By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The West African Science
Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) is showcasing an
open-source digital decision support system designed to strengthen sustainable
land management in eastern West Africa, particularly in Benin and Ghana, at the
31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye.
The DecLaRe Toolbox,
developed under the project “Decision support for strengthening land resilience
in the face of global challenges” (DecLaRe), provides five interrelated tools
to support land management, agricultural innovation and public health planning.
WASCAL, a partner in the
DecLaRe project, is presenting the Toolbox at COP31 to demonstrate how
geospatial technologies and open-source digital tools can support stakeholders
and institutions in making informed decisions on land resilience.
The web-based platform
identifies suitable zones for agricultural innovation and possible human
micronutrient deficiencies using open-source online tools. It also stores
spatial data collected during the project for subsequent public use and
provides geospatial tools to train stakeholders and partner institutions.
The Toolbox is designed for
farmers, through extension agents and public health workers, as well as
practitioners, policymakers, decision-makers, researchers and students.
The University of Hohenheim
and TerraGIS Ltd. developed the Toolbox under the DecLaRe project, which is
funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space
(BMFTR).
WASCAL hosts and
disseminates the Toolbox, supporting access to the digital platform and its
resources for stakeholders working on sustainable land management and climate
resilience in the region.
