Topic: cameroon

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We can track a company’s financial information daily, but information about forests is often years out of date.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

Cameroon Forest Land Allocation 2009

Kevin Lustig — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:12:51 -0400

Cameroon Forest Land Allocation 2007

Kevin Lustig — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:10:23 -0400

Cameroon Forest Land Allocation 2006

Kevin Lustig — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:08:36 -0400

Cameroon Forest Land Allocation 2004

Kevin Lustig — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 17:06:34 -0400

Interactive Forest Atlas of Cameroon (version 3.0)

Sarah Parsons — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 16:20:28 -0400

The Interactive Forest Atlas of Cameroon is a living forest information system hosted in the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) and supported by a joint team including members from MINFOF and the World Resources Institute (WRI). Built on a geographic information system (GIS) platform, the Atlas provides unbiased and up-to-date information on the Cameroonian forest sector. One of its main objectives is to strengthen forest management and land use planning by bringing all major land use categories onto the same standardized platform. While the underlying Forest Atlas database is kept up-to-date as new information becomes available, periodic publications of the data and database are made publicly available through the Atlas report, poster, and mapping application.

This report and associated material is the third in a series of Interactive Forest Atlases of Cameroon. It provides the reader with the land use allocation and land cover types in the National Forest Estate through June 2011, recent trends in production forests, and an expanded discussion of recent developments with community forests. Updated information on protected areas and the public and private road network is also featured, along with preliminary information about mining concessions likely to affect Cameroon’s forests. Additionally, this report highlights several practical examples of its uses and outlines future directions and applications of the Atlas.

À PROPOS DE CETTE PUBLICATION

L’Atlas forestier interactif du Cameroun est un système d’information forestière opérant en continu hébergé par le Ministère des Forêts et de la Faune (MINFOF) et géré par une équipe conjointe composée de représentants du MINFOF et du World Resources Institute (WRI). Basé sur le Système d’Information Géographique (SIG), l’Atlas fournit des informations objectives et actualisées sur le secteur forestier camerounais. L’un des objectifs principaux de l’Atlas est celui de renforcer la gestion forestière et la planification de l’affectation des terres en réunissant sur une plate-forme unique les principales catégories d’affectation. L’équipe conjointe MINFOF-WRI actualise la base de données de l’Atlas forestier au fur et à mesure que de nouvelles informations deviennent disponibles et les publie périodiquement sous formes de rapport, posters et application cartographique.

Le présent rapport représente la troisième version de la série d’Atlas forestiers interactifs du Cameroun. Il fournit au lecteur des informations sur les affectations et les types d’occupation des terres dans le Domaine Forestier National jusqu’au mois de juin 2011. Il donne également un aperçu sur les tendances récentes de l’évolution des forêts de production, ainsi que des développements récents dans le domaine de la foresterie communautaire. Il offre en plus les données actualisées sur les aires protégées et le réseau routier public et privé, et donne de façon subsidiaire des informations préliminaires sur les concessions minières susceptibles d’empiéter sur le domaine forestier. En fin, ce rapport met en exergue des exemples pratiques d’utilisation de l’Atlas et donne un aperçu de ses orientations et applications futures.

Cameroon Logging Titles and Protected Areas (1992 - 2007)

Kevin Lustig — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 14:27:29 -0400

Cameroon Logging Titles (1992)

Kevin Lustig — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 14:25:39 -0400

Cameroon Logging Titles (2004)

Kevin Lustig — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 14:24:25 -0400

Cameroon Logging Titles (2007)

Kevin Lustig — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 14:22:45 -0400

Vegetation Cover in Cameroon

Kevin Lustig — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 14:14:27 -0400

Evolution of Cameroon Protected Areas (1995 - 2008)

Kevin Lustig — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 14:08:02 -0400

This map shows the change in protected areas in Cameroon between 1995 and 2008.

Forest Atlas of Cameroon/Atlas Forestier du Cameroun

Bertrand Tessa — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 16:34:30 -0400

Carte Interactive/ Interactive Map

Desktop Mapping Application

Version 3, 2012 (ZIP archive, 807.3 Mb)

GIS Data

Download all spatial data in the Cameroon Atlas (shapefile and raster format in zip archives).

Latest Version

2012 (Complete) (ZIP archive, 72.8 Mb)
- Administrative Units (ZIP archive, 2.9 Mb)
- Agriculture (ZIP archive, 126 Kb)
- Conservation (ZIP archive, 1.4 Mb)
- Forest Allocation (ZIP archive, 8.1 Mb)
- Forest Infrastructure (ZIP archive, 12.7 Mb)
- Hydrography (ZIP archive, 24.1 Mb)
- Mining (ZIP archive, 76 Kb)
- Vegetation (ZIP archive, 23.2 Mb)

Previous Versions

2011 (ZIP archive, 50.7 Mb)
2010 (ZIP archive, 47.6 Mb)
2009 (ZIP archive, 81.4 Mb)
2008 (ZIP archive, 66.2 Mb)
2007 (ZIP archive, 62.6 Mb)
2004 (ZIP archive, 57.2 Mb)

Complete Atlases (English/Français)

The Atlas files contain a free map viewing application as well as all GIS data and ArcGIS projects for advanced users.

