"I am leaving the OBAPAO workshop as a different person", Mrs Ebunoluwa Ajagun

-
Participants in the 5-day capacity building workshop for National Focal Points of the Observatory for Biodiversity and Protected Areas of West Africa (OBAPAO) was a successful event. The participants were drawn from the 16 West African countries members of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) or the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Stating her view on the workshop, the representative of the Federal Ministry of Environment of Nigeria, Mrs Ebunoluwa Ajagun, said: "The goal and the objectives of the workshop were well achieved. I am leaving as a different person, in that I have gained more knowledge on OBAPAO and will definitely go back and share the knowledge and strive to make all the necessary corrections to the World Database on Protected Areas (WPDA) data for Nigeria."

Mrs Ebunoluwa Ajagun, Federal Dapartment of Forestry, Federal Ministry of Environment of Nigeria

The purpose of the OBAPAO National Focal Points capacity building workshop held in Accra, from the 24th to 28th May 2021, was to promote stakeholders' engagement with reference information systems and other existing database tools for biodiversity and protected area management in the West African region. The Regional Reference Information System (RRIS) functions as the main observatory for data and information repository, to analyse and share information on biodiversity and protected areas. The workshop brought together more than 50 trainers, trainees and IMET coaches with expertise in biodiversity and protected areas at international and national levels.

According to Mr Hamissou Halilou Malam Garba, a participant from  Niger, "Previously there were several tools for assessing the effectiveness of protected areas, but in recent years with the introduction of the IMET through BIOPAMA, the assessment is much more comprehensive, as this tool focuses on the main aspects of protected area management, as well as the actors and partners involved in management. This tool synchronises the main salient points of the previous tools we were used to."

Mr Hamissou Halilou Malam Garba, Niger, (in the middle)

The OBAPAO is an initiative of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (ACP), funded by the 11th European Union Development Fund and implemented jointly by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC-EC). It is a project run under the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Management Program (BIOPAMA), which strives to improve the long-term conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries areas and surrounding communities. Building on the first five years of activities funded by the 10th European Development Fund, the second phase of BIOPAMA provides tools for data and information management, services for improving knowledge as well as the capacity for protected areas planning and decision making, and funding opportunities for specific local actions.

Group Picture, Opening Ceremony

The OBAPAO consortium comprises the Centre de Suivi Ecologique (CSE), the lead; the Réseau des Aires Marines Protégées d'Afrique de l'Ouest (RAMPAO), the Regional Marine Centre of the University of Ghana and the AGRYHMET Centre. The overall objective of the observatory is to: "improve biodiversity conservation in West Africa on a long-term basis, by promoting the use of the best scientific knowledge and data, and by building capacity to support policy and decision making on issues related to biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of protected areas."

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fishermen Called on the Involvement of Women to Ensure Safety at Sea

-
Image
The call was made by the Greater Accra regional branch of the Canoe and Gear Owners Association of Ghana during the Safety at Sea campaign organised by the Marine and Coastal Areas Management in North and West Africa’s consortium (MarCNoWA).   Group picture with the leadership of the regional branch of  Canoe and Fishing Gear Owners Association of Ghana, Greater Accra  The ocean state forecast service provided to beneficiary countries is one of the flagship services of the MarCNoWA consortium under the GMES and Africa Project Phase II. The service provides information and ocean state maps to protect lives and property at sea from bad weather. In Ghana, information on the ocean state has been accessed more than 100 000 times via the short code *920*88# since its inception in phase I of the project. The shortcode was developed by the University of Ghana which is the lead of the consortium. At the palace of the Chief fisherman of the Moree fishing town in the Central region of Ghana To e
Read more

Earth Observation Services for Community Development

-
Image
Abandze, a coastal fishing community in Ghana, celebrated its festival last week with the apotheosis on the 5th and 6th of November 2022. The purpose of the yearly festival is to cleanse, thank and mobilize resources for developmental projects within the community. A team of fishers ready for the regatta, Abandze Being made of strong fishing community groups (canoe and gear owners, women investors, fishermen, fishmongers, and their dependencies), the people of Abandze called upon the GMES and Africa project to support and address the celebrants during a durbar and also the regatta (canoe race) that marked and end the festival. The gatherings served as mediums to promote the safety at sea campaign. A section of the gathering during the durbar, Abandze The MarCNoWA consortium of the GMES and Africa Project supported the organization of the durbar, the mobilization of funds for community development, and the canoe race with visibility materials such as branded shirts, flyers, posters, a
Read more

#EmbraceEquity: Women in Earth Observation Science in Africa

-
Image
Earth Observation (EO) science is a rapidly growing field, crucial in understanding and addressing some of the world's most pressing environmental and societal challenges. However, despite its significance, African women are underrepresented in this field, facing numerous barriers that limit their participation and success. According to a recent study by the European Space Agency, women make up only 28% of the Earth Observation workforce globally, with even lower representation in leadership positions. In Africa, women are particularly underrepresented in earth observation science and related fields such as geography, remote sensing, and geoinformatics. The African Women in Science and Technology Network (AWSTN) report found that only 15% of students enrolled in Earth Observation science programs in Africa are women. Also, a study by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) found that women are significantly underrepresented in Earth Observation in Africa, with onl
Read more