Co-construction and impact

The One Forest Vision initiative (OFVi) is based on an inclusive co-construction approach underlying all its activities. All scientific programmes are carried out in close consultation with partners present or active in the Congo Basin. The expected impact of the initiative is in the area of action research in support of forest and wetland conservation ambitions in relation to carbon/climate change and biodiversity issues, and in the context of sustainable development objectives.

Co-construction activities

• Workshops: In order to co-construct the overall vision, prioritise the areas of research and capacity building and create or strengthen solid links between the various scientific institutions, an innovative approach has been put in place. Based on the agile methods of lean startup et design thinking, it aims to produce OKRs (Objectives and Key Results). Proposed by the SING in Libreville (Société d'Incubation Numérique du Gabon) and adapted to the needs of OFVi, this method makes it possible to establish a concrete action plan in support of conservation objectives in the countries. National and then thematic workshops are held as required, to examine certain scientific issues in greater depth. These workshops bring together national and international experts, local political representatives and NGOs to discuss the major scientific and capacity-building issues facing the country. An exemplary first workshop was held in Gabon in November 2023, with the support of SING. Similarly, a workshop in the Congo was held in July 2024 to align the activities planned by OFVi with the expectations of Congolese research to meet the commitments of the Congo's Country Package for Forests, Nature and Climate (CP)
• Country Committees: As part of its governance, the initiative has set up Country Committees responsible for implementing its activities locally. Each country, via its national CP focal point, adapts the list of members and the rhythm and operation of meetings according to its needs.
• (Inter)national events: To enhance the visibility, coordination and synergy of scientific and diplomatic activities in the region, particular attention is paid to participating in and organising national and international events with partners.

OFVi's social impact and ecological transition

The fundamental objective of OFVi is to support countries' commitments to conserving their forests and wetlands as part of the fight against and adaptation to climate change, and to conserve biodiversity, while taking into account the 17 sustainable development objectives. To achieve this and guarantee the use of the data and platforms produced or enhanced, several specific mechanisms have been launched.

Support for digital transformation in the planning of new protected areas and their economic development

OFVi applies the ‘public platform’ approach to put science at the service of public conservation policies driven by governments, local stakeholders and civil society.

Cette approche vise à :

• Identifying and effectively protecting conservation areas, taking into account land management issues for towns, agriculture, infrastructure and forestry and mining;
• Combat deforestation and peatland drainage on the basis of high-quality, standardised interdisciplinary data;
• Ensuring equity in the implementation of carbon credits and biodiversity certificates, which can help secure predictable long-term funding for conservation and restoration;
• Ensuring the transition to new sustainable socio-economic opportunities for local communities (job creation, support for young people, poverty reduction).

Also known as Digital Public Infrastructures or Digital commons at UN level, this ‘Public Platform’ approach is an effective and ethical method of putting science and data at the service of local stakeholders.

In this approach, the public sector develops a platform made up of basic rules (ethics, interoperability, security) and basic infrastructures (databases, application programming interface (API) management systems, identity and consent management infrastructures, etc.). The latter may be sub-national, national or international, depending on requirements. The private sector builds digital services in the field (primary use of the data) and dashboards (secondary use of the data) that connect to this platform.

A recent illustration of this approach and its application is the French roadmap ‘Numérique et Données pour la planification écologique’ (Digital and Data for Ecological Planning), which has been acclaimed by local and international players, NGOs and industry alike (see p.10-14 of the roadmap).

Hackathons

Hackathons, such as Hack4Forest at the One Forest Summit, bring together potential users, youth communities and civil society to reflect on the uses of these data and platforms.

Publications :

Braun, J.-J., Ngomanda, A., Mambimba Ndjoungui, A., Ntié, S., Midjibé, V., Mickala, P., Orbell, C., Ngama, S., Boupoya, A., Akomo Okoué, E. F., Bitome Essono, P. Y., Henschel, P., Midoko Iponga, D., Obame Nkoghe, J., Bourgeois, S., Lehmann, D., Nzomba, J. F., Mboye, B. R., Abitsi, G., … Le Loc'h, F. (2024). Preparation of the Country Packages in Gabon (CP-Gabon) Scientific and capacity-building component Strategy and action plan. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10592408

Braun, J.-J. (2024). Rapport de l'Atelier Thématique « Bilan carbone fiable, conservation de la biodiversité végétale et occupation des terres au Gabon ». Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14525015