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Yaoundé, Cameroon, 29 October 2020 - In order to encourage informed decision-making for sustainable forest management, conservation and responsible use of biodiversity in Central Africa, the Observatory of Central African Forests (OFAC), a technical unit of the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC), has set up a new analysis platform with key indicators of regional, national and local policy trends and their impacts on forest ecosystems.
Critical data are now available on this portal, such as volumes of timber production, management and certification, export, processing and marketing, conservation policies and strategies, the contribution of forests and biodiversity to national economies, and a wealth of other information collected in the field, in national and regional administrations, as well as numerous satellite images are compiled in the platform.
Designed in a visually appealing and interactive way, the platform aims to facilitate access to regional, national and local information on the subject. Most of the information is open and free of charge, available on the website.
Other new tools are available in the platform such as (i) a module for inventorying and analysing initiatives undertaken in the environment, spatial planning and socio-economic development sectors containing to date about 650 projects for 80 donors, 324 implementing agencies and an amount exceeding 6 billion euros and, (ii) a multimedia library with more than 1,200 scientific documents, development plans, strategic and policy documents, etc.
"The analytical platform will be an effective tool for data assessment and technical and political decision-making support for Central African forest decision-makers and researchers, whom we strongly encourage to make use of the reliable and high-quality data and tools made available to them. This is an important step towards greater harmonisation of sectoral policies among COMIFAC member states and towards regional cooperation," said Raymond Ndomba Ngoye, Executive Secretary of COMIFAC.
Launched on the sidelines of the Global Landscape Forum (GLF) "One World - One Health", held online on October 28 and 29, 2020, this initiative reinforces the strategic role OFAC plays in the collection and management of information in Central Africa.
To find out more... Kindly download the Press Release and related Document here below:
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