Topic: gabon

Coming Soon: Global Forest Watch 2.0

James Anderson — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 08:03:32 -0500

Welcome to the home of Global Forest Watch 2.0, a powerful near real-time forest monitoring system that unites satellite technology, data sharing, and human networks around the world to fight deforestation.

GFW 2.0 is currently under development, and will launch in late 2013.

Read more below, and email gfw2@wri.org to participate in the pilot testing period or be notified when GFW 2.0 launches. Please note that as we prepare for the launch, the original Global Forest Watch website has been redirected to this page.

Watch a Short Preview of Global Forest Watch 2.0 at the UN Forum on Forests 10, in Istanbul.

Watch the full version here

Speakers:

Zulkifli Hasan, Minister of Forestry, Indonesia
Kerri-Ann Jones, Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General, United Nations
Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson, Global Environment Facility
Tim Christophersen, Senior Program Officer, Forests and Climate Change, UNEP
Nigel Sizer, Director, Global Forests Initiative, World Resources Institute

Photo by David Gilbert

WHY FORESTS, WHY NOW?

Forests provide food jobs, raw materials, climate benefits and more. But without clear, up-to-date information, governments, companies and communities lack the tools to monitor and manage these resources.

We can track a company’s financial information daily, but information about forests is often years out of date.

Deforestation continues today in part because by the time satellite images are available, analyzed, and shared, the forest clearing is long done. The illegal loggers have moved on; cattle are already grazing amidst stumps; the oil palm plantation has been established. We simply find out too late.

New technologies can overcome these challenges

Fortunately, a convergence of technologies and human networks offers the ability to address these challenges for the first time:

Advances in satellite and remote sensing technology, including the launch of NASA’s Landsat 8 in early 2013, and new private systems, enable higher spatial resolution analysis and much more rapid updates of information. This has enabled the development of near-real-time forest cover change detection.
Brazilian partner IMAZON, is making its Amazon Alert System available through GFW 2.0, and also the DETER system which is innovating in detection of forest degradation. Brazil has seen a remarkable drop in deforestation in the Amazon of almost 80 percent partly due to improved linked to more effective use of satellite imagery.
Cloud computing and open source software can now be used to rapidly process and interpret large volumes of satellite data at low cost by utilizing clusters of servers scattered around the world. Google Earth Engine’s team is partnered with Global Forest Watch 2.0 to optimize easy access to cloud computing-based forest cover information.
High speed internet connectivity enables sending data and forest maps processed in North America, Europe, or Singapore to laptops and mobile phones in Jakarta, Kinshasa, Lima, Vladivostok, and other corners of the globe.
Smartphones are more common than ever and can be used by anyone in the field to download maps and satellite images, as well as upload GPS coordinates and photographs from the ground.
Crowdsourcing using simple web interfaces can empower thousands if not millions of people to gather and share information, participate in forest monitoring, and hold decision-makers accountable. • Social media outlets are creating a flat, networked world in which information travels fast, communities self-organize, and people get mobilized.

ABOUT GLOBAL FOREST WATCH 2.0

These enhanced technologies and social movements are the foundation for Global Forest Watch 2.0. GFW 2.0 will unite a near-real-time deforestation alert system, complementary satellite imagery and monitoring systems, WRI’s data-rich collection of maps, mobile technology, and a networked world to create never-before-possible transparency for faraway forests.

The platform is currently under development, and will be launched in late 2013.

This powerful new platform will enable responsible companies, NGOs, the media, and progressive government leaders to hold those responsible accountable for forest management.

GFW 2.0 can be useful to multiple groups of users involved with the sustainable management of forests:

Buyers of sustainable commodities. GFW 2.0 will enable buyers of sustainably sourced commodities―such as certified timber, palm oil, soya, and beef―to confirm adherence to or violations of supplier commitments to “no deforestation,” “no clearing of high conservation value forest,” and related criteria.
Suppliers of sustainable commodities. GFW 2.0 will help suppliers of sustainable commodities prove to buyers, investors, governments, and NGOs that their commodities are adhering to best forest management practices, national laws, criteria of the relevant commodity roundtables, or investor lending conditions.
Governments. GFW 2.0 is designed to help progressive elements in governments better enforce sustainable forest management and forest protection laws. GFW 2.0 is also designed to be a trusted, independent, and user-friendly way to help investors in REDD+ and other forest conservation projects monitor performance and hold countries accountable to their commitments on greenhouse gas emission reductions and forest conservation.
Conservation and community organizations. GFW 2.0 will enable NGOs dedicated to forest conservation, indigenous rights, and forest communities to identify deforestation hotspots as they arise and quickly mobilize action to curtail further clearing.
The media. GFW 2.0 will enable local, national, and international media to ring the alarm bell on deforestation hotspots around the globe at a pace never-before-possible, and thereby put pressure on governments, companies, and others to curtail forest conversion and illegal logging in time

Applying new technology

GFW 2.0 combines satellites, new algorithms, cloud computing, mobile phone technologies, and WRI databases to connect images, maps, photos, and data with forest clearing alerts ultimately within two weeks of significant deforestation occurring.

