GOFC/GOLD (Global Observations of Forest and Land Cover Dynamics) is a project of the Global Terrestrial Observing System (GTOS) program, which is sponsored by the Integrated Global Observing Strategy (IGOS). The main goal of GOFC/GOLD is to provide a forum for international information exchange, observation and data coordination, and a framework for establishing the necessary long-term monitoring systems.

The GOFC/GOLD-Fire Mapping and Monitoring Theme seeks to refine and articulate the international observation requirements and encourage the best possible use of fire products from existing and future satellite observing systems, for fire management, policy decision-making and global change research. The main objectives of Fire Implementation Team (Fire-IT) are to:

1.     Increase user awareness by providing an improved understanding of the utility of satellite fire products for resource management and policy at national, regional, and local levels.
2.    Establish fire validation product validation protocols, providing accuracy assessment for operational products and a testbed for new or enhanced products, leading to standard products of known accuracy.
3.     Encourage the development and testing of standard methods for fire danger rating suited to different ecosystems and to enhance current fire early warning systems.
4.     Encourage the development of an operational global geostationary fire network providing observations of active fires in near real time.
5.     Encourage the development of operational polar orbiters with fire monitoring capability by providing i) operational moderate resolution long-term global fire products to meet user requirements and distributed ground stations providing enhanced regional products; ii) operational high resolution data acquisition allowing fire monitoring and post-fire assessments.
6.     Encourage the creation of emissions product suites, developed and implemented providing annual and near real-time emissions estimates with available input data.
7.     Organize GOFC-GOLD fire-IT meetings, workshops, and symposia.
8.     Communicate on GOFC-GOLD fire activities via scientific publications, this website, and newsletters.

The Fire-IT is led jointly by three co-chairs: Prof. David Roy, Michigan State University, Prof. Martin Wooster, Kings College, London, and Dr. Jesus Ayanz, Joint Research Center, Italy. Currently, the GOFC Fire-IT is working with the Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS) team to enhance global fire research and products.

GOFC/GOLD is promoting a self-organized regional networks of data users, data brokers and providers, where closer linkages and collaborations are established with emphasis on an improved understanding of user requirements and product quality. GOFC/GOLD-Fire is pursuing, in a joint effort with the Committee on Earth Observing Satellites (CEOS) Working Group on Calibration and Validation (WGCV) Land Product Validation (LPV) subgroup, the coordinated validation of fire products by standardized protocols.

GOFC/GOLD-Fire is partnering with the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) , and the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) Wildland Fire Advisory Group / Global Wildland Fire Network.