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| Geospatial Data Collection of Electrical Infrastructure in Nigeria |
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Trimble MX7 Mobile Mapper device
Source: Nigerian Energy Support Programme II (2023) |
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A critical factor for effective and proper planning towards energy access is the availability of data on the existing electricity grid, as it allows for the selection of an optimal access approach – Grid Extension, Isolated Mini-grids or Solar Home Systems. In Nigeria, datasets on existing grid infrastructure are not readily available and where available, they are not in digital georeferenced formats.
The Nigerian Energy Support Programme (NESP) in meeting its data collection objectives has developed an innovative geospatial data collection methodology based on mobile mapping technology – Trimble MX7. The first of its kind in Nigeria’s energy sector. In deploying this approach, NESP in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Power (FMP) in Nigeria embarked on a nationwide exercise to map and document data on the existing power grid at voltage levels of 11 kV and 33 kV which are closer to the last mile access.
The Trimble MX7 device is a vehicle-mountable survey equipment that captures geospatial data using remote sensing technology while driving at highway speed. With 6 cameras, the device can capture 30-megapixel 360-degree panorama images and can be configured to capture data at 1-meter drive intervals. With an embedded Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Inertial Referencing System, panoramic images captured on the field can be georeferenced and relevant features digitized.
NESP has successfully deployed this device to several sites for data-gathering missions. In the pilot mission in the suburbs of the Capital Territory of Abuja in November 2021, over 30km of grid data was collected in three peri-urban communities in just three days! Conventionally, doing this with field crew would take close to 30 working days thereby saving allowing significant work to be done at a fraction of the usual cost. Following the post-processing of the gathered data, information on relevant grid assets like poles and distribution transformers was extracted. Subsequently, two additional missions were conducted in Sokoto and Nasarawa states; the following datasets were gathered from these missions – 4,810 poles, 111 transformers, and 195 km of medium voltage grid data split between the 11 kV and 33 kV. NESP plans to continue deploying the mobile mapper to more states within Nigeria.
The mobile mapper technology will allow NESP to capture georeferenced images and digitize features for electrical infrastructure inventory, management and planning. It further allows an additional level of detail by granting the ability to visually inspect electrical assets for periodic maintenance. The digitized data on electric grid components are hosted in the Nigeria E4ALL Open Data Portal where different stakeholders can access, interact and analyse to make informed decisions on planning for energy access.
To learn more, watch this "Geospatial Data Collection on Electrical Infrastructure with Mobile Mapping Technology” video about our mobile mapping project.
NESP is a technical assistance programme co-funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). It is jointly implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Power (FMP).
Contact:
Temitope Omowumi Advisor, Electrification Planning
Milos Karic Advisor, Electrification Planning
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Mobile Mapping mission in progress
Source: Nigerian Energy Support Programme II (2023) |
Screenshot of Mapped Grid data on the portal
Source: Nigerian Energy Support Programme II (2023) |
Utilizing digital technology to enhance citizen participation in spatial planning in Palestinian Territories
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Spatial planning is a process that takes place at multiple levels of government, involves several stakeholders, and requires citizen participation. The complexity of urban systems necessitates understanding outcomes of the spatial plans and their environmental, societal, and economic implications.
The GIZ Local Governance Reform Programme (LGRP) II orchestrates cooperation among the Palestinian Ministry of Local Government (MoLG), the Digital City Science Group at HafenCity University, Hamburg (DCS-HCU), and An-Najah National University, Palestinian Territories (ANNU) to promote use of innovative technology tools in urban planning. In this context, DSC-HCU transfers knowledge on the application of advanced technology in spatial and urban planning using the Toolkit for Open and Sustainable City Planning and Analysis (TOSCA), a web-based application for interactive spatial planning with support for multi-touch screen tables that can be used by experts and non-experts. ANNU acts as the incubator for knowledge transfer to the Palestinian context through incorporating transferred knowledge in teaching activities and supporting MoLG in the uptake and application of the developed tools. The aim is to demonstrate the utility and applicability of advanced –yet practical– digital tools in urban planning and to enable local partners, including government and academia, to utilize technology for inclusive, data-driven urban planning.
We aim to achieve knowledge transfer in utilizing digital technology in spatial planning through the use case of housing development outside the boundaries of urban master plans in Palestinian Territories. Housing development outside urban master plans occurs mostly in agricultural land and, therefore, undergoes the special requirements of developing detailed spatial plans and collecting citizen objections on them before permits are granted for developers. The GIS based TOSCA enables public administrators to quantify impacts of the spatial plans and enhance the quality of citizen participation in the process with improved geographic visualization of urban plans and convenient interfaces for citizens to lodge objections. Design and functionality of the developed tool required conducting several workshops with stakeholders including governmental organizations, local authorities, real estate developers, and citizens.