Because GFW 2.0 will be powered by Google Earth Engine and Earth Builder, it will bring to target users a seamless experience of the best technology offered by WRI, Google, and their partners, as Bloomberg does for the world’s vast, complex array of financial information.

Mobilizing human networks

GFW 2.0 will mobilize networks of people to ensure sustainable management of forests and greater forest conservation. Global Forest Watch “anchor” NGOs in each priority country or region, will actively use and contribute content in an open-source, network model.

These groups will include ScanEx and its non-profit affiliate Transparent World in Russia, Imazon in Brazil and their Amazon-wide network of partners across the seven neighboring countries, the Observatoire Satellital des Forêts d’Afrique Centrale (OSFAC) which covers the Central Africa region. More partners in Canada, China, Europe, and the United States are joining every day.

Watch a Sneak Peek of GFW 2.0 presented at Rio+20

Video streaming by Ustream

Speakers:

Carlos Souza Jr., Senior Researcher, IMAZON
Charles Barber, Forest Division Chief, Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science, U.S. Department of State
Rebecca Moore, Google
Nigel Sizer, Director, Global Forest Initiative, World Resources Institute

Watch UNEP’s press conference featuring GFW 2.0 at COP18 in Doha

Speakers:

Mr. Heru Prasetyo, Deputy I, Presidential Delivery Unit on Development Monitoring and Oversight, Government of Indonesia
Tim Christophersen, Senior Programme Officer, Forests and Climate Change, UNEP
Jane Feehan, Natural Resources Specialist, European Investment Bank
Nigel Sizer, Director, Global Forest Initiative, World Resources Institute

Watch a Sneak Peek of Global Forest Watch 2.0 at the U.S. Pavilion, COP18 in Doha

Video streaming by Ustream

Speakers:

Nigel Sizer, Director, Forests Initiative, World Resources Institute
Nirarta “Koni” Samadhi, Head of REDD+ Task Force Working Group on Moratorium Monitoring, Presidential Work Unit on Monitoring and Development Oversight (UKP4), Government of Indonesia
Per Fredrik Ilsaas Pharo, Director, International Climate and Forest Initiative, Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, Government of Norway
Tim Christophersen, Senior Program Officer, Forests and Climate Change, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

Read more about WRI’s forest work here.

The Access Initiative: a Network in Action

Monika Kerdeman — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 09:07:44 -0400

Here is a quick summary of recent progress by Access Initiative partners working to strengthen civil society, increase participation, and improve environmental policy choices.

Over the past 10 years Access Initiative (TAI) partners from 50 different countries have played important roles in strengthening civil society and government capacity in order to build the foundations needed to move access rights forward. 2009 is proving to be no different. Partners from around the world are helping to open up the decision-making the processes for environmental issues, by widening the range of voices heard and improving the quality of policy choices available.

In the past year and a half, TAI partners have taken part in activities to reform transparency laws, train government officers to involve people in development planning, help build awareness among judges and media about the public’s ability to influence decisions that affect the environment. This work has lead to changes at the national and regional levels.

Some specific changes resulting from the work of TAI partners include:

Access to participation in decision-making enhances the ability of a government to be responsive to public concern and demands, to build consensus, and to improve acceptance of and compliance with environmental decisions.

Access to justice allows people to hold government agencies, companies and individuals accountable.

Meaningful participation requires access to information that forms the basis for decisions, the opportunity to voice opinions and the ability to influence choice among possible outcomes.

Voice and Choice: Opening the Door To Environmental Democracy

Indonesia enacted a new Freedom of Information Act, with the help from our TAI Indonesia partners.
The new constitution in Thailand ensures that the public has the right to receive information and participate in the decisions concerning new development projects that affect the environment.
The TAI network has expanded its work in Argentina, Benin, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, India, Republic of Macedonia and Zambia by undertaking regional or national assessments of environmental laws in regards to access to information, access to justice, public participation and capacity building.
TAI had its second annual Global Gathering of partners, hosted by our Irish partners at the Sligo Institute of Technology.
In Cameroon, TAI partner Foundation for Environment and Development (FEDEV) litigated and won, as the main plaintiff, three high court cases. The implications of these cases have significant impacts on fundamental human rights, access to environmental justice and law enforcement in Cameroon allowing the public to sue to protect human life and environment.
In Bolivia, partners helped advance access right (access to information, public participation access to justice and capacity building) to shape constitutional reform. The new Bolivian Constitution was approved by a referendum this year and now includes access to information, participation and tribunal for environmental issues, as well as other environmental provisions.
Ireland established the Fifth Pillar of Social Partnership, the Environmental Pillar. This ensures Environmental NGOs are treated as equal partners with the Trade Unions, Employers, Farmers and the (wider) Community and Voluntary Pillars in researching, developing and monitoring the implementation of national policies on all aspects of society. As a consequence of the new status, NGO’s now have the right to regular constructive contact with all government departments at the highest level; seats on the National Economic and Social Council; and established our right to nominate people to seats on the advisory bodies at all levels of governance, local, regional and national.
TAI Sri Lanka partner Public Interest Law Foundation has been working with Minister of Urban Development and Sacred Area Development to draft ministerial guidelines on information disclosure in the urban sector, as part of the recommendations from the TAI national assessment.

