Liberia Geospatial Capacity Building Workshops for Forest Monitoring
This workshop aim to build participants’ capacity to use remote sensing technologies (Earth observation satellites and drones) and machine learning techniques for forest monitoring. For a detailed overview, you can read the workshop’s concept note and full agenda.
Instructors:
Crystal Wespestad (cwespestad@sig-gis.com) and Jarrett Barbuto (jbarbuto@sig-gis.com) from Spatial Informatics Group (SIG)
Important Links for Participants
A quick resource page of all important links for this workshop can be found HERE. The most used are below.
GEE code editor: https://code.earthengine.google.com/
SEPAL: https://sepal.io/
Drone Data: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1evFZg4gZ99b4NHabrhMnxwjFJszIUKcU
Liberia 2014 landcover old map geotiff: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hgiUtymwlH8jX64n8mnvL6sjIR0bpVUx/view?usp=drive_link
Liberia 2014 landcover old map GEE asset: projects/pc556-ncs-liberia-forest-mang/assets/Liberia_landcover_forest_map_10m_v1_2014
Liberia AOI shapefile: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_D4WMxwpI3qZX3ugYNOfgbXZtyVEC9nN?usp=sharing
Liberia AOI GEE asset: projects/pc556-ncs-liberia-forest-mang/assets/liberia_boundary
Expected outcomes of the workshop
Skills:
- Increased understanding of CEO, SEPAL, and GEE tools
- Working knowledge of sampling design, machine learning, and map accuracy assessment
- Basic knowledge of planning and implementing drone flights
- Basic knowledge of analyzing drone data
Products:
- Draft CEO projects to be used for forest / non-forest training data collection and map validation
- A 2014 forest extent map that can be further refined after the workshop
- An example of analysis using drone imagery
Note…
The lesson content for each workshop can be found in the tabs on the lefthand side panel. Additionally, you can find supplementary learning material under the Resources tab and a link to share/view photos from the workshop under the Photos tab.
Agenda
| Day | Topic | Lead |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Registration / Workshop Opening / Introductions | Liberia team |
| Overview of workshop content | SIG | |
| Liberia presentation on status of work | Liberia team | |
| Discussion: needs of the team and desired takeaways from the workshop | Discussion | |
| Intro to machine learning (ML) | SIG - Crystal | |
| Sampling design options | SIG - Crystal | |
| Sampling design with “Stratified area estimator - Design” tool in SEPAL | SIG - Crystal | |
| CEO interpretation key recommendations and best practices | SIG - Crystal | |
| Day 2 | Collect Earth Online (advanced overview) | SIG - Crystal |
| Exercise to collect training data in CEO | SIG - Crystal | |
| Drones and their applications | SIG - Jarrett | |
| Drone flight planning and mapping | SIG - Jarrett | |
| Hands-on flight planning | SIG - Jarrett | |
| Short flight session | SIG - Jarrett | |
| Day 3 | Hands-on field experience | SIG - Jarrett |
| Drone data processing: overview | SIG - Jarrett | |
| Drone data processing: introduction to Pix4Dmapper | SIG - Jarrett | |
| Drone data processing: analyzing and adjusting outputs | SIG - Jarrett | |
| Day 4 | Hands-on field experience | SIG - Jarrett |
| Drone data processing: overview | SIG - Jarrett | |
| Drone data processing: introduction to Pix4Dmapper | SIG - Jarrett | |
| Drone data processing: analyzing and adjusting outputs | SIG - Jarrett | |
| Day 5 | SEPAL: Creating a composite image | SIG - Crystal |
| SEPAL: Classification tool | SIG - Crystal | |
| GEE: Creating a composite image | SIG - Crystal | |
| GEE: Machine learning for classification | SIG - Crystal | |
| Day 6 | Development of Liberia’s 2014 forest baseline | Liberia / SIG |
| Accuracy assessment of a map | SIG - Crystal | |
| Small group recaps | Liberia | |
| Review of workshop outcomes and next steps | Liberia / SIG |
Feedback
At the end of the workshop please fill out the form below to provide feedback. It helps us improve future workshops and plan follow up events for you!
Support
This workshop was created by Spatial Informatics Group, contracted by NovaSphere.
The MRV for Climate Action Programme supports partner countries’ national development priorities and capacities to plan, finance, and achieve GHG emission reductions and the implementation of low-carbon solutions to local development challenges.
Towards these goals, Liberia has prepared a “National Evergreen Roadmap” (EG Roadmap) that outlines approaches to accelerate climate actions; strengthen and enhance multi-level climate governance, develop a more effective and efficient MRV system, and mobilize climate finance and investment. The coordinating framework also identifies support for global south-south cooperation.
Under the leadership of the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA)—the EG Roadmap is the result of inter-ministerial and non-state actors’ collaboration, and was subsequently validated and endorsed by the participants at the MRV for Climate Action Farmington Roundtable held in Monrovia, Jan 18-20, 2023.
Under the leadership of the EPA, the EG Roadmap is now informing the creation and implementation of strategic Transformative Pilots by national key actors and stakeholders.