Forestry Boss Advises Workshop Participants

The Chairman, Cross River
State Forestry Commission, Mr Odigha, has enjoined stakeholders to utilise the knowledge gained in the two weeks training workshop, in order to build and sustain the forest natural resources.
The chairman gave the advice during a training workshop organized by the United Nations Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD), which was aimed at training stakeholders on designing geographic map, using spatial information to support decision on safe guards and multiple benefits.
One of the resource persons, from the United Nations Environment Programme/World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-VJCMC); Mr. Paulus Maukonen, said the training was very important as the process of using a designed data to compute relevant information; draw a map would be useful in the forestry activities.
Mr. Maukonen noted that the essence of the data processing would also help to ascertain the endangered species that are only found in Nigeria, as these species if properly conserved would be a pride to Cross River State and Nigeria at large.
Also speaking, Ms Charlotte Hicks, from the United Nations Environment Programme/World  Conservation Monitoring Centre, said Biodiversity. is another benefit from REDD, as it helps to address the Cancun Safeguards as well as maintain ecosystem functionality and implement some REDD actions.
Ms Hicks maintained that communities may also depend on biodiversity for livehood and well- being. According to her, a number of different types of spatial information could be useful for considering biodiversity conservation, such as the location of protected areas and key biodiversity areas. She added, that the points of observance for key species like gorilla nest sites was very important, adding, that species range data could be used to map species richness.
The Head of Unit, Geographic Information Unit, Mrs Bridget Nkor, disclosed that about 11 (eleven) computers had already been purchased by the UN-REDD Programme for the Geograpic Information Service Laboratory and that the computers were used to compute data during the two weeks training exercise.

Friday Nwagbara, Calabar