The ESA BIOMASS mission aims to provide wall-to-wall aboveground biomass map products globally every year with an accuracy of 20% at the 4-ha scale. This will reduce the major uncertainties in carbon fluxes linked to land use change, and forest degradation, will provide support for nationally determined contributions, will become an essential input to the climate modelling community, and will provide key information on forest resources and ecosystem services. This is a technological challenge, as this satellite will be the first ever to embark a radar sensor at P band. Validation is a key component, and relies on the long-term onsite commitment of forestry and ecological science. Such an ambitious science and technology project should benefit to the Global South.
Jerome Chave is senior scientist with CNRS based in Toulouse.