With the software part of the digital tool prototyped, cooperation partners are currently working on integrating a portable and economical touch screen table to provide an interactive platform for analytics, geovisualization, and user input. This is being developed in close cooperation between DSC-HCU, MoLG and ANNU. This setup allows implementation of additional use cases where enhanced public participation, advanced analytics, or interinstitutional decision making is necessary. It also fosters collaboration between public institutions and academia on improving policies and processes of spatial planning in the country.
Contact:
Anas Altartouri, Development Advisor, Local Governance Reform Programme II
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| Digital Transformation to support strategic decision-making in integrated water resource management in a climate change context |
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Decision-making in a context of climate uncertainty is a complex process to find a solution or alternative to a problem, in which managing relevant information is crucial. The integration and digitization of geographic data and documentary information are lines of action at the center of a cultural change on a global scale.
The existence of multiple scattered, non-compatible, contradictory data, from different sources, and with restricted access only to employees of the institutions, which is only understandable by experts, leads to duplication of efforts (e. g. national, sectoral, subnational, among others), the loss of data and an asymmetry of access to it for interested stakeholders.
With the support of the Integrated Rural Development Programme at river basin scale (PROCUENCA) in Bolivia in cooperation with the subnational governments three decentralized online open source geoinformation systems have been developed. Initially the systems were developed for 3 water basins focusing on the main hydro-environmental problems to attend but were amplified to be used for the whole area of each departments of Tarija, Santa Cruz and Chuquisaca. The information systems seek to contribute towards a new data culture for integrated decision making for the management of water and other natural resources. Target groups are authorities, public officials, consultants, academics, students, among others, who contribute to prioritizing actions and public investment, planning processes, management, monitoring and evaluation regarding integrated water use in basins, especially in a context of climate change.
The systems, free of access to the public, provide tools and techniques for the interactive visualization, editing and analysis of geospatial data, as well as the storage of archives. All data and information can be downloaded.
All 3 information systems have been handed over to the subnational governments, which oversee the administration of the systems. Currently, on one side, intra-institutional agreements have been developed with different departments within the subnational governments with a focus on institutional and regulatory aspects. On the other hand, inter-institutional agreements are being developed with universities and NGOs to support the upload of available data on a continuous basis. The subnational government of Tarija already created their own unit with 3 employees exclusively dedicated to implementation of information system. Decision making based on the system is already taking place for example for the planification of irrigation projects in Tarija and early warning and management of forest fires in Santa Cruz.
This cultural and process change goes beyond delivering software but supporting digital transformation in different governmental institutions The challenges include the recurring updating of data, (inter)institutional capacities and synergies, interoperability and the sustainability of systems. Next steps include the linkage with the national systems of the Ministry of Environment and Water, the consolidation of cooperation partners for alimentation of data, support the administrators to have regulatory frameworks, financial and human resources, and the dissemination to the wider public.
Contact:
Sören Rüd, Teamleader GIZ PROCUENCA
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Functions of the information Systems
Source: Adrian Castillo (2023) |
| Advancing land restoration actions in the Kingdom of Lesotho: Remote sensing data and land cover statistics tool inform Integrated Catchment Management |
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Severe land degradation, including excessive soil erosion caused by water run-off, inappropriate agronomic practices and overgrazing are the main contributors to declining food security in Lesotho. Encroachment of settlements, low productivity of cropland are negatively impacting crop acreage and yield. This situation is exacerbated by climate change which further challenges the resilience of agriculture as well as of natural resources. The need for evidence-based planning and decision-making is critical in the protection and sustainable exploitation of Lesotho’s natural resources. Furthermore, monitoring of land degradation at a national, sub-national and community level is key in informing efficient planning and implementation of as well as sound reporting on land restoration actions.
The Support to Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) in Lesotho, in partnership with the European Union has supported the Government of Lesotho with the development of a land cover statistics tool under the national programme and movement ReNOKA – We are a River, contributing to the management of natural resources.
Remote sensing data and land cover maps are valuable tools to allow national-scale monitoring as well as reporting under the SDG framework. In this context, the capacity of Government of Lesotho to regularly produce standardized annual national land cover maps is essential to produce baselines, analyze land cover changes over time, and identify land cover transition processes that lead to degradation.
