In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a Central African country, the reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation is a major national strategic priority. Despite a relatively low deforestation rate compared with the world average, over the last 20 years the country has seen the highest rates of deforestation in its history. Previously, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has had limited technical capacity to produce the tools necessary for monitoring forest cover and changes and for making informed policy decisions on reducing emissions from deforestation/forest degradation and the sustainable management of forest resources.