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Environmental
management co-ordination and monitoring
of natural resources achieved
at national, regional and district
planning levels.
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The EMC component
comprises 11 sub-components. Descriptions
of the activities to be undertaken
in this component are not available
in supporting documents, the main
tasks to be achieved are therefore
explained in detail. All sub components
will be supported by the Natural
Resources Management Project [IDA]
. Links will be established to
the supported Land Use Planning
Project.
EPA Five Year Strategic Plan
EPA
Revised Human Resource Development
Plan
Development
of Regional and District Environmental
Information Systems
Manuals
for Environmental Management at
District Level
National
Framework for Geo-spatial Information
Management (NAFGIM)
Development
of Census Information for EMC
Update
of Land Use Mapping
District
Level Environmental Management
Capacity Building
High
Forest Management Information
System [FMIS]
Savanna
Management Information System
[SMIS]
Wildlife
Management Information System
[WMIS]
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EPA
Five Year Strategic Plan
EPA
has initiated development of a
Five Year Strategic Plan that
will provide the broad planning
framework for setting the Agency's
medium term priorities. The Plan
will be finalised during NRMPI,
it will set out:
EPA's
vision and mission within the
context of the National Environmental
Policy;
Principles
which govern the Agency's approach
to environmental protection;
The
Agency's objectives and the key
strategic approaches to achieve
these objectives;
Specific
priority programmes/activities;
A
sustainable financial basis for
the Agency's operations.
The
Plan will be drafted in consultation
with EPA's stakeholders and will
be subject to public review. The
Plan will be submitted to the
EPA Board and Government for approval.
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EPA
Revised Human Resource Development
Plan
A
Human Resource Development Plan
[HRDP] with a five-year time horizon
will be developed in parallel
with the Strategic Plan. The HRDP
will ensure that EPA can maximise
the potential of its human resources
to meet the demands of the Five-Year
Strategic Plan. The HRD Plan will
take into account work done in
1994 to develop an earlier HRDP
while reflecting the changes that
have occurred since, particularly
in status and functions of the
organisation from an advisory
Council to a statutory body with
regulatory responsibilities. The
new HRD Plan will set out to:
Review
and assess changes in the organisational
environment since the 1995 report;
Define
HRD needs, especially training
needs and support for regional
offices;
Develop
specific objectives and strategies
for staff skill and staff qualities
development, recruitment, training,
career path development, succession
planning, performance assessment
and reward systems, monitoring
and evaluation of HRD function;
Identify
priority areas for development/enhancement
of existing HR systems/ processes
and documentation and make recommendations
for action;
Develop
training/staff attachment programme
proposals in areas of priority
need.
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Development of Regional and District
Environmental Information Systems
Environmental
Information Systems (EIS) are
an important decision support
"tool set" for resource managers
and development planners. The
objectives of EIS development
are to:
Facilitate
better integration of societal
and bio-physical information;
Assist
with the identification of sustainable
development issues;
Assist
with the formulation of remedial
policies.
During the Environmental Information Systems Development (EISD) project under
GERMP five data sets to support
environmental management decision-making
were produced:
topographic
information;
land
cover/land use;
soil
and land suitability;
land
ownership;
meteorological
information.
NRMP
I will make the EISD data sets
available in a format suitable
for use in regional and district
planning and decision-making.
The data will be organised according
to regions and packaged as independent
data sets. Each regional data
set will cover topography, landuse,
indicative land ownership, soils,
land suitability and census data
(1984) for the major settlements.
In addition, a set of sample decision
support applications, based on
key concerns of the region, will
be developed for each region.
The scale equivalent for the regional-level
data sets will be 1:250,000.
The
packages will be promoted through
training workshops, demonstrations
and the provision of appropriate
software. The Remote Sensing Applications
Unit [RSAU] will be contracted
to package datasets. RSAU will
liase with the EPA to acquire
the complete EISD dataset at no
additional cost to the NRMP. RSAU
will liase with the respective
regional authorities and the EPA
to identify the subject matter
for the prototype application
specific to the region. All the
sets of data, together with the
prototype applications, would
be pressed on CD-ROM for distribution
to the Regional Administration,
the EPA, the Departments of Forestry
and Wildlife, and the NDPC and
key ministries.