Version 3, 2012 (ZIP archive, 3478.1 Mb)
Version 2, 2007 (ZIP archive, 322.4 Mb)
Version 1, 2005 (ZIP archive, 304.9 Mb)

Poster: Cameroon Forest Land Allocation

2012: English | French
2011: English | French
2009: English | French
2008: French
2007: French
2006: French
2004: French

The Interactive Forest Atlas of Cameroon is a living forest information system, combining the use of remote sensing, mapping, and ground-truthing to monitor and manage forests. The Forest Atlas is led by the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF) and implemented by a joint MINFOF-WRI team. Since the release of the first Forest Atlas in 2005, stakeholders can access timely and accurate information about land use allocation within the national forest estate (forest concessions, protected areas, council forests, community forests, etc.). Through the Forest Atlas and capacity building of forest sector stakeholders, WRI and MINFOF aim to place forest information securely into public hands to support transparent and participatory decision making towards sustainable forest management in Cameroon.

L’Atlas Forestier Interactif du Cameroun est un système continu d’information forestière qui combine l’utilisation de la télédétection, la cartographie et les vérifications de terrain pour le suivi et la gestion des forêts. L’Atlas Forestier est conçu sous la direction du Ministère des Forêts et de la Faune (MINFOF) et mis en œuvre par une équipe conjointe MINFOF-WRI. Depuis la publication du premier Atlas Forestier en 2005, les parties prenantes peuvent désormais accéder à des informations précises et actualisées sur l’attribution des terres dans le domaine forestier permanent (concessions forestières, aires protégées, forêts communautaires, forêts communales, etc.). A travers l’Atlas Forestier et le renforcement des capacités des acteurs du secteur forestier, WRI et MINFOF visent à mettre l’information forestière directement à la disposition du public en appui à une prise de décision transparente et participative pour une gestion durable des ressources forestières au Cameroun.

The Year in Illegal Logging: A Look Back

Craig Hanson — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 11:13:09 -0500

2010 was a significant year for global efforts to tackle illegal logging. Here’s a look back on some of that progress.

Long a problem in many of the world’s forests, illegal logging has unsustainable impacts. It deprives governments of tax revenue. It puts law-abiding companies at a competitive disadvantage. And it negatively impacts forest-dependent peoples, not to mention the world’s biodiversity and climate.

But 2010 brought encouraging news on the illegal logging front, and from both ends of the supply chain.

Let’s start with wood-producing countries. In July, the world learned from a Chatham House report that illegal logging fell by 50-75 percent during the past decade in Indonesia, Cameroon, and the Brazilian Amazon, three forest-rich nations. Better law enforcement, improved forest monitoring and increased focus on the issue all contributed to these improvements. More recently, Indonesia announced that it will deliberate a bill to toughen penalties for those involved in illegal logging, while Malaysia revised its Forest Act to stiffen penalties for illegal logging.

These are significant reductions and actions. Governments, many in the private sector, and civil society should be congratulated for their respective roles in these accomplishments.

2010 brought good news from wood-consuming countries, too. The United States indicated that it is serious about using the amended Lacey Act to curtail trade in illegal wood. For instance, reports came to light of a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service seizure of tropical hardwoods from Peru and of movement on the investigation into Gibson’s alleged purchase of illegal wood from Madagascar.

Likewise, the European Union (EU) approved the EU Illegal Timber Regulation in 2010. Similar to Lacey, the law prohibits the sale in Europe of timber logged illegally under the rules of the country of origin. Furthermore, the Australian government recently announced plans to introduce a Lacey-like ban on illegal timber products.

Climate agreements regarding “Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation in developing countries” (REDD+) have the potential to reinforce existing efforts to curtail illegal logging. The same is true for the visionary forest-climate bilateral agreements between forest-rich countries such as Indonesia or Brazil and nations such as Norway.

The groundwork, therefore, appears to be laid for another year of progress. If so, 2011 would take a further cut out of the illegal cut.

A Seat at the Table: Including the Poor in Decisions for Development and Environment

Maggie Barron — Tue, 04 May 2010 16:59:37 -0400

For more information, and to watch a webcast of the launch of “A Seat at the Table,” visit the Access Initiative website.

