Working with communities to develop a communication strategy for the Nimba landscapes

The United Nations Office for Project Service (UNOPS) organised community surveys in Liberia, Ivory Coast, and Guinea in December 2022 as part of its work to develop a communication strategy for the Nimba Landscape in the European Union-funded Support Programme for the Preservation of Forest Ecosystems in West Africa (PAPFor).
The surveys in the three countries were conducted with support from national partners: the Federal Department Authority of Liberia (FDA) office, alongside co-management committee members (CMCs) the Ivorian Office of Parks and Reserves (Office Ivorien des Parc et Reserves, OIPR) in Danané, Ivory Coast; and the Center for the Management of Mont Nimba and Simandou (CEGENS), in Gbakore, Guinea.

The goal of the survey is to collect data from community populations that records their perceptions of the forests and protected areas as well as household environmental practices, in order to gain a deeper understanding about the individual socio-economic factors that underlie the implementation of more environmentally friendly daily practices.
A series of meetings held before the launch of the surveys in the three countries led to the training of community agents on data collection techniques using the Kobo software. With the training, agents and CMCs will hone their skills in data recording and effectively use the Kobo toolbox to analyse data collected from the field and submit findings to the team in Nzerekore for analysis.
Meanwhile, communities around Nimba Mountains endorsed the launch of the surveys, pledging commitment and steadfast support to the project.