Cameroon

USA

GIS methodology to enhance forest conservation in Cameroon: examples from the PNW forest industry - United States. Mr. Elvis Tata

Road map: 1.

Picture of Cameroon; history, people and political dynamics

2.

Cameroon forest industry: ownership, types and use.

3.

Overview of GIS use and application in forest management/conservation

4.

Justification and overall study objectives

5.

Methodology to address issue

6.

PNW’s response to GIS technology in forest management (case studies from federal, state and private actors and their connections)

7.

Some GIS policy updates for Cameroon from lessons learned in the PNW

Picture of Cameroon Location: central/west Africa. Population: 20 million = 41people/km² Rainfall:1000-2000mm/year Geo-politics: strategic in CEMAC and the Congo Basin

Land area: 47.5million km² (like California) Economy: Agro-based-Best endowed in SSA. -GDP per capita=$2,300 Society: Multi-lingual ;French/English as official languages

History/political dynamics-Cameroon: The historical dynamics are important in addressing policy controversies/ forestland ownership and management gaps. .

Predominant forest type of Cameroon. Lowland evergreen rainforest (19 million ha). Cameroon’s high-export timber spp. -Ayous(Tripochiton scleropylon) -Sapelli(Entandrophragma cylin.) -Azobe’(Lophira alata) -Iroko (Chlorophora excelsa) -Mahogany (Kyaya ivorensis) -Bubinga (Nauclea diderichii) -Bete’ (Mansonia altisima) -Ilomba (Pyenantus angolensis) -frake’ (Terminalia superba) -Sipo (Entandropragma utile) -Tali wood.

85% exported as logs

Cameroon’s wood export destination(2008)IUCN 2010 %

• • •

Cameroon forest industry: Ownership, types and use Total forest cover is 21.1million ha excluding cropland/savanna mosaics(FAO,2010) Complex forest ownership pattern in Cameroon Government owns all lands including forestland, but management changes hands. The 1994 law classified ownership as below: International institutions/National 99% Public NGO’s manages with ownership state.

Non permanent forests (20%)

Permanent forests(80%)

State forestsprotected areas

Council forestsproduction forests

Communal forests

community forests

Private forests

Eucalyptus/agro forestlands

Overview of GIS use and application in forest conservation. GIS (Geographic Information System) AND FOREST: Modeling changes with GIS permits conservationists to make well-informed decisions about protection plans, reserve policies, and future land-use practices that will most benefit the conservation of forests, biodiversity, wildlife, and resources.

Hands-on forest GIS apps. conservation

Environmental Education for sustainable forest

Placing GIS within a broader spectrum in forestry and reinforcing its use as a ‘cutting edge technology’ is vital for Cameroon and its current forestland reforms; improving community benefits in timber production forests while maintaining biodiversity conservation in all 52 ‘protected areas’.

Justification and overall study objective at WFI. •

Income from Forest comes second after oil in national revenue of Cameroon; – $750 million in2009-(ITTO 2010)

•

The forest of Cameroon contains an estimated 2,696,000 metric tones of carbon in living biomass; home to 1661 known species of mammal, birds, reptiles and amphibians ;8260 vascular plant species, of which 5% is endemic.

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Cameroon falls within the six most threatened HVCF areas of the world.

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Between 1990-2010, Cameroon lost some 440,000ha of its old growth forest (19%) .

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Little is known about NTFPs and agro-forestry inventories. (FAO 2010) Objectives: Main objective is to acquire skills capable of proposing the enforcement of adaptive GIS methodology, useful to breach the gap in information between policy making and forest benchmarking for sustainable conservation in Cameroon. Specifically, I will learn how forest managers in the Pacific Northwest use GIS and determine how these skills can be useful for forestry in Cameroon.

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Geography of the U.S, showing forest ownership

Though different ownership types, strategic GIS management actions in the PNW forest have common lines. This is optimal to breach ownership controversies between community and state forests in Cameroon.

SOURCE: USDA 2010

Pacific Northwest

Visited sites in Oregon and Washington during winter

Source:www.fs.fed.us/pnw/

Research Methodology to address issue In this comparative study, GIS schemes in Cameroon were considered. PNW, data on how GIS is integrated in forest management was obtained from the four sources below. -Federal forest agencies -State forest agencies -Private land forest owners/private GIS firms. -General public and academics Data collection methods: -Obtained data from field interviews and observations. -Emails with resource persons -Internet sources/library materials -Networking with other WFI fellows

Forest GIS data and institutional connections in the PNW.

FEDERAL

STATE

PRIVATE

ROADS

USDA State departments Private contractors/ organizations

USFS

USDI

BIA

BLM USFWS USGS

NPS

Case Study 1: The H.J Andrews Experimental Forest

H.J.A. contracts with a private GIS firm to determine tree height and biomass production in old growth forest, using LIDAR technology data and map overlays.