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Manuals
for Environmental Management at
District Level
Currently,
EPA works through its regional
offices to provide technical support
to the District Environmental
Management Committees [DEMCs]
with community environmental committees
below them. The effectiveness
of the support that can be offered
by the EPA to the districts and
communities is limited due to
logistical constraints. Many DEMCs
are not active while most communities
do not have environmental committees.
NRMP
I will help develop capacity at
district level for better environmental
management. Best practice manuals
will be prepared that describe
practical environmental management
practices suited to the problems
and resources of different districts.
The manuals will also give an
overview of government policy
on environmental issues, a summary
of applicable legislation and
its relation to local development
initiatives. The manuals will
assist district officials to carry
out specific environmental management
or mitigation activities. Workshops
will be held for district officers
in the use of the manuals.
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National
Framework for Geo-spatial Information
Management (NAFGIM)
In
March 1995, the Land Information
Project Operating Committee [LIPOC]
recommended that the LIPOC network
be expanded to include all institutions
concerned with geo-spatial information
management in Ghana, with particular
emphasis on the adoption of standards
and norms for the production and
exchange of data.
During
NRMP I, a National Framework for
Geo-spatial Information Management
(NAFGIM) will be established as
the main vehicle for co-ordinating
the production and exchange of
compatible geographically referenced
data sets within the information
community in Ghana. Once established,
NAFGIM will lower information
management costs by expanding
technical co-operation and by
clarifying data custodianship
and operational responsibilities.
It will also increase the use
of geo-spatial information in
environmental management and development
planning. NAFGIM will comprise:
A
National Geographic Information
Advisory Committee (NGIAC) to
provide political leadership
and authority for the development
and use of geo-spatial information;
A
stakeholder Forum open to all
institutions concerned with geo-spatial
information management. The Forum
will facilitate open discussion
of geo-spatial policy-issues,
and the establishment of mechanism
for the exchange of information
across sectors;
A
Secretariat that will work to
ensure the availability of core
data sets, and would facilitate
access to existing data, and promote
its exchange and increased use;
Data
centres comprising the various
national agencies and other institutions
that hold "custody" over various
data sets;
Working
groups that will focus on technical
issues, such as data harmonisation,
the maintenance of specific data
sets or data exchange and access
policies.
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Development
of Census Information for EMC
Data
on human demographics and activities
is a key element of decision making
for natural resource management.
Specific data types include demography
(age distribution, sex, ethnic
and marital status, education),
economics (income levels, employment,
occupations, industry, regional
growth), resource utilisation
(land, water, energy). Available
census data is not in a format
that lends itself to integration
with spatial data. Census data
has to be appropriately geo-referenced
to facilitate its use in a spatial
context. That is, the statistical
spatial units which the field
data refers to must be known and
incorporated in the database.
By this mechanism "data points"
can be mapped directly onto a
standard "base geography".
In
preparation for the next population
census the Ghana Statistical Service
is updating the national sampling
frame through mapping of the country
into enumeration areas (EAs).
There will be about 30,000 EAs
that will provide the spatial
frame for integrating census and
other demographic and socio-economic
data into geographically referenced
data sets. A geo-referenced version
of the 1984 census results, as
well as of the upcoming census
will be produced, that will allow
cross-analyses between population
and natural resources. The main
tasks to be completed in the sub
component are:
Transcription
of all existing (30,000) EA boundaries
onto standard 1:50,000 topo. maps;
Scanning
of the EA boundaries sheet by
sheet;
Map-joining
, editing and building topology;
Generation
and assembly of "EA polygons"
and "EA centroids" for districts
and regions;
Re-assignment
of the 1984 Census data to the
new 30,000 EAs;
Conversion
of existing (previous) census
records from tape to CD-ROM;
Establishment
of links between "EA polygons"
and "EA centroids" with census
data.