The NextGen-Land Cover database provides a critical baseline to monitor and evaluate land degradation, effectiveness of integrated catchment management measures which have been put in place to reverse and slow the rate of natural resources depletion. This has been evidenced in all catchment management areas. The Upper Mohokare catchment, in Khubelu, has seen most degradation of the wetlands which can be statistically measured.
This database meets institutions needs to assess accurately and rapidly the status, and trends of various components of the country’s renewable resources. These processes enable the government to identify areas where ameliorative actions should be taken and existing development opportunities especially in the case of depletion of natural resources. The NextGen-database provides a foundational information layer, and a scalable solution that can further enable specialized monitoring and advisory services such as climate-smart agriculture, carbon sequestration potential, water productivity and SDG monitoring for the improvement of livelihoods.
The NextGen datasets create the opportunity for a broad range of applications and contributions in the area of:
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Agriculture and rural development planning |
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Livelihoods and food security policy analysis and programming |
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Agriculture, land and water monitoring and assessment |
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Assessment of the land cover change and its environmental impact over time, e.g. land erosion and degradation assessment and disaster risk analysis |
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Above-ground biomass assessment and change over time |
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Crop and livestock monitoring and forecasting |
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Agricultural economics, market information and statistics services |
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Demographic and nutrition studies
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The development of the landcover database and the roadmap were made possible by the contribution of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Lesotho as part of a grant agreement under the Joint-EU / BMZ Action “Support to Integrated Catchment Management (ICM) in Lesotho” implemented by GIZ. With support from the FAO, the ReNOKA programme has capacitated local experts from government, parastatals, universities, development partners, CSOs and NGOs in the sampling, collecting data, analysing, updating landcover maps and the database.
Contact:
Keitumetse Tsubane, Junior Advisor – Data and Learning, ICM
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Lesotho land cover statistics tool
Source: ReNOKA |
| High Carbon Stock Approach: Mapping Forests to Combat Climate Change and Protect Livelihoods in Indonesia |
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Participants during the field plot data collection
Source: HCSA Foundation (2023) |
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Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time, and deforestation is a significant contributor to this problem. According to the World Resources Institute, Indonesia is one of the countries most affected by climate change and deforestation, with over 70% of the country's forests having been lost or degraded over the past 50 years. This alarming loss of forest cover poses a significant threat not only to the environment and biodiversity but also to the livelihoods of local and indigenous communities who depend on the forests for their survival.
To combat this problem, mapping forest areas has become an essential step in making informed decisions about which areas to protect from deforestation and promoting sustainable supply chains with smallholders.
The HCS Foundation, a non-profit organization with a mission to promote forest conservation and ecosystem protection. They use the HCSA to provide guidance on identifying, managing, and monitoring High Carbon Stock forests, which helps ensure that forest maps accurately reflect the conditions on the ground. By supporting responsible land use practices, HCSA has the potential to support the prevention deforestation, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and safeguard the rights and livelihoods of local communities.
With the financial support of the GIZ Fair Forward initiative, HCSA is working with Jaringan Kerja Pemetaan Partisipatif, or JKPP (in English: Indonesian Community Mapping Network) to gather important information about trees throughout Indonesia's forests. This data will help improve the accuracy of forest classification using Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Collecting the required data on trees and their potential to absorb carbon is a collaborative team effort. Together with Ekologika, a network for participatory mapping groups, and JKPP, HCSA trained over 40 participants in how to collect the necessary data about trees, their types, and sizes as well as how much carbon they store.
Their support in the data collection is so important because they know how to engage communities and landowners in the data collection in a way that is based on ownership and local approval.
Resulting open access forest maps are essential tools for protecting forests on a large scale and are used by governments and stakeholders to regulate land use and protect indigenous communities.
Contact:
Ruth Schmidt, Advisor AI, Fair Forward
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Participants during the data collection workshop that took place in Bogor from April 14-16 2023
Source: HCSA Foundation (2023) |
Participants during the field plot data collection
Source: HCSA Foundation (2023) |
| Restoring Forests in Côte d’Ivoire: The African Biomass Challenge |
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Biomass data collection
Source: Fair Forward (2023) |
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Cocoa farming has long been a major source of deforestation in West Africa, particularly in Côte d’Ivoire, the world's top cocoa exporter. Sadly, since gaining independence in 1960, the country has lost 80% of its forests, leaving a devastating impact on the environment and the people who rely on it for their livelihoods.