Here is a quick summary of the work already underway in 2009 for 22 TAI partner countries, as part of the work funded by the World Bank, Development Governance Grant:

Argentina: Center For Human Rights And Environment (CEDHA)

The Center for Human Rights and Environment is prioritizing reforms by conducting Argentina’s first national TAI assessment.

Bangladesh: Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA)

The Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association is managing a regional exchange program for community leaders intended to develop a network of forest dwellers in South Asia and advance their capacity towards participatory governance. This includes a regional training workshop on access issues relating to the forest.

Benin: Eco-Ecolo

Eco Ecolo is prioritizing reforms by conducting Benin’s first national TAI assessment.

Bolivia: PRODENA - Bolivian Wildlife Society

PRODENA is developing the main indicators for the National System of Environmental Information (NSEI) recommended by the TAI assessment and advocating for its implementation. PRODENA is also advising the government environmental authority on how to organize the NSEI.

Cameroon: Bioresources Development And Conservation Programme (BPDC)

The Bioresources Development and Conservation Programme is working to create a task force to supervise public participation in the development of access and benefit sharing (ABS) policies. BPDC is also integrating civil society recommendations into a draft of the ABS policy framework.

Cameroon: Foundation For Environment And Development (FEDEV)

The Foundation for Environment and Development is organizing and conducting workshops to train judges, magistrates, and lawyers on environmental law and access rights.

Chile: Participa

Participa is developing indicators to evaluate regional advocacy success. Participa is also prioritizing reforms by conducting Chile’s second national TAI assessment.

China (Guizhou): Center For Moutainous Resource Conservation And Development Study (CMCRDS)

The Center for Mountainous Resource Conservation and Development Study is prioritizing reforms by conducting the first regional Guizhou TAI assessment.

China (Yunnan): Centre For Montain Ecosytstem Studies (ICRAF-China)

TAI Yunnan partners are translating TAI indicator toolkit and concepts into Mandarin and conducting workshops to train Guizhou TAI coalition. TAI Yunnan is also advocating for public access to environmental information on water quality and pollution.

Ecuador: Coalicion Acesso And Centro Ecuatoriano De Derecho Ambiental (CEDA)

TAI Ecuador partners Coalicion Acesso and CEDA are conducting dialogues with government, civil society and the public to gather input on environmental concerns and access rights that can be used to draft a national strategy proposal for access to environmental information.

Gabon: Croissance Saine Environnement (CSE)

Croissance Saine Environnement is prioritizing reforms by leading Gabon’s first national TAI assessment.

India: Environics Trust

Environics Trust is prioritizing reforms by conducting India’s first national TAI assessment.

Macedonia: Florozon – Association For Protection Of Natural Environment And Sustainable Economic Development

TAI partner Florozon is organizing and conducting training workshops with government officials and civil society members as recommended by the 2008 TAI national assessment to increase attentiveness to access rights. Florozon is also launching a large media campaign to increase public awareness and demand for access rights.

Malawi: Centre For Environmental Policy And Advocacy (CEPA)

The Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy is working to strengthen and implement proposed environmental and access bills that would provide improvements in access rights. CEPA is also publicizing proposed legislation and holding workshops to advance public participation and capacity building.

Nepal: Pro Public

Pro Public is advocating for the inclusion of access rights and good environmental governance in the proposed Constitution of Nepal through capacity building measures including the training of the writers of the constitution, government officials, civil society members, and the public.

Paraguay: Instituto De Derecho Y Economia Ambiental (IDEA)

The Environmental Law and Economics Institute is working to revise access to information legislation and will present a final draft to government officials, civil society members, and the public through a series of workshops intended to integrate their comments on the legislation before formally submitting them to Congress.

Peru: Sociedad Peruana De Derecho Ambiental (SPDA)

The Peruvian Society for Environmental Law is working with Latin American partners to organize a regional meeting and conduct workshops intended to compile a set of practical advocacy tools, strengthen advocacy capacity, and train civil society members on access issues.

Philippines: Ateneo School Of Government

TAI member ATENEO is developing a single-volume reference ‘bench book’ intended to provide judges on the recently established environmental courts with complete answers to frequently raised questions. ATENEO is also advocating for the passage of the freedom of information bill via media briefings, videos, workshops, and a website.