Key
staff will be placed on training
attachments abroad or locally
to familiarise them with the techniques
and operational procedures involved
in a task of this nature. Technical
staff of the Ghana Statistical
Service will also receive training
locally on the software, hardware
and various processes involved.
The data will be pressed on to
CD-ROM to facilitate its dissemination
and use.
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Update
of Land Use Mapping
The
EISD component of GERMP developed
a land cover/land use database.
Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery
was used as the basis for developing
the database. The imagery used
is from late 1990 and early 1991.
There have been considerable changes
in the landscape since the images
were acquired; the land cover/land
use data generated through the
GERMP/EISD project is out of date
and needs updating using current
imagery. The principal
outputs of the sub-component will
be:
A
complete satellite imagery coverage
for 1999/2000 as the base year;
A
new and more current data set
on land cover and use patterns
in Ghana;
New
land use maps at the scale equivalent
of 1:250,000;
Enhanced
technical, analytical and managerial
skills of RSAU personnel;
Trends
analysis of land use changes.
The
main tasks to be completed in
the sub component are:
Acquisition
of satellite imagery;
Image
processing and information extraction
(interpretation);
Field
validation of extracted information;
Characterisation
of land cover/land use classes;
Updating
of land use bulletins;
Technical,
analytical and managerial training;
Generation
of trend analysis in land use
and vegetation.
The
RSAU will be engaged by the EPA
to undertake the sub component.
New satellite imagery, either
Landsat and/or the Indian (IRS-C)
imagery will be used as will the
Land Use Classification Scheme
developed for the EISD land cover/land
use database. The digital topographic
dataset developed by the Survey
Department will be used as the
standard spatial framework.
District
Level Environmental Management
Capacity Building
NRMP
I will increase the capability
of district level staff (particularly
those on the DEMCs) by providing
environmental profiles that highlight
the environmental issues most
pertinent to the region or district
in question (and ideally identify
quantitative or qualitative indicators
against which future improvement
or degradation can be assessed).
NRMP
I will strengthen the capacity
of district level environmental
management committees to prepare
local environmental action plans
on catchment level land use planning.
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High
Forest Management Information
System [FMIS]
The
GFS will develop a Forest Management
Information System [FMIS]. The
FMIS will assist in meeting NRMP
and GFS reporting requirements
and monitoring of forest revenue
flows and forest exploitation.
The system will build upon current
information modules used by the
Forest Department. The FMIS co-ordinating
unit will be located at the FMSC.
FMIS
will involve district, regional
and central units. Computer equipment
will be provided, databases established
and software applications developed
to target specific management
functions. Specialised training
and technical assistance will
be provided. The system will be
gradually developed during NRMP
I, following an assessment of
capacity and needs.
The
fundamental management units in
the HFZ are the compartment for
forest reserves, and the TUC for
off-reserve areas. The FMIS will
support the production of maps
required for strategic planning
and monitoring of forest operations
and biodiversity. The database
will use the 1:50,000 digital
maps from Survey Department as
a base geographic frame.
The
FMIS will also hold information
derived from stock surveys. Opportunities
offered by technologies such as
GPS will be considered. GPS positioning
will allow the Forest Service
to tie data collected during stock
surveys with certificates of conveyance
and log information forms, thus
providing a seamless monitoring
of forest resources. Links will
be established with the log-tracking
element of the Certification Project.
FMIS could also include a module
in support of forest policy and
planning, based on the data developed
under the GERMP EIS component.
The FMIS will be piloted in NRMP
I before replication in all forest
regions in NRMP II. Staff will
be trained in GIS applications,
data collection, validation, storage
and processing, remote sensing
and GPS. Links will be established
between the Forest Service and
other agencies in the sector.
TSP
inventory data from areas will
be sent on hard copies on CD writers
to FMSC for processing, verification
and storage. The regions will
maintain databases relating to
the forest reserves. The FMSC
will develop templates for capturing
post harvest data with respect
to stock survey, tree information,
log information, conveyance stumpage
fees, revenue, expenditure. This
will be conveyed to the Head Office
and the regions via e-mail.
