The event was opened by Dr Sulemana Nelson Nyadia, Deputy CEO, Forestry Commission of the Ministry of Land and Natural Resources highlighting the importance of biodiversity and vibrant productive ecosystems for societies underpinning key sectors such as agriculture, fisheries and timber industry: “With the increased levels of deforestation and forest degradation in Ghana’s forest reserves …, it is critical for available information on forest resources to be updated periodically through national inventories… We recognize that this is an ambitious agenda. What is required is sustained and bold leadership from all stakeholders, and the determination to move from commitment to action and results on the ground.” 

In a welcoming statement Dr. Gouantoueu Robert Guei, the Coordinator of the FAO Subregional Office of West Africa and Mr. ArslenBounemra, the FAO Ghana Representative, highlighted thecrucialrole capacity development and collaboration plays in ensuring effective forest and forest data management: “Africa faces many challenges and bears the brunt of the effects of climate change, even though the continent contributes only 1.8% to global greenhouse gas emissions. This training will equip the participants with the most up to date digital and geospatial tools for forest data collection and analysis, and for the above ground biomass estimation model through an innovative approach… This will be crucial in strategic informed decisions on sustainable forest management both at national and regional levels.” 

The overall objective of the workshop is to enhance regional knowledge on the state of forest ecosystemstheir possible threats. Participants will gain advanced skills in forest inventory design, data collection, and analysis using innovative technologies. The workshop also aims to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among West African countries, promoting best practices for monitoring forest resources at national and regional scale. 

Participants will be introduced to national forest inventory designs for Niger, Guinea, Sierra Leoneand Ghana and will discuss how past training activities align with their potential implementation. They will explore new technology associated with field data collection and see examples of its application in research and data collection. The workshop will disseminate and discuss the methodology used to develop regional biomass maps and explore potential applications at the country level. Furthermore, it will present outcomes of a regional study on drivers of deforestation and discuss their implications for forest management policies in the region. Participants will also learn about new platforms for storing and processing field inventory data, such as FAO’s Open Foris Arena and Arena Mobile, and will develop their capacities in using these mobile data collection tools in the field. 

Building on the capacity development activities implemented in 2023, participants will engage with forest inventory technicians on matters relevant to national and regional forest inventory and mapping. This workshop builds on the initial online training activities first introduced by the project in 2020 and 2021. Participants will gain insights into the development of NFI designs in West Africa, demonstrateproficiency in utilizingcutting-edge data collection technologies, and understand the development methodology associated with regional biomass maps.  

While discussing the event further Mohamadou Aw, FAO’s Programme Officer mentioned: "This workshop represents one of the most significant milestones of the entire project. It is the result of more than 5 years of dedicated efforts and collaboration, bringing together forestry experts from across West Africa to enhance their skills and knowledge. This workshop embodies the essence of our mission, fostering regional cooperation and building the capacity needed to protect and sustain our precious forest resources for future generations."