS toolbox for ArcMap developed at UNEP-WCMC for REDD+ multiple benefits analyses (the UN-REDD Exploring Multiple Benefits Toolbox) is available for ArcMap 10.5 and 10.6. . It provides both novice and experienced GIS users with a series of predominantly raster analysis tools to help identify, map and understand the spatial relationship between ecosystem carbon stocks, other ecosystem services, biodiversity, land-use and pressures on natural resources. The tools are flexible, with the datasets used and resolution of the analysis being defined by the user. In these latest versions of the toolbox  new tools focusing on water-related ecosystem services have been added.

The toolbox, and instruction manual accompanying the toolbox, provide illustrated workflows and guidance that links to the ArcGIS versions of the tutorials. The tutorials give more detailed technical instructions. These resources are aimed at enabling GIS users to undertake spatial analysis for REDD+ planning and to support the creation of maps and statistical outputs, assuming that the necessary software and data are available.

Older versions of the toolbox and manual have now been archived and are not supported. They were originally developed through work funded by both the UN-REDD Programme and the German Environment Ministry (BMUB) through its Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN). Subsequent editions of the toolbox and tutorials have been updated through working sessions held in various countries to aid the production of multiple benefits maps to inform REDD+ planning and safeguards policies using open source GIS software.


Download the latest version of the toolbox (for ArcMap version 10.5 and 10.6)
Download the toolbox instructions manual (Version 2: For ArcGIS 10.x)

Archived materials: please note these versions are no longer supported and may not contain all the models for the most recent ArcGIS tutorials.

Download toolbox (for ArcMap version 10.0)
Download toolbox (for ArcMap version 10.1)

Download toolbox (for ArcMap version 9.3.1) and archived manual (Version 1): Identifying and mapping the biodiversity and ecosystem-based multiple benefits of REDD+: A step by step guide.

 

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