To address this issue, the Ivorian government and private sector prioritize planting shade trees to restore tree cover and improve carbon capture and storage in the region. This is a crucial factor for mitigating the impact of climate change by removing greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing them in plants, trees, and soil.
Measuring the impact of reforestation efforts is no easy feat and often requires expensive and labor-intensive ground surveys to estimate biomass. To overcome this challenge, the African Biomass Challenge (ABC) aims to predict biomass in shaded areas of Côte d’Ivoire using a combination of drone and publicly available satellite imagery, along with ground truth biomass data. By remotely monitoring the increase in biomass, the challenge can measure the impact of reforestation efforts and detect any degradation caused by cocoa farming.
"I'm thrilled to see opportunities like the African Biomass Challenge that are relevant to my country. Let this be the first of many to come, and may it inspire more Ivorians to join the competition and showcase their skills," a Zindi hackathon participant remarked.
The African Biomass Challenge (ABC) was launched by GIZ initiatives INA and FAIR Forward - AI for All as well as the GIZ project Agrichains in partnership with scientists, researchers, and data scientists from BNETD (Bureau National d'Études Techniques et de Développement), data354, the EcoVision lab of University of Zurich and the University of Queensland. Together, these project partners are supporting the development of new and low-cost solutions to accurately estimate aboveground biomass. These enable use cases in areas such as sustainable agriculture, reforestation, or green finance in Africa.
To learn more about the challenge, check out the following video “GIZ 2023 – Hackathon”.
Are you interested in participating in the challenge?
Visit the competition page on Zindi Africa and access the data needed to support solutions for reforestation in Côte d’Ivoire.
Contact:
Ruth Schmidt and Elikplim Sabblah, Advisors AI, Fair Forward
Henriette Walz, Head of Component, Agrichains
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Biomass data collection
Source: Fair Forward (2023) |
Drone image of canopy heights of trees
Source: Fair Forward (2023) |
| Space & Stressed Tomatoes – using AI & Machine Learning for Precision Agriculture in South Africa |
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Participants in groups work using instruments and collecting ground truth data
Source: GIZ (2022) |
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GIZ project “FAIR Forward – Artificial Intelligence for All” piloted a pioneering Earth Observation training in South Africa. The training, called ML4EO-2022 (Machine Learning for Earth Observation), was designed to be interactive and equip participants with practical skills and knowledge to use machine learning (ML) and enhance food production through increased yield, efficiency and quality.
Partners to ML4EO 2022 were Dept. of Science and Innovation, South African National Space Agency, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Wits University, and Agricultural Research Council of South Africa. Move Beyond Consulting was contracted to develop and implement this training.
234 applications were received globally, with 133 coming from South Africa. A rigorous selection process saw 20 professionals (9 female, 11 male) chosen. Participant backgrounds ranged from remote sensing and ML application to smart agriculture and even actuarial science. From April - July 2022, they engaged in intense training and a field trip to Limpopo province, where they experienced collecting ground truth data, drone usage, agricultural instrumentation usage and learnt data analysis. They also engaged local farmers for insights into the challenges and opportunities in local farming.
Modules covered included introduction to agriculture remote sensing, classification-based remote sensing applications and machine learning modelling of important agricultural crop parameters. The field trip module also required participants to conduct research and present a case study (project). The training concluded with teams presenting their final projects.
The case study projects ranged from detecting tomato stress, weed detection and crop mapping to even developing a new type of agricultural insurance using earth observation. The training was a resounding success, with most participants indicating they could apply the acquired knowledge and adapt the training into their own teaching (academic) and work environments. Post-project feedback indicated participants were encouraged and comfortable with applying machine learning at work.
The type of training crafts a new standard for capacity development in Earth Observation and can revolutionize precision agriculture. Content of this training is being adapted in ML4EO in Rwanda.
The programme report details on planning and delivery, student / alumni and facilitator feedback, a study of current Earth Observation and machine learning skills, agricultural sector landscape and suggestions for sustainability.
FAIR Forward is pleased to announce that a replication kit, together with all the datasets developed and project papers, will be available as an open educational resource.
Contact:
Ruth Schmidt and Elikplim Sabblah, Advisors AI, Fair Forward
Henriette Walz, Head of Component, Agrichains |
Participants during the field trip to Limpopo 2022
Source: GIZ (2022) |
Team presenting their research and final project at closing ceremony
Source: GIZ (2022) |
| Climate Action Platform for Africa - Africa’s Potential for Carbon Removal |
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Nature Based Carbon Removal Potential in Kenya
Source: LOCAN Analysis |
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Africa has the potential to take a leading role in carbon removal to address climate change, due to the abundance of resources such as labour, land, and ecosystems that sequester large amounts of carbon.