To
support the decentralisation of
PSP inventory, capacity building
of the regions and the districts
will be undertaken. TUC holders
will also be trained in data collection.
The FMSC will establish the integrity
of internal and external reserve
boundaries and will define management
zones within pilot FMUs. The FMSC
will undertake frequent field
audits to verify data captured.
A
tree-mapping programme known as
TREMA has been developed by OFI.
This programmed has a number of
potentially useful applications
including; stock survey mapping,
log tracking and biodiversity
database management. During NRMP
I the potential applications of
this programme will be investigated
and tested.
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Savanna
Management Information System
[SMIS]
The
SMIS will support the functions
of the SRMC and its collaborators.
The SMIS will include modules
to manage and track activities
relating to biophysical and socio-economic
base line studies, expenditures,
staff and budgets. SMIS will also
include modules to manage geo-referenced
natural resource information at
a scale of 1: 50,000 such as land
cover, soils, biodiversity and
topography, required for management
planning in pilot areas.
The
SRMC will commission data custodian
institutions (such as SRI, RSAU
& Survey Department) to provide
information for an area of approximately
250,000 hectares. Data base development
will include the participation
of local populations to incorporate
their perception of the status
of natural resources and historical
changes. SRMC will acquire hardware
and soft ware for the SMIS and
other collaborating agencies,
the 3 regional offices of Forestry,
Agriculture and the NCWD, and
for each of the district forest
units.
Staff
of SRMC will be given training
in GIS applications, data collection,
and GIS use. A remote Sensing/GIS
expert will be stationed at the
SRMC. Technical assistance in
SMIS will be required to train
staff and to develop modules and
software to link databases. The
computer system will be networked.
The SMIS will also comprise a
NRM planning module based on the
1/250,000 and 1/50,000 data packages
developed under GERMP.
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Wildlife
Management Information System
[WMIS]
A
Wildlife management Information
System (WMIS) will be developed
to support NRMP wildlife activities,
planning, research and monitoring,
meetings and conferences, library
information, project management,
expenditures, personnel records,
and budgets. During NRMP I the
emphasis will be on NRMP wildlife
activities, research and monitoring.
The
WMIS will include modules to manage
Biodiversity information, in particular
information collected from the
18 Protected Areas. The existing
digital information will be converted
to a new format. NRMP will provide
equipment, training, as well as
technical assistance to design
the system, and produce its database
and software applications.
The
WMIS will provide the foundation
of a decision support system for
WD. Once the basic data gathering
and entry system with its standard
reporting are operational, applications
involving decision making and
analysis will be developed.
The
WMIS will comprise a central system
at headquarters and 18 sub-systems
managed by Park Managers. RSAU
will supervise the development
of the systems, acquiring hardware
and software, purchase of office
and field equipment, training
of staff, establishment of databases
and updating the system.
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The
tasks to be completed in the sub-component
are:
Information
system needs assessment for WRM
Specification
of the system software and hardware
Identification
of human resource and training
needs
Procurement,
installation and testing
Design
of the information system
Applications
development
Preparation
of manuals
Organisation
of a workshop on the information
system design
Conversion
of existing data to the new system
Training
Development
of applications in wildlife management
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Key
Performance Indicators and Means
of Verification for EMC
In
summary, the successful outcome
of this component will be measured
by the following key performance
indicators and verifiers.
The
EPA five year Strategic Plan and
the revised Human Resources Development
Plan adopted. Refer EPA annual
reports to verify
Regional
and district level EIS capacity
developed. Refer NRMP annual report.
Manuals
for district level environmental
management prepared. Refer Manuals.
National
framework for geo-spatial information
management developed.
Census
information for EMC developed.
Refer NRMP annual report.
Land
use mapping database updated.
Refer new land use maps to verify.
Forest
Management Information System
developed. Refer NRMP annual report.
Savanna
Management Information System
developed. Refer NRMP annual report.
Wildlife
Management Information System
developed. Refer NRMP annual report.
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