The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) unveils massive online open course for waterbird management in African wetlands
The new course, ' Identifying and counting waterbirds in North Africa and the Sahel – how and why? ', provides training in essential skills for international waterbird monitoring and insights into the ecological challenges facing wetland habitats.
It was produced by the RESSOURCE+ Project as part of the FAO-led Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme, and was designed in collaboration with Tour du Valat and the French Biodiversity Agency.
A MOOC is a free online course that offers unlimited participation and is open to everyone, although this new course targets in particular French-speaking participants from North African and Sahelian countries.
'By strengthening the national and local capacities in the participating countries, this massive online open course will foster sustainable wetland management and biodiversity conservation,' said Zhimin Wu, Director of FAO's Forestry Division.
Skills for waterbird monitoring
Registration is now open until 1 December 2025 for the first session of the course.
Participants will learn how to access networks of waterbird observers, collect and interpret data, and identify and count around 210 waterbird species in North Africa and the Sahel region.
The course provides 40 hours of online training, structured into six modules and featuring 35 animated sequences, 10 video interviews with experts, over 5 000 photos and video clips of birds, and 210 factsheets designed to facilitate species identification, along with numerous quizzes, tests and further learning resources.
It should take roughly six weeks to complete the training, which is self-paced, enabling participants to fit the course around their schedules. Participants are eligible for certification provided they successfully complete the course within three months.
During the first six weeks, the course designers will be on call to respond to participants' questions through the chat function. Additional MOOC sessions are planned for 2026 and beyond.
The RESSOURCE+ Project
The RESSOURCE+ Project supports governments and communities in conserving wetlands and waterbirds in Sahelian countries. The project aims to promote waterbird monitoring, sustainable levels of hunting and effective wetland conservation policies in the Sahel. It is co-funded by the French Facility for Global Environment and the European Union through the Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme.
The RESSOURCE+ Project is led by FAO with support from technical partners recognized for their expertise, in collaboration with national authorities, wildlife institutions, NGOs and local communities.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
4 days ago
- Zawya
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) unveils massive online open course for waterbird management in African wetlands
A new massive online open course (MOOC) developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and partners is set to support the sustainable management of wetlands and waterbirds in the Sahel and North Africa. The new course, ' Identifying and counting waterbirds in North Africa and the Sahel – how and why? ', provides training in essential skills for international waterbird monitoring and insights into the ecological challenges facing wetland habitats. It was produced by the RESSOURCE+ Project as part of the FAO-led Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme, and was designed in collaboration with Tour du Valat and the French Biodiversity Agency. A MOOC is a free online course that offers unlimited participation and is open to everyone, although this new course targets in particular French-speaking participants from North African and Sahelian countries. 'By strengthening the national and local capacities in the participating countries, this massive online open course will foster sustainable wetland management and biodiversity conservation,' said Zhimin Wu, Director of FAO's Forestry Division. Skills for waterbird monitoring Registration is now open until 1 December 2025 for the first session of the course. Participants will learn how to access networks of waterbird observers, collect and interpret data, and identify and count around 210 waterbird species in North Africa and the Sahel region. The course provides 40 hours of online training, structured into six modules and featuring 35 animated sequences, 10 video interviews with experts, over 5 000 photos and video clips of birds, and 210 factsheets designed to facilitate species identification, along with numerous quizzes, tests and further learning resources. It should take roughly six weeks to complete the training, which is self-paced, enabling participants to fit the course around their schedules. Participants are eligible for certification provided they successfully complete the course within three months. During the first six weeks, the course designers will be on call to respond to participants' questions through the chat function. Additional MOOC sessions are planned for 2026 and beyond. The RESSOURCE+ Project The RESSOURCE+ Project supports governments and communities in conserving wetlands and waterbirds in Sahelian countries. The project aims to promote waterbird monitoring, sustainable levels of hunting and effective wetland conservation policies in the Sahel. It is co-funded by the French Facility for Global Environment and the European Union through the Sustainable Wildlife Management Programme. The RESSOURCE+ Project is led by FAO with support from technical partners recognized for their expertise, in collaboration with national authorities, wildlife institutions, NGOs and local communities. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.
