The second and final workshop of the project ‘Using Satellite Images for Wetland Management and Planning in Africa’ took place from the 8-15th of July 2020 in a virtual session. The meeting was co-organised by the Government of Benin and Jena-Optronik, with support from the secretariat
Thirty participants from ten countries attended the workshop. During the five-day meeting, the participants attended a series of lectures, practical working exercises and experience sharing sessions.
Participants shared country experiences on the state of wetlands mapping and management in their respective countries. Case studies from Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal and Zambia were shared. These countries appear to be more advanced in the use of satellite images in the management of their wetlands. Senegal highlighted the use of satellite image technology to manage invasive species.
Lecture sessions included basics of satellite data sourcing, processing, geo-classification and processing to obtain maps and practical exercise sessions. The training sessions, also, provided by the Ramsar Regional Initiatives (Senegalwet, WACOwet and RAMCEA), were to identify transboundary issues and opportunities for addressing them using satellite-derived maps and other relevant visual tool-kits.
From the testimonials at the end of the workshop, the participants had either acquired or strengthened new mapping skills. One of the participants Anne-Marie Jesugnon, Benin, said ‘Mapping is at the core of wetlands management. At the beginning of this training, I knew nothing about mapping, but as we close this workshop, I can say I understand some of the basic concepts and in am going to share these lessons with my colleagues’. In their closing remarks, some of the participants expressed the wish for the possibility of bi-annual refresher training on how to use satellite Images for Wetland Management and Planning.
