By Prince J Musa in Kenema
As part of capacitating partners in advanced Geographical Information System (GIS) in land use for planning of boundary demarcation for the protective forest reserved landscape under the PAPFor project, Conservation Society Sierra Leone (CSSL) with funds from EU has on the 18th August 2021 conducted a four-day intensive training of partners in Kenema.
In his statement, the National coordinator of CSSL Emurana Kemoh Sowa said CSSL is working in the Gola landscape and the Kambui forest reserves under the PAPFor project been implemented by three entities, Gola rainforest, CSSL and one partner from Liberia. He said they are using the system to strengthen their positions in terms of forest management and conserving the landscape specifically the Gola rainforest national park.
He said the training captured one of the major components of the project which is planning and mapping in conserving the Gola rainforest landscape area and the Kambui hill forest.
“We cannot succeed in protecting land without proper planning and mapping of the community forests in those chiefdoms we are operating’’ he said.
Sowa stated that the Geographical Information System will help to identify the protected areas and map out the demarcation for effective coordination and management of the forest, adding that special preference has been apportioned to known protected areas located.
He said that it’s in that vein that conservation society has thought it necessary to build the capacity of their partners on the importance of GIS in planning and boundary demarcation since they are all working to prevent land degradation.
Sowa went on to note that under the PAPFor project, there are plans to establish community forests in all their ten operational chiefdoms, but that it will start with the chiefdoms of Makpele and Barry in Pujehun district and Nomo, Tunkia, Koya, Niawa and Gaura in Kenema district, to which the local leaders have signed the first agreement document .
The consultant of GIS Gabriel M K Sesay told the participants that GIS training is the most important tool that will enhance land use and planning officers in doing the appropriate mapping and boundary demarcation for community forest which helps to manage conflict among communities for boundaries.
He said since the human population is growing rapidly and the landscape remains the same, it’s significant to get correct boundaries that will prevent future conflict between communities especially when the demand for land is becoming so high.
Gabriel Sesay stated that land demarcation and mapping will help to mitigate conflict in the next generation and to enhance national cohesion and sustainable peace among the communities saying that 90% of the prevailing conflicts presently are related to land disputes among chiefdoms, villages and districts.
One of the trainees, Andrea Haffner, a community mobilizing officer CSSL said the training was essential to her job as a community mobilizer, noting that it will be difficult to do boundary demarcation and mapping without GIS skills.
She thanked the CSSL for their timely intervention in providing the training for them for effective and efficient working environment.
The training targeted staff from Gola Rainforest National Park , District Forestry Department Kenema, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Public Procurement Authority, staff of CSSL and BIOPAMA.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (20/08/21)