Dalberg Research (DR) together with United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and Earthrise, were tasked by the Climate Action Platform (CAP-A), to explore carbon removal opportunities to unlock Africa’s potential as a global hub for climate action. This partnership started in 2021 and is still running currently.
To achieve this, DR’s Location Analytics team (LOCAN) leveraged its remote sensing and geographical information capabilities and supported the development by:
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Identifying potential areas for carbon sequestration within Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Malawi, Ethiopia and Rwanda. LOCAN supported the development of indices by providing biophysical, demographic, socioeconomic and labour dynamics at a granular level for each country. These indices were then layered with nature-based carbon removal potential in the platform to show the potential of leveraging nature as a carbon sequestration alternative. |
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Enhancing the platform to identify potential areas for green hydrogen production. Achieved by factoring in areas with renewable energy, accessibility to supporting infrastructure, suitable land cover, available water, and land area. |
This translated into identifying carbon capture opportunities, which will benefit with job creation and giving a local context of the various options to decision makers. We were able to identify high granular mapping of suitable production areas for green hydrogen, predictions on the amount of green hydrogen that can be produced and implied impacts on electric power production per capita for the six countries. Through the enhanced platform, decision-makers can now access critical information on African carbon capture potential and green hydrogen production to help Africa mitigate the effects of climate change and take the lead in the fight against it.
Contact:
Clara Mundia, Director Location Analytics, Dalberg Research
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Potential Areas of Green H2 Production in Kenya
Source: LOCAN Analysis |
| The DSCs two-fold approach to unlock the power of spatial data |
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At the moment GIZ's Data Service Center (DSC) is jointly with other departments working on two key issues: data-driven project planning and the development of a Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI). The aim is to unleash the power of spatial data in development cooperation in general but also specifically in GIZ, leading to more effective and targeted interventions.
The DSC will support a data-driven approach to project planning in the areas of public finance, private sector engagement and environment with expertise in data research, processing, and visualization. Spatial data is particularly important in the environment sector. It helps better understand environmental factors such as climate change, biodiversity, and pollution on specific geographic areas. This can guide the development of effective and targeted interventions to address environmental challenges and promote sustainable development. We plan to implement this into 15 project planning campaigns by end of the year.
An SDI can help a large organization like GIZ by providing a centralized system for managing, sharing, and accessing geospatial data. This is essential for informed decision-making, leading to more effective and impactful development interventions. GIZ is currently working on the first iteration of an SDI that will allow geospatial data to be uploaded, stored, and catalogued in a variety of formats. Users will be able to filter and search for data by various attributes, and preview and download the datasets. This first iteration of the SDI is expected to be available by the end of the year, with additional features and capabilities to be added in future iterations.
Contact:
Gunnar Hesch Advisor, GIZ Sectoral Department 4E20
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| Lacuna 2023 Climate & Forests Call: A Funding Opportunity to Help Preserve Our Planet's Forests |
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Tropical Forest
Source: unsplash |
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Fair Forward would like to draw your attention to the Lacuna Climate & Forests call - a funding opportunity that supports the creation, aggregation, and maintenance of open datasets for training and evaluating machine learning models. This call is facilitated by Meridian Institute to bridge the gap in access to labelled datasets in low- and middle-income countries, enabling researchers, data scientists, and social entrepreneurs to develop and apply machine learning models to support communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America affected by climate change.
The Climate & Forest call is funded by FAIR Forward and is open to proposals from countries on the BMZ Country List, with a particular focus on FAIR Forward partner countries, including Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, India, and Indonesia.
The Lacuna Fund initiative has supported several fascinating projects in the past, including agriculture and language datasets. Now, the call invites proposals from organizations interested in developing datasets that can enhance our understanding of the relationship between climate change and forests.These datasets will play a crucial role in generating interventions that could mitigate climate change's impacts on forests.
To apply for the Lacuna Climate & Forests call, submit your proposal by June 1st, 2023. Check out the Request for Proposals and the following resources for more info and a list of suggested datasets.
If you need more information or tips on how to write a successful proposal, contact Ruth Schmidt and Jonas Nothnagel.
Contact:
Ruth Schmidt, Advisor AI, Fair Forward. |
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