Sri Lanka: Public Interest Law Foundation (PILF)

Lawyers from the Public Interest Law Foundation are working closely with government officials to draft and implement guidelines for information disclosure PILF is also conducting training workshops on the new guidelines for relevant officials.

Thailand: Thailand Environment Institute (TEI)

The Thailand Environment Institute is advocating for the amendment and implementation of Thailand’s Official Information Act of 1997 through a multi-stakeholder dialogue that will publish recommendations.

Turkey: Environmental Management And Law Association (EMLA)

The Environmental Management and Law Association is determining the capacities and receptiveness for a TAI assessment in Turkey. EMLA is conducting a workshop on TAI methodology for interested parties.

Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA)

Lawyers from Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association are working closely with the Ministry of Environment to develop and implement guidelines for how information is released to the public.

Forest Management in Gabon (Aménagement Forestier au Gabon)

Payson Schwin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:33:33 -0400

As the official poster for the Gabon Interactive Atlas project, this map provides an overview of current logging titles and protected areas in Gabon as of December 2008.

Working Towards Greater Forest Sector Transparency in Gabon

Matthew Steil — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:44:52 -0400

The first-ever Interactive Forest Atlas for Gabon offers data and tools to support the sustainable management of Gabon’s forests.

At the launch event in May, S.E. Emile Doumba, the Gabonese Minister of Forest Economy, Water, Fishing, and Aquaculture, said:

With this dynamic atlas, the government of Gabon affirms its commitment to transparency and good governance in forest management. The forest data produced by this partnership [with WRI] are now available for public use.

No more than a year ago, Mr. Doumba’s speech would have been impossible to give in the Republic of Gabon.

Covered 80% by lush tropical forest, Gabon contains some of the world’s most valuable, biodiverse forested regions. During past decades, however, forest data and maps were guarded from the public – creating dangerous confusion on the ground and forming a significant obstacle to sustainable forest management.

It was commonplace for citizens living within Gabon’s forests to witness logging operations crossing into their communities or customary lands unannounced, posing a serious threat to their livelihoods. Companies operating in logging concessions faced a similar predicament, unable to secure their concession borders and prevent neighboring companies from poaching trees.

In the absence of clearly defined, publicly available logging boundaries, forest communities and companies alike had no platform from which to defend their rights.

Acknowledging these problems, Gabon began to enact reforms during the 1990s to strengthen management of its forest resources and better address the access rights of its citizens. A new forest code, promulgated in 2001, mandated improvements in key areas, including:

sustainable forest management of production forests – including the necessary informational management infrastructure;
a multi-use approach to forest resources – away from a purely extractive focus;
decentralization of forest resource management through community forestry; and
explicit conservation and ecosystem protection objectives.

In 2006, WRI signed an MOU with the Ministry of Forest Economy, Water, Fishing, and Aquaculture (MEFEPA) to collect data and create tools necessary to support sustainable management of Gabon’s forests. These efforts culminated in the creation of the first-ever Interactive Forest Atlas for Gabon, which WRI launched this May in Libreville.

Through an interactive collection of maps and data sets, the CD-ROM Atlas and accompanying report provide the government and – equally important – the public with an accurate presentation of activity occurring within Gabon’s forest sector.

Designed in an accessible, user-friendly format, the Atlas will serve as a standardized base of reference, transforming the way Gabon collects, manages, and distributes forest information. Above all, the Atlas gives all stakeholders, from government agencies and private companies to NGOs and forest communities, an avenue to access accurate forest information in pursuit of enforcing regulations and defending their rights.

Forest Management in Gabon: As the official poster for the Gabon Interactive Atlas project, this map provides an overview of current logging titles and protected areas in Gabon as of December 2008.

Gabon’s small population and the high revenues stemming from oil production have historically sheltered its forest resources from agricultural and industrial pressures. However, with global demand for wood and other forest resources on the rise - particularly from Asian markets – forests have become a central economic resource. Gabon’s forest sector currently accounts for 13 percent of national exports (2.5 percent of GDP) and employs 28,000 citizens – 28 percent of the working population.

The new Atlas will help ensure that forests continue to play a key role in Gabon’s economy, while at the same time helping the government make certain that forest operations are legal, sustainable, and respectful of local rights to resources. Moreover, the Atlas project is strengthening the technical expertise and capacity of the Gabonese government, ultimately allowing it to more effectively monitor and manage the nation’s forests.

WRI and MEFEPA are committed to regularly updating the information contained within the Interactive Forest Atlas, as well as to expanding its application through subsequent versions. A revised version of the Gabon Forestry Atlas is scheduled for release next year and will expand data in several key areas, notably small logging permits, annual harvestable areas, forest plantations, and production/export statistics.

As international attention turns towards the connection between deforestation and climate change, Gabon—along with its Central African neighbors—faces a novel suite of opportunities related to the future of forest resource use. Through the right set of policies, institutions and incentives Gabon may be able to move from the status quo of economic development versus environmental conservation and towards a future where these two objectives better converge.