En Español

Executive Summary

Decisions that have significant environmental and social consequences are often made without the involvement of those whose interests are directly at stake. For poor people whose lives and livelihoods often depend on natural resources, and who are therefore most vulnerable to environmental risks, the consequences of exclusion can be especially severe. Weak access to decision-making may expose poor communities to high levels of pollution, remove them from productive land, and deprive them of the everyday benefits provided by natural resources.

The three pillars of sound decision-making for the environment that are key to responding to the challenge of providing “access” are: access to information, public participation, and access to justice. Many countries, regardless of their level of economic development, have promoted these pillars as policy aspirations or as enforceable legal rights. Yet even where progress has been significant, more work remains if such laws are to be implemented in a way that is meaningful to all citizens, especially the poor.

To better understand the obstacles to access facing the poor, and the efforts by governments to reach this population, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and its civil society organization (CSO) partners in The Access Initiative (TAI) closely examined access rights and practices in four countries—Cameroon, Paraguay, Philippines, and Sri Lanka.

The case studies highlighted in this report cover a range of environmental concerns including water quality, land use, data availability, and the use or absence of environmental impact assessments (EIAs). The findings and literature review show that the poor in these countries face a daunting array of barriers to access, including low literacy, high costs (including the costs of corruption), exposure to risk from participation, and lack of documentation of legal identity or rights to a resource that is necessary to influence decisions. Additionally, cultural norms that limit who may speak in public disproportionately exclude the poor.

The case studies also provide examples where civil society organizations, community groups, and - most importantly - governments have taken steps to overcome these barriers. Based on the findings and literature review, we have identified six poverty-related barriers to access to decision-making and proposed eight categories of policy responses to overcome these barriers. Importantly, a general lack of access to information for all citizens had a commensurately larger impact on access to information for the poor.

En Español

Las decisiones que tienen consecuencias medioambientales y sociales significativas suelen ser tomadas sin la participación de aquellas personas cuyos intereses están directamente en juego. Para las comunidades vulnerables cuyas vidas y medios de subsistencia suelen depender de recursos naturales, y quienes, por lo tanto, están más expuestas a los riesgos medioambientales, las consecuencias de la exclusión pueden ser particularmente severas. Un acceso precario a la toma de decisiones puede exponer a las comunidades vulnerables a altos niveles de contaminación, apartarlos de tierras productivas, y privarlos de los beneficios cotidianos que los recursos naturales les proveen.

Los tres pilares de la toma de decisiones sobre el medioambiente que resultan claves para responder adecuadamente al desafío de dar “acceso” son: el acceso a la información, la participación pública, y el acceso a la justicia. Muchos países, independientemente de su nivel de desarrollo económico, han promovido estos pilares como objetivos de sus políticas públicas o como derechos legales vinculantes. Sin embargo, aun ahí donde el progreso ha sido significativo, hay mucho por hacer si se desea que las leyes que norman los derechos de acceso sean implementadas de una manera que resulte significativa para toda la ciudadanía, y especialmente para los grupos vulnerables.

Para aportar a una mejor comprensión de los obstáculos al acceso que afectan a las comunidades vulnerables, y de los esfuerzos que los gobiernos pueden hacer por alcanzar a esa población, el Instituto de Recursos Mundiales y sus socios de la organización de la sociedad civil La Iniciativa de Acceso examinaron detenidamente los derechos y prácticas de acceso en cuatro países—Camerún, Paraguay, Filipinas y Sri Lanka.

Los estudios de caso destacados en este informe cubren una variedad de asuntos medioambientales incluyendo la calidad del agua, el uso de la tierra, la disponibilidad de datos, y el uso o ausencia de Evaluaciones de Impacto Ambiental (EIA). Los hallazgos de la investigación y la bibliografía revisada muestran que en estos países los grupos vulnerables enfrentan un abanico enorme de barreras para ejercer sus derechos de acceso, incluyendo el bajo alfabetismo,
los altos costos (incluidos los costos de la corrupción), la exposición a los riesgos de la participación, y la falta de documentos de identidad o del derecho a algún recurso necesario para participar o influir en la toma de decisiones. Adicionalmente, las normas culturales que definen quiénes pueden hablar en público excluyen a los grupos vulnerables desproporcionalmente.

Los casos de estudio también proveen ejemplos en los que organizaciones de la sociedad civil, grupos comunitarios, y –más importante– algunos gobiernos han dado pasos para superar o eliminar estas barreras. En base a los hallazgos y la revisión bibliográfica, hemos encontrado seis barreras al acceso a la toma de decisiones que se relacionan con la pobreza y propuesto ocho categorías de medidas de política pública (policy responses) que sirven para superarlas (ver Tabla 1). Es importante señalar que la falta generalizada de acceso a la información por parte de la ciudadanía tiene un impacto apreciablemente más alto en la falta de acceso a la información por parte de los grupos vulnerables.