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The collaborative initiative "Global Transformation of Forests for People and Climate: Focus on West Africa" seeks to enhance the accuracy of forest-based estimations to facilitate reporting and decision-making processes in the region. A recent training workshop held in Conakry, Guinea, hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations' (FAO) Guinea office and funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), brought together trainers from FAO’s National Forest Monitoring team and professionals from eight nations to enrich their knowledge and refine their techniques in forest inventory practices.

The workshop focused on the complexities of National Forest Inventories (NFIs)—a critical undertaking for environmental conservation and management. Over five days, 28 participants from 8 countries – Guinea, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinee Bissau, Mali, Senegal, and Togo, immersed themselves in advanced inventory methods.

Participants measuring tree parameters (determining diameter measuring height) during field session

A key component of the program was training on Open Foris Arena, FAO’s cloud-based platform that streamlines data collection and analysis. The hands-on training with this tool equipped participants with contemporary skills essential for accurate forest resource assessment. But the event was more than just a learning opportunity; it was a collaborative space where professionals shared insights and strategies for overcoming challenges in their respective NFIs. "The participants were very motivated for NFI training and adopting Arena as their NFI data collection tool, they requested separate in-depth training for Arena capacity development", Mondal Falgoonee, FAO NFI Analyst stated. The new platform introduced, particularly the Arena tool, is anticipated to improve the reliability of data, thereby facilitating better forest conservation measures and reporting.

Participants practicing field data entry using Arena Mobile android application

Lieutenant-Colonel Mohamed, the National Director of Forests and Wildlife of Guinea shared his insights on the training and the future collaboration with FAO stating, “With the support of the FAO, Guinea will be able to carry out the first National Forest Inventory, which will undoubtedly contribute to better understanding the country's forest resource potential, to enable sustainable management of ecosystems and contribute to socio-economic development."  

Group discussion among the participants during the in-house sessions of NFI training

Thanks to the skills and knowledge improved through the workshop, participants are now better equipped to contribute to the sustainable management of their national forests. Through this initiative, FAO remains dedicated to supporting these countries by providing guidance and tools necessary for the continuation of such important work. 

Photo credtis: @FAO/FalgooneeKumar