Zawya
5 days ago
- Zawya
Strengthening vulnerability analysis to tackle food insecurity in Southern Africa
Food insecurity in Southern Africa is worsening, driven by erratic weather patterns, pest outbreaks, and economic shocks. An estimated 46.3 million people across seven countries -Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, South Africa and Tanzania— are projected to fate acute food insecurity during the 20205/26 consumption period. As shocks intensify, timely and harmonized vulnerability assessments remain critical to inform early action, response planning, and policy development. To this end, representatives from 11 Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member States, joined by regional and international partners including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP), Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), and the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Regional Support Unit, gathered virtually from 14 to 16 July 2025 for the Annual Dissemination Forum of the SADC Regional Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis (RVAA) Programme. The event was followed by the 29th Steering Committee meeting on 17 July 2025. Despite data collection and budgetary challenges, seven Member States successfully completed their national assessments and presented findings at the forum. These findings contributed to the finalization of the 2025 Regional Synthesis Report on the State of Food and Nutrition Security in SADC, validated by the Regional Vulnerability Assessment Committee (RVAC). The report highlights a concerning uptick in food insecurity, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and low-income urban areas, underscoring the compounded impact of the 2024 El Niño-induced drought, ongoing conflict, and high food prices. At the same time, the region experienced normal to above-normal rainfall in many areas during the 2024/25 season, supporting a modest recovery in cereal production and grazing conditions, particularly in countries like Tanzania, Lesotho and Eswatini. FAO's technical support and way forward As a long-standing partner of the RVAA system, FAO continues to support Member States in enhancing the quality and use of vulnerability assessments. This includes contributing technical expertise to the Regional Vulnerability Assessment Committee, promoting alignment with IPC frameworks, and strengthening links between data and early action. Looking ahead, FAO will continue engaging with SADC Member States and partners to improve the quality and coverage of vulnerability assessments across the region. This includes supporting harmonization of tools and methodologies, promoting digital data collection systems, and fostering cross-country learning and peer-to-peer exchange. FAO is committed to working alongside the SADC Secretariat to strengthen the institutional sustainability of the RVAA programme and integrate early warning into broader disaster risk management systems. The outcomes of the 29th Steering Committee meeting reaffirm the urgency of accelerating investment in regional food security analysis. The Committee called for renewed efforts to mobilize resources for the upcoming landscape analysis of existing national frameworks, which will inform the development of a harmonized vulnerability assessment framework for the SADC region by 2026. FAO will remain a key technical partner in this process, offering expertise to ensure that the proposed framework is scalable, inclusive, and responsive to the complex drivers of vulnerability facing Southern Africa today. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.
Zawya
5 days ago
- Zawya
Tanzania: Ambassador Chen Mingjian Meets with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Juba Cluster Head Mohamed Babiker
AFRICA On July 17, Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania H.E. Chen Mingjian met Mohamed Babiker, Head of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Juba Cluster with Lucia Pande, Secretary General of Tanzania Red Cross Society at the Embassy. They exchanged views on expanding humanitarian cooperation and improving Tanzanian people's well-being. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United Republic of Tanzania. Disclaimer: The contents of this press release was provided from an external third party provider. This website is not responsible for, and does not control, such external content. This content is provided on an 'as is' and 'as available' basis and has not been edited in any way. Neither this website nor our affiliates guarantee the accuracy of or endorse the views or opinions expressed in this press release. The press release is provided for informational purposes only. The content does not provide tax, legal or investment advice or opinion regarding the suitability, value or profitability of any particular security, portfolio or investment strategy. Neither this website nor our affiliates shall be liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the content, or for any actions taken by you in reliance thereon. You expressly agree that your use of the information within this article is at your sole risk. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, this website, its parent company, its subsidiaries, its affiliates and the respective shareholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, advertisers, content providers and licensors will not be liable (jointly or severally) to you for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, incidental, punitive or exemplary damages, including without limitation, lost profits, lost savings and lost revenues, whether in negligence, tort, contract or any other theory of liability, even if the parties have been advised of the possibility or could have foreseen any such damages. © ZAWYA 2025
