Nimba Regional Database

Reliable information is needed to facilitate collaboration among stakeholders and provide a strong basis for environmental planning. The database will provide a ‘one stop shop’ for relevant data and information, drawing on existing information and collecting new information in a consistent format to support planning for sustainable development in the Nimba region in a coordinated way across national boundaries and sectoral divides.

Considerable data resources have been, and continue to be, developed by different agencies, NGOs and companies in the Nimba region. However, these data resources are presently disaggregated and distributed across wide range of stakeholders, and data exchange is relatively limited. Pooling available data into one database will improve access to existing information and help to provide an integrated view of the current state of the environment in the region. The database will help answer questions relevant to transboundary and cross-sectoral planning within the Nimba region such as:

  • What are the locations and extent of historical and proposed mining developments and concessions?
  • Where are the areas of high value for mining, agriculture, forestry, communities, and biodiversity?
  • Where are the areas of greatest pressure based on human habitation patterns combined with accessibility (e.g. road networks can increase accessibility to remote areas, leading to increased pressures on forest resources)?
  • What is the current extent of closed dense forest, and which areas are most extensive and contiguous? Are there potential biodiversity corridors that should be maintained?
  • What areas are at greatest potential risk from erosion as a result of land cover change?
  • Which areas are most important to meet human and cultural needs, such as drinking water resources?
  • Where are the areas of competing or conflicting needs, and how can activities be planned so as to minimise the potential for conflict and maximise the potential for positive outcomes for conservation, communities and commercial interests.

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