Towards open data sharing initiatives in the forestry sector: The example of the Italian National Forestry Information System (SINFor)

The positive and transversal value of the forestry sector within the various international, European and national policies related to sustainable development and mitigation and adaptation to climate change is now widely recognised. This contribution is linked to the biological and evolutionary times of forest ecosystems and therefore cannot be separated from far-sighted strategic and programmatic political choices that guarantee the protection and conservation of the natural heritage and the rational use of resources. To be effective, this action needs to be able to count on information and knowledge that are not only constant and detailed but also reliable and verifiable and in large quantities. The availability of statistical and cartographic data concerning the forest heritage and the related production sectors is therefore essential for planning and management purposes. For these reasons, Italy has decided to launch an important process of reorganization and harmonization of statistical and cartographic knowledge on forests and the national forest-based sector, in line with the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a European Forest Resilience Monitoring Framework (COM/2023/728 final). This communication aims to present the participative process and the main contents of the new National Forest Information System (SINFor) and the identification of the minimum knowledge that needs to be collected.