A 15-day intensive training on Geospatial Data Acquisition, Management and Analysis through Landscape Change Tracking System (LCTS) offered through the collaboration of Wondogenet College of Forestry and Natural Resources at Hawassa University(WGCFNR), Farm Africa Ethiopia and Oromia Environmental Protection Authority (OEPA) was successfully concluded on May 03, 2026.
The training brought together experts, researchers, technical staff, and environmental professionals aimed at strengthening institutional capacity in modern geospatial technologies and digital forest monitoring systems through landscape change tracking approaches.
Dr. Shimelis Nigatu, Director of Collaborative Projects at HU, emphasized in his opening speech that strengthening institutional collaboration and technology-driven environmental governance systems are critical, and noted that the partnership among WGCFNR at HU, Farm Africa Ethiopia, and OEPA demonstrates a strong model of sustainable collaborative engagement aligned with national development priorities.
Dr. Gudina Legesse, Head of Programs at Farm Africa Ethiopia, also commended WGCFNR for its longstanding contributions to the development of skilled professionals and provision of high-level trainings in forestry and natural resource management in Ethiopia. He further recognized the college as one of the country’s leading institutions and center of excellence in forestry capacity development and technological innovation.
During the closing workshop, Mr. Addisu Bole presented a brief overview of the background, implementation process, and major outcomes of the training that he coordinated. He explained the historical development of the LCTS and its role in supporting landscape monitoring and forest management activities through collaborative institutional efforts, and reflected on the overall performance and commitment of trainees during the 15 days.
Trainees’ representatives also presented applications of field-based geospatial data collection, Google Earth Engine-based cloud analysis, and digital landscape monitoring systems integrated into the Landscape Change Tracking System (LCTS) showcasing their newly gained knowledge from the training.
Panel discussion and reflections that focused on future scaling-up of the LCTS initiative, strengthening institutional ownership, and integrating the system into broader environmental governance and academic frameworks were deliberated. Participants highlighted the importance of institutionalizing the project outcomes within government structures, universities, and stakeholder organizations to ensure long-term sustainability and wider national application.
In his concluding remarks, Mr. Bona Yadessa, Director General of OEPA, highly commended Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources for its enduring contributions to Ethiopia’s forestry sector and the successful execution of its latest training program. Expressing deep satisfaction with the trainees' achievements, Mr. Yadessa noted that the initiative is central to a strategic institutional plan inspired by a Farm Africa Ethiopia-coordinated exposure visit to Kenya, which aimed to establish a dedicated technical unit within OEPA equipped with advanced technological infrastructure. He also announced that OEPA intends to train an additional 100 experts at woreda level in the coming budget year to bolster forest and landscape monitoring.
The workshop concluded with renewed commitment from all partner institutions to sustain collaboration and further strengthen technology-driven forest and landscape monitoring systems for sustainable environmental management in Ethiopia.