Jean Sylvestre Makak is the Libreville-based National Coordinator for WRI’s Forest Information and Governance project in Gabon.

Gabon: Conservation de la biodiversité

Payson Schwin — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:28:52 -0400

Gabon: Évolution de l'approbation des CFAD

Payson Schwin — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:26:53 -0400

Gabon: Évolution de la signature des conventions provisoires

Payson Schwin — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:25:29 -0400

Gabon: Exemples de permis constituant une CFAD (Rougier et CBG)

Payson Schwin — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:21:40 -0400

Gabon: Sociétés majeures titulaires des CFAD et concessions sous CPAET

Payson Schwin — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:19:16 -0400

Gabon: Intérêt des sociétés titulaires des CFAD et concessions sous CPAET

Payson Schwin — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:15:07 -0400

Gabon: Situation des permis forestiers en 2008

Payson Schwin — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:08:39 -0400

Gabon: Affectation du Domaine Forestier National

Payson Schwin — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:04:15 -0400

Gabon: Zones d'exploitation forestières et points de sortie des flux de bois

Payson Schwin — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:43:35 -0400

Interactive Forest Atlas for Gabon (Atlas Forestier Interactif du Gabon)

Scott Thompson — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:52:09 -0400

On This Page/À Cette Page

Summary (English)
Résumé (Français)

Summary

The Interactive Forest Atlas for Gabon is both an information management tool, as well as an aide to decision makers towards supporting sustainable use of forest resources. It contains for the first time in a publicly accessible, user-friendly format, up-to-date and harmonized information on the Gabonese forest sector. Future versions of the Atlas will build upon this pilot study – particularly regarding data on timber production, agricultural zones and logging roads derived from satellite imagery.

Background

In 2006, WRI signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Gabonese Ministry of Forest Economy, Water, Fishing, and Aquaculture (MEFEPA) to collect data and create tools necessary to support sustainable management of Gabon’s forests. These efforts culminated in the creation of this first-ever Interactive Forest Atlas for the country.

The collaboration between MEFEPA and WRI aims to improve the quality and availability of relevant geographic data, as well as to build the necessary capacity to collect, manage and apply this information. The capacity of actors in the forest sector to collect and use spatial data remains very weak, due to:

lack of available information
insufficient communication between actors in the sector (ex: data producers and information users), and
the absence of national research, development, and inter-sector integration programs

MEFEPA and WRI aim to encourage the production and exchange of forest ecosystem information and knowledge, and to address all stakeholders working in sustainable forest management – including political leaders, private companies, civil society, and the donor community.

Products and Data

The MEFEPA-WRI initiative is unique due to the fact that it presents forest data in a visual manner, combining data and information that had never previously been linked together or accessible to the public. This Pilot version is not an exhaustive source of information on existing logging titles, rather the collection, verification, and presentation of forest production data contained within focuses on those forest concessions currently engaged in sustainable forest management processes.

This Pilot version of the Atlas is composed of 5 distinct products:

A presentation and user manual which provides installation instructions and a visualization of the atlas and its content
A mapping application, which allows users to visualize maps in detail, to make panoramic views or zoom in on points of interest, to visualize data layers, to examine the data bases, and to print the maps
Geographic Information System (GIS) data and metadata, including original data files and attributes
An overview report providing the legislative context, analysis and potential applications of the interactive atlas towards sustainable forest management
A poster of official logging concessions and protected areas

Recommendations

The principle recommendations stemming from the Interactive Forest Atlas focus on the policies and actions that the Gabonese forest administration might undertake, alongside those which already exists, in order to make sustainable forest management a reality.

Recommendations include:

Normalize procedures and harmonize the tax system to encourage sustainable use of the resource and full participation
Implement veritable decentralization of forest resource management in partnership with stakeholders to ensure that the national working group serves as a forum for innovation sharing, forest management, information capacity building on forest management, and evaluation methods
Put in place the necessary institutional structures to: a) better define informational needs on the national scale; b) calibrate data and protocol measures; c) facilitate access to data; and d) develop standards and best practices on sustainable management, goods, and services
Reinforce national capacity through stakeholder training – focusing on the collection, storage, and processing of data received from national technical institutions, private operators, NGOs, and representatives of civil society
Ensure that universities and technical institutes are using the most up-to-date forest information, and encourage national and international bodies to carry out research on indicators which are difficult to measure
Employ standardized criteria and indicators as a base of national information on sustainable forest management

The Interactive Forest Atlas of Gabon project received generous support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

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Résumé

L’Atlas Forestier Interactif du Gabon est à la fois un outil de gestion de l’information et de support à la prise de décision dans le domaine de l’utilisation durable des ressources naturelles. Pour la première fois, il comprend des données actualisées et harmonisées sur le secteur forestier gabonais - le tout dans un format facile à utiliser. Les prochaines versions de l’atlas incluront de nouvelles données concernant la production forestière, les zones de plantations agricoles et d’élevage, et la cartographie des pistes d’exploitation forestière à partir des images satellitaires.

