THE REG. MARINE CENTRE HOLDS ITS 1ST REGIONAL TRAINING ON COASTAL AREA MANGT.
The Regional Marine Centre (RMC) of the University of Ghana, through the GMES & Africa project, has organized its first Regional Training Workshop on the application of Earth Observation (EO) data for the management of marine and coastal areas. Seventeen (17) trainees, from 11 coastal West-African countries, were trained on the use of EO data to develop products that will help support the management of coastal ecosystems and generate coastal vulnerability information for sensitive areas along the coast of West Africa.
The training, which was held from 6th to 9th August 2019 in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire with the support of RMC partner institution, Centre Universitaire de Recherche d'Application en Télédétection (CURAT) at University Félix Houphouët-Boigny, provided participants with user-friendly materials to enhance auto-didactic learning. Through this capacity building workshop, trainees have acquired a basic understanding of remote sensing and developed techniques in marine and coastal EO data processing. The training forms part of the activities of the GMES and Africa Project aimed at ensuring the protection of sensitive coastal areas (mangroves, wetlands, protected areas, beaches) of the West African sub-region for increased socioeconomic benefits. Trainees were drawn from fisheries and environment ministries, environment protection agencies, meteorological agencies and universities (both lecturers and students) of the participating Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) countries, namely: Benin, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
Weak human capacity is one of the main challenges facing the effective management of marine and coastal resources in West Africa. These living and non-living resources provide employment, generate income, provide food security, rich aesthetic scenery for tourism, and elicit cultural and traditional values for coastal communities, among others. In order to address the resource management concerns, the Regional Marine Centre, based at the University of Ghana, seeks to empower all beneficiary countries under the continent-wide programme on Global Monitoring for Environment and Security and Africa.
The training is the first of a series to be organised by the Regional Marine Centre to strengthen capacity aimed at providing decision-makers with Earth Observation (EO) information and tools in support of effective marine and coastal resources management in Western Africa. The next training will be held at the University of Ghana and will focus on the use of earth observation for the protection and management of dwindling fish stocks. The Centre believes that in providing products and services, building capacity, sharing data and raising awareness, there is hope for the restoration of depleted mangroves, encroached and destroyed wetlands and protected areas and beaches for the benefit of local communities and the countries.
The training was provided in the form of theoretical lectures and hands-on sessions. There were two phases. The first phase was online, using the University of Ghana online platform, Sakai, and the second was the face to face with the trainers and trainees. Upon successful completion, the trainees were awarded a certificate of participation.
The RMC is one of the thirteen consortia under the GMES and Africa project, which is sponsored by the Europen Union and the African Union Commissions.