From October 31st through November 10th, the NOAA Blue Carbon Inventory (BCI) Project, managed by the Climate Program Office’s Adaptation Sciences program, delivered two capacity building workshops in Accra, Ghana to around 20 Government of Ghana staff and partners. These workshops engaged 15 different organizations in Ghana, including federal agencies, academic, non-profit, and community institutions.
The first BCI Project workshop (October 31st-November 2nd) focused on blue carbon field data collection and was delivered by NOAA BCI Project partners Dr. Steve Crooks and Dr. Lisa Beers (Silvestrum Climate Associates), and Jaxine Wolfe (Smithsonian Environmental Research Center). This training provided theoretical background on blue carbon and field sampling, as well as a field visit and hands-on demonstration of mangrove field sampling. This workshop supports the collection and use of Ghana’s data for greenhouse gas inventory development.
The second BCI Project workshop (November 6-10) was delivered by the NOAA Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Center partners Dr. Gabrielle Johnson, Jillian Neuberger, and Mary Sue Brancato, and focused on coastal and marine management of blue carbon ecosystems. This training provided the basics of blue carbon science, good management practices including monitoring and threat reduction for blue carbon habitats (for both mangroves and seagrasses), and knowledge sharing on restoration and community-based management strategies. The MPA Center team was also joined in Accra by Joseph Naughton (NOAA OAR International Activities Office) who presented on relevant NOAA’s international partnerships and engagements, with a specific focus on the western Africa regional context.
Through these workshops, the NOAA BCI Project has started a technical exchange that bolsters the Government of Ghana’s ability to inventory, protect, and restore blue carbon ecosystems, contributing to national and global climate change and conservation goals.
The NOAA BCI Project is a Department of State funded, multi-agency project led by NOAA’s Climate Program Office’s Adaptation Sciences program, in partnership with NOAA’s Marine Protected Areas Center, that supports partner countries’ efforts to include coastal wetlands in their greenhouse gas accounting and enhance the management of these critical ecosystems. Learn more about the NOAA BCI Project.
Learn more about the NOAA BCI Project »
For more information, contact Amanda Catron.
Image credit: Steve Crooks/Silvestrum Climate Associates