Contexte

Le Ministère de L’Economie Forestière, des Eaux, de la Pêche et l’Aquaculture du Gabon (MEFEPA) et le World Resources Institute (WRI) ont convenu de s’associer afin de développer des outils et base de données permettant d’améliorer le suivi de la gestion durable des forêts du Gabon par la production, notamment, d’un atlas forestier interactif.

Cette collaboration entre le MEFEPA et WRI vise à faciliter la prise de décision quant à la gestion des ressources forestières du pays en améliorant la qualité et la disponibilité des informations géographiques relatives à ces dernières. En effet, la capacité des acteurs de la gestion durable des forêts à collecter les données et à utiliser les données spatiales reste encore très faible, du fait, entre autre de : (i) la faible qualité de l’information disponible (information disparate, sources de données fragmentaires, absence d’utilisation de standards, manque de coordination dans la gestion et la diffusion de l’information aux différents niveaux, etc.), (ii) la faiblesse ou absence de communication entre acteurs (producteurs des données et utilisateurs de l’information), (iii) l’absence des programmes nationaux de recherche, de développement et d’intégration intersectorielle et (iv) l’absence de communication entre acteurs locaux et faiblesse des partenariats.

Produits et Données

Ce rapport vise à donner une vue d’ensemble de l’Atlas forestier interactif du Gabon (version Pilote). Il traite de son but, son contenu, des méthodes de collecte des données, des informations collectées et de son élaboration. Il donne également quelques exemples d’applications possibles. Cette première version pilote ne se veut pas exhaustive. En effet, la collecte, la vérification et la présentation des données des forêts de production du Gabon a porté sur les concessions forestières engagées dans le processus d’aménagement forestier. En outre, une des utilisations essentielles de cet outil dans l’avenir se veut être un outil d’aide à la gestion et au contrôle forestier. C’est à ce titre que les versions ultérieures de cet atlas devront intégrer, outre les données exhaustives du domaine de production (présentation des autres titres d’exploitation forestière), les zones de plantations agricoles et d’élevage, et la cartographie des pistes d’exploitation forestière à partir des images satellitaires.

La production de cette version pilote de l’Atlas forestier interactif du Gabon s’inscrit dans le cadre de l’exécution du projet conjoint issu de la convention de collaboration MEFEPA-WRI. Il vise à inspirer les politiques nationales, à favoriser les échanges et la production des connaissances sur les écosystèmes forestiers et s’adresse à l’ensemble des acteurs de la gestion durable des forêts (pouvoirs publics, compagnies privées, société civile, bailleurs de fonds). Cette initiative doit son originalité au recueil des données et des informations forestières, à leur présentation visuelle et à la combinaison de données et d’informations qui, jusqu’ici, n’étaient ni reliées, ni facilement accessibles.

Cette première version de l’Atlas forestier interactif du Gabon (version pilote) se présentera sous la forme d’un CD-ROM comprenant cinq (5) produits distincts, à savoir:

le manuel de présentation et d’utilisation qui fournit les instructions relatives à l’installation et à la visualisation de l’atlas et de son contenu;
une application cartographique qui permet aux utilisateurs de visualiser les cartes en détail, de faire des panoramiques ou des zooms sur les zones d’intérêt, de visualiser des couches d’informations (soit séparément, soit en combinaison), d’interroger des bases de données et enfin d’imprimer des cartes;
les données du système d’information géographique (SIG) et les métadonnées incluent les fichiers et attributs originaux des ensembles de données;
un document de synthèse donnant une vue d’ensemble de l’objectif, du contenu et des éléments méthodologiques de l’atlas et décrivant en détail les différentes thématiques portant sur les applications attendues pouvant être utiles aux décideurs et techniciens.
un poster présentant l’affectation du Domaine Forestier Permanent de l’Etat.

Recommandations

Les principales recommandations suivantes concernent les procédures et les actes administratifs, les aspects organisationnels et le développement de partenariats pertinents que l’administration forestière gabonaise doit prendre en complément de ceux déjà existants afin que le processus de la gestion durable devienne une réalité pour l’ensemble des acteurs. Elles concernent aussi les protocoles d’inventaires, de collecte et de traitement des données permettant de s’assurer de la qualité, la fiabilité, l’exhaustivité et la cohérence des données ainsi que des informations produites.

