Training for NGO representatives for work with spatial data and its utilization for the needs of monitoring of the territorial development - 3-5.11.2014

During the period 03-05.11.2014 the village of Socolitza hosted the “Training for NGO representatives for work with spatial data and its utilization for the needs of monitoring of the territorial development”. The training is part of Project BG05/586 „GIS: Green Citizens, Information Systems, Saved Nature “, implemented by the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation in partnership with the Norwegian Environment Agency and the financial support of the NGO Program in Bulgaria under the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism 2009-2014.

Representatives of BBF and other NGOs such as: WWF – Danube Carpathian Program in Bulgaria, the Association of the Parks in Bulgaria, the Bulgarian Chamber of Tourism, the Student Club for Environmental Protection of the Forestry University in Sofia, Balkani Wildlife Society, the Association of the Environmental Organizations, Hunting and Fishing Societies and Fishing Clubs in the City of Bourgas took part in the training.

During the three days of the training a GIS expert – member of the project team made several presentations aiming at introducing the participants to the topics of what are GIS, what their main components are and how to work with them. The main accent of the training was the development and improvement of the capacity of the NGO representatives to work with spatial data and to apply it for the needs of monitoring of the territorial development in various geographical regions – subject of work of the different NGOs.

Beside the presentation the participants in the training were led through a series of modules dedicated to develop practical skills and knowledge for work with GIS and more precisely how to represent spatial and tabulated data, how to make spatial and attributive requests, how to edit spatial and attributive data and how to use the tools for a cartographic design. The modules provide each of the trainees with the chance to work on specific tasks and to exercise the knowledge gained during the training.

All examples and tasks were chosen in a way to represent specific case related with the work of the environmentalists and in order to point out the link between the spatial data and the possibilities for its utilization for the purposes of the environmental protection. GIS applications for development of platforms as well as receiving of signals for poaching and illegal logging were also presented during the training.

A special accent of the training was also the presentation of the web based GIS platform, the development of which is one of the main activities of project GIS. The platform unifies the BBF spatial data and is going to provide an internet-based public access to it. The trainees had the chance to test the beta version of the platform and to go through some of the data, systemized in the data base loaded on the platform.

All the participants received a certificate for the successful participation in the training as well as flash cards with the materials used during the three day course. All the trainees gave positive feedback and comments for the quality of the training and the leading expert as well as for the benefits of the training in terms of building the capacity of the participants to work with spatial data. The trainees also pointed out the important role of training as a media for strengthening the communication among the various NGOs and thus improving the exchange of knowledge and experience among them. A clear desire for continuation and additional trainings covering topics related to GIS and further improvement of the knowledge for utilization of spatial data were shown by the trainees.

The conduction of the “Training for NGO representatives for work with spatial data and its utilization for the needs of monitoring of the territorial development” is part of the implementation of the project ”Building Capacity of Non-governmental Organizations, Youths and Citizens for Use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Strengthening  the Monitoring  Skills and Advocacy of Policies for Regional Sustainable Development” which is funded by the NGO Program in Bulgaria under the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism 2009-2014.   More information for the NGO Program in Bulgaria under the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism 2009-2014 can be found at: www.ngogrants.bg

This document is created with the financial support of the NGO Program in Bulgaria under the Financial mechanism of the European Economic Area. The Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation bears the full responsibility for the content of the document and under no circumstances can be assumed that the content of the document reflects the official opinion of the Financial mechanism of the European Economic Area and the Operator of the NGO Program in Bulgaria.