Global Environment Protects seeks as part of its activities 01 Research Assistant to conduct research work.
Context :
Irvingia gabonensis (Aubry-Lecomte ex O’Rorke) also known as ‘Bush Mango’ is a non-timber forest product kept on farms because of its economic value and importance in the diet of local people who later leads to overexploitation of natural resources. Nowadays, the species is rare and the population does not have rapid regeneration techniques. Local people do not know how to domesticate this species and rely solely on supplies from the limited stock present in and around Deng Deng National Park. These communities open pathways/roads through the forest to get to the species and these pathways are unfortunately used to make it easier for poachers who stray. go deeper into the park to kill wildlife at night. This situation exacerbates conflicts between park management and surrounding/rural communities who have become very hostile to conservation interventions as they do not see their benefits in such interventions. To resolve this conservation conflict, we propose to train these local communities on ways to domesticate I gobanensis to reduce encroachment on the National Park and its various resources.
The project aims to reduce encroachment by local communities on Cameroon’s Deng Deng National Park, an area home to several critically endangered species. More specifically, it is a question of (1) engaging local communities in a constructive dialogue for behavior change (strengthening awareness) and (2) training local populations in the techniques of vegetative propagation of species with high market value in order to improve their livelihoods. The project will lead to a win-win situation by reducing poaching in the national park and improving the nutrient deficiencies of the surrounding population through the consumption of Irvingia Gabonensis fruits.
It is with this in mind that we are looking for an intern to conduct research in the activities of the project “Using an improved variety of a high value indigenous fruit tree, Irvingia gabonensis, to enhance protection of an area of high conservation value: Deng -Deng National Park, Cameroon’”.
Qualifications of the candidate:
The following conditions will be retained for the recruitment of the learner:
- Bachelor’s / Master’s degree in the field of environmental sciences (forestry, agroforestry, biology, botany), rural sociology or any equivalent field;
- Having a basis in scientific research methodology would be a major asset;
- Have sufficient skills in quantitative / qualitative data analysis, conducting socio-economic surveys (questionnaires) and focus groups;
- Have knowledge of vegetative propagation techniques;
- Be proactive and able to work independently, under pressure and in a multicultural environment;
- Be able to speak basic English and adapt to the field environment;
Offer: All costs related to data collection in the field will be covered.
Location: The successful candidate will be based in Yaoundé and data collection will take place in the Eastern region (Bertoua).
Submission of applications:
Applications must be sent electronically to the following address: Armelle_verdiane@ftz.czu.cz with a copy to Renbernadin1@yahoo.fr with attachment a single PDF document (with the subject of the email: “Application_your Name”) including:
- A cover letter demonstrating your abilities (1 page)
- A research proposal (2 pages)
- CV (2 pages)
NB: Applications that do not respect this canvas, no follow-up will be given to their file
Deadline: January 16, 2023 at 3 p.m.
To apply for this job please visit CM.