Il s’agit de :

normaliser les procédures et harmoniser la fiscalité afin d’inciter les acteurs à un engagement véritable et soutenu sur le terrain permettant d’éviter une foresterie à plusieurs vitesses;
développer le concept de décentralisation en partenariat entre acteurs (collaboration technique)en faisant en sorte que le groupe national de travail (GNT) serve de forum ou de plate forme pour le partage des innovations, la promotion de l’aménagement des forêts, à l’amélioration de la capacité d’information sur l’aménagement durable des forêts ainsi que les méthodes d’évaluation.
mettre en place une organisation hiérarchique à plusieurs niveaux qui aurait pour mission de (i) mieux définir les besoins en informations sur le plan national, (ii) calibrer les données et protocoles de mesure, (iii) faciliter l’accès aux données issues des technologies d’observation de la terre, des données de terrain, (iv) développer des standards et les meilleures pratiques de gestion durable, des biens et services autour de l’information. La coordination serait du ressort des institutions à vocation avérée et de même portée. Cette organisation aurait le mérite d’harmoniser toutes les questions de base (toponymie, protocoles expérimentaux, choix des données) en vue de faciliter ultérieurement les comparaisons et la production d’informations.
procéder à un renforcement des capacités en accentuant la formation des acteurs. Ce renforcement mettrait ainsi l’accent sur l’amélioration de la fiabilité et de la qualité des opérations de récolte, d’archivage, de traitement des données recueillies par les institutions nationales techniques mandatées et par les opérateurs privés, les Organisations non Gouvernementale (ONG) et les représentants de la société civile. Il s’effectuerait sur une revue de leur cadre institutionnel et juridique, l’établissement de chaînes de production en y introduisant des normes de qualité, à travers des formations techniques de longue ou courte durée pour les cadres, techniciens et les opérateurs. Des formations aux Principes, Critères et Indicateurs (PCI) de l’Organisation Africaine du Bois (OAB) et l’OIBT seraient à renouveler, ainsi que celles relatives à la certification et aux méthodes et techniques des audits forestiers.
rechercher la contribution de l’ensemble des acteurs, soutenir les universités, grandes écoles et instituts supérieurs à utiliser l’information la plus récente sur l’aménagement des forêts et sur les PCI OAB/OIBT. Encourager les organismes nationaux et internationaux à réaliser des travaux de recherches sur les indicateurs difficiles à mesurer.
utiliser les critères et indicateurs comme base d’information nationale sur l’aménagement durable des forêts auprès des acteurs (administration, ONG, opérateurs économiques, organismes internationaux)

Le projet de l’Atlas Forestier Interactif du Gabon a été entièrement et généreusement financé par l’Agence Américaine Pour le Développement (USAID).

[Top]

What Does Environmental Democracy Look Like?

Monika Kerdeman — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 18:45:44 -0400

Environmental democracy is about government being transparent, accountable, and involving people in decisions that affect their environment. 20 countries in The Access Initiative (TAI) network are expanding their work to promote environmental democracy. Here is a summary of what’s ahead in 2008 and beyond.<!–break–>

Local TAI partners work with their governments to reform transparency laws and train government officers to involve people in development planning. They also build the awareness among judges and in the media about the public’s ability to influence decisions that affect the environment. TAI Partners are already having crucial impacts in key countries:

In Chile, the National Commission of the Environment committed to creating a participatory process in the design of the country’s first Toxic Release Inventory. TAI partner groups helped influence the design of the system to guarantee full citizen participation.
In Uganda, the TAI coalition used the findings of a TAI assessment to convince representatives to draft a Freedom of Information Act establishing citizens’ right to government information.
TAI Ecuador partner ECOLEX and the Ministry of Environment drafted a regulation requiring public consultation in the process of decision-making on environmental matters. The president approved the regulation in October 2006.
In Indonesia, TAI assessments identified the need for and recommended the basic requirements of a Freedom of Information Act. TAI partners worfked with the Government and other civil society groups to draft such an act which was adopted in 2008.
In Mexico, a TAI assessment revealed gaps in public access to information. Together they published a series of citizen action guides which led to a measurable increase in the number of citizens requesting information and more efficient delivery of information on the part of the government.

Here is a quick summary of the work that is already underway—or planned for 2008—in Bangladesh, Bolivia, Cameroon, Chile, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Hungary, Latvia, Nepal, India, Macedonia, Malawi, Mexico, Paraguay, The Philippines, Tanzania, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Ukraine and Zambia.

BANGLADESH: BANGLADESH ENVIRONMENTAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION
Prioritize reforms by conducting national TAI assessment.
More about BELA

BOLIVIA: PRODENA, BOLIVIAN WILDLIFE SOCIETY
Advocacy activities that engage public officials and parliament representatives to include access rights in the environmental and natural resource legislation.
More about PRODENA

CHILE: CORPORACIÓN PARTICIPA
This organization will work with local CSOs to analyze access rights and public participation mechanisms in current Chilean environmental legislation and develop proposals to strengthen the legal norms that impact local poor communities. In addition, they will evaluate tools available in the System of Evaluation of Environmental Impacts in Chile (SEIA) with a special focus on the impact on local poor communities.
More about Participa

CAMEROON: BIORESOURCES DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION PROGRAMME AND FOUNDATION FOR ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT
Training and assistance to TAI DRC teams for a national TAI assessment. Raise awareness on access to participation; develop information materials on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) legal process; initiate teams to work with government officials on EIAs; develop a simplified version of EIA guidelines. Create a link between government and local communities to enable communities to benefit though poverty alleviation strategies. Conduct TAI pilot poverty assessment.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: CONSEIL POUR LA DEFENSE ENVIRONNEMENTALE PAR LA LEGALITE ET LA TRACABILITE (CODELT)
Prioritize reforms by conducting national TAI assessment.