Research at Andrews forest includes managing forest for timber production and protecting watersheds to maintain water supplies in metro areas. Ecological disturbances are monitored in sets of thematic maps integrated in GIS data layers-an ecologically credible way of integrating GIS in their management.

Case Study 2: Wind River Experimental Forest

• • • • • •

Wind River uses ESRI’s Arc view 3D GIS maps in modeling canopy structure on a 20ha old growth forest. This approach helped to determine biomass composition and carbon stocks within different canopy layers and topology.

Case Study 3: Oregon Department of Forestry – state forestland

GPL (GIS Project Leaders)

FIT( Framework Implementation Team)

OGIC PAC (Policy Advisory Committee)

LEADERSHIP

FGDC(Federal Geographic Data Committee)

The ODF placed GIS as a critical information asset in forest management under the Oregon Geographic Information Council (OGIC) –an administrative strategy to optimize GIS data reliability, privacy policy and continuity in providing decision makers/public quality geo-referenced forestry information. This makes state wide GIS to be legally responsible.

Case Study 4: Silver Falls State Park The park’s management obtains GIS data from the ODF.This also shows a strong state-coordinated GIS scheme.

To discourage poaching in this park an adaptive RS modeling approach is needed to safe more wild life.

Case Study 5: Port Blakeley Tree farms-private ownership.

PB’s 200,000ha forest in Washington is typical of a forest practice in line with the PNWFP. Its responsible strategies integrate threatened biodiversities and communities in its overall management. A GIS lab at PB PRIORITIZES these components to facilitate decision making.

Case Study 6: Mason, Bruce &Girard MB&G also integrates HRS(High Resolution Remote Sensing) data to add layers on existing GIS attributive images especially in difficult topographic forestlands. Data is shared with contracting parties, in the private and public sectors to model resource selection and habitat suitability of endangered flora an fauna. MB&G shows case of how GIS leads to ‘precision forestry’.

Case Study 7: Trust for Public Lands – non-profit organization

•The GPM (Green Print Model) makes TPL a key driver in conservation planning •A highly participatory model suitable to protected forests and wildlife sanctuaries schemes in Cameroon. A scale of 1:50,000 used in Salem with an online map tutorial for the public.

Case Study 8: Magness Memorial Tree Farm Geocaching and other improvisation techniques used to strengthen role of GIS education in bioconservation. GIS education is vital in Cameroon’s school curricula adapting local conservation know-how at a lower cost with higher benefit ratio.

Proposed GIS policy updates for Cameroon from lessons learned in the PNW. Leadership (NISC)

FGIS users collaboration schemes within state’s departments and the public

MINENP

MINARD

MINESEC

Technical Committee

Local government

Formal data sharing and other requirements

Policy body

Legislature

MINFOF

FGIS Advisory Board

External Organizations

Academia

Final Recommendations As a critical information asset, GIS application should be made a priority in forest/agroforestland management in Cameroon and the entire Congo. Considering the insufficiency in technological know-how, some adaptable strategies could be; •

Coordinated government and international effort to ensure leadership and enforcement in enhancing GIS strategic policy planning in Cameroon.

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Making GIS an agenda in school curriculums

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Prioritizing hot-spots during mapping save endangered species

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Encourage participatory mapping techniques that adds valuable information to the data base and show case of community involvement in management

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Using less-costly GIS software, use of downloadable free tools

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Promote collaboration and data sharing by different stakeholders, using online social media (twitter, face book, emails) via text messages(SMS) to ease data accessibility and credibility.

Acknowledgement I sincerely acknowledge the following people for their time, moral, logistics and financial support towards this project: • Mr. Harry. A Merlo for his grant award that permitted me to come to the US for this high level training. •

The Cameroonian Community in Oregon, for paying the grant money to match the Harry-A Merlo Award. People like Mr. Michael Mouzong, Mr. Michael, Suh, Mrs/Mr. Ngando, Mr. Joseph Nkemontoh and others not mentioned were hospitable to me throughout my stay in Portland.

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Dr. Rebecca McLain (Portland, Oregon), for her mentorship, financial and moral support towards my cause for over a decade now.

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Mrs. Sara W. Wu and Mrs. Chandalin Bennett (WFI Program Director and manager), for their time, concern and guidance throughout my six months project at the WFI.

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Dr. Michael Wilcox Junior (Tennessee State University) for his financial, academic and social support to me.

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The Entire WFC staff, Senior fellow-Mr.Rick Zenn and other WFI fellows, the OSU, organizations worked with in the PNW and others not mention provided me great assistance that will always stay in history.

THANK YOU FOR COMING TO JOIN ME IN THIS JOURNEY Elvis Tata, WFI Fellow -Cameroon 2011-2012

THE END. QUESTIONS