Capacity building for committed actors (…) – Gabonews

2024-04-04 11:30:18

Capacity building for stakeholders involved in the management and operationalization of the forest-timber sector in Makokou, Ovan, Boué and Mékambo

4 avril 2024

Makokou on March 30, 2024. The Provincial Directorate of Water and Forests of Ogooué-Ivindo and the NGOs Conservation Justice and Brainforest organized on March 26 and 27, 2024 in Makokou, and March 29 and 30 in Mekambo, a strengthening workshop capacities intended for actors engaged in the management and operationalization of the forest-timber sector in the departments of Ivindo and Zadié. The towns of Ovan and Booué will also be affected in the following days.

These training courses made it possible to raise awareness and inform these stakeholders in the forestry sector on the themes which most often are a source of conflict within rural communities. The themes discussed revolved around Contractual Specifications (CCC), the Project Management and Monitoring Committee (CGSP), Local Development Funds (FDL)

and Community Forests (CF).

« This workshop has a dual objective. The first is to strengthen the capacities of populations impacted by logging, in order to enable them to better manage the local development fund, so that projects are increasingly monitored, and that the process of signing notebooks of contractual charges are well known by the communities on the one hand. And, on the other hand, the workshop consists of giving populations as many tools as possible to enable them to better manage community forests. », explained Colonel Célestin NDINGA GNAMA, Provincial Director of Water and Forests of Ogooué-Ivindo.

Speaking in place of the Governor of the Ogooué-Ivindo Province who was unable to attend, Adelaide Chantal NGOVET married NKOGHE, Prefect of the Ivindo department, also president of the CSGP of the said administrative district, did not fail to welcome this initiative which allows stakeholders to discuss in depth on subjects as essential as management rules within forests, the establishment of contractual specifications, the management of projects financed by the FDL and forestry community.

For the Prefect, this sharing of experience is necessary to instill a new dynamic

in the relationships that link communities to their partners, therefore in the development

localities.

In Gabon, these technical questions are part of the social mechanisms put in place by the State to allow communities to drive their development destiny by themselves. Contractual specifications (CCC) are in fact contracts signed between companies and village communities concerned by logging in a given area. As for community forests, their development allows communities to have a set of means enabling them to develop income-generating activities.

For their part, the populations congratulated this initiative which according to Elie-Nloh Hubert-Bled, Chief of Canton Ntang-Louli, also president of the Ebyeng Edzuameniene (A2E) association, “ will avoid confusion “. Because according to him, not everyone masters the workings of community forestry. “ Today, the workshop taught us many things to avoid slip-ups. “, he stressed. A position shared by the communities of other villages who expressed the wish to see this initiative renewed.