ECUADOR: COALICIÓN ACCESO
Investigate 30 petitions for access to information; file and follow-up on 6 litigation cases where access to information has been denied. Conduct 3 training workshops for 30 public officials and 20 NGO leaders on implementing Ecuador’s Transparency and Access to Information Law.
More about Coalicion Acceso

ECUADOR: ECOLEX
Work with government officials to implement regulations related to civil participation in environmental management and build capacities for the social controllership in environmental issues through training.
More about Ecolex

HUNGARY: ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND LAW ASSOCIATION
Training and assistance to TAI-Macedonia team for national TAI assessment. Provide assistance to TAI-Ukraine to implement activities in the Ukraine.
More about EMLA

INDIA: ENVIRONICS TRUST
Prioritize reforms by conducting regional TAI assessment.
More about Environics

LATVIA: REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER – LATVIA
Conduct access to justice seminar for 35 judges who will be trained on practical implementation of access to justice principles in Latvian law and how it relates to obligations under the Aarhus Convention.
More about REC - Latvia

MACEDONIA: FLOROZON-ASSOCIATION FOR PROTECTION OF NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Prioritize reforms by conducting national TAI assessment.

MALAWI: CENTRE FOR POLICY AND ADVOCACY
Activities aimed to use the media as a tool to reach out to new stakeholders. CEPA will also develop a series of training workshops that will include government officials and civil society members to raise the profile of—and generate public demand for—access in Malawi.
More about CEPA

MEXICO: CENTRO MEXICANO DE DERECHO AMBIENTAL
On behalf of The Access Initiative-Mexico. Training and assistance to TAI-Panama*. Work with members of the Government to implement recommendations from two TAI state assessments. Develop and begin to implement an Action Plan for the Federal District in Mexico. Translation of Code Green program into indigenous languages.
More about CEMDA

NEPAL: PRO PUBLIC
Prioritize reforms by conducting national TAI assessment.
More about Pro Public.

PARAGUAY: INSTITUTO DE DERECHO Y ECONOMÍA AMBIENTAL
Conduct TAI pilot poverty assessment.
More about IDEA

THE PHILIPPINES: ATENEO DE MANILA
Conduct TAI pilot poverty assessment.
More about Ateneo

SRI LANKA: PUBLIC INTEREST LAW FOUNDATION
Establish agenda for joint activities with government through PP10 commitments. Draft recommendations to National Environmental Act to include access to information and access to public participation. Conduct TAI pilot poverty assessment.
More about PILF

TANZANIA: TANZANIA LAWYERS ENVIRONMENT ACTION TEAM (TANZANIA) Implementation of TAI report recommendations including conducing community training on access rights; establishing a media campaign on access rights.
More about LEAT

THAILAND: THAILAND ENVIRONMENT INSTITUTE
Conduct regional workshop that will include training on poverty guidelines. Produce 2000 copies of the Asia regional report. Investigate options for developing a rapid assessment toolkit that could be used by local communities, with a focus on the poor and/or disadvantaged groups, to address access issues at the local level.
More about TEI

UKRAINE: ECOPRAVO
Form a national coalition of CSOs and other stakeholders active in environmental rights and access issues and develop a national advocacy strategy for decision makers. Present international complaint mechanisms to Ukraine government officials and establish a program to monitor the implementation of joint activities stemming from the national TAI report.
More about EcoPravo

ZAMBIA: INSTITUTE OF HUMAN RIGHTS, INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND DEVELOPMENT TRUST (HURID)
Prioritize reforms by conducting national TAI assessment.

Support

This expansion of TAI is made possible through a generous grant from the Development Grants Facility of the World Bank.

Brief History of TAI

Since TAI began in 1999, more than 150 civil society organizations around the world have become TAI Partners. Assessments and advocacy have engaged governments in 45 countries to improve access to information, public participation and access to justice in decisions affecting the environment.

TAI bases its advocacy on original and independent research at the national level using an internationally recognized assessment tool.

TAI Partners use national assessments to examine the ability of the public to access information about government decisions, participate in those decisions, and seek justice when their rights are violated.

TAI Partners use assessment results to raise public awareness, set priorities for improvements in policy and practice, and work with governments to create change.