Int’l Support for Mangrove Forests Conservation Begins -Liberia platform meets in Monrovia; FDA, EPA appointed chair and co-chair
A one-day steering committee meeting which focused on how Liberia could judiciously expend the EU USD$125,000 mangrove forests (wetlands) conservation grant was on Tuesday
The Liberia platform shall coordinate and monitor all projects activities, serve as lead advocate for the project, serve as decision-making platform on the review and validation of project outcome and the exchange of experiences to ensure cross fertilization of ideas that will support project success. The Project Manager for Wetlands International Africa, Alhaji Malikie Siaka provided detailed insight of the project including the ToRs of the committee, project updates and the necessary mechanisms required to successfully implement the project. He stressed the obvious natural significance of wetlands as far as the provision of ecosystem services to communities, nation and the rest of the world are concerned and hoped that Liberia will utilize the opportunity efficiently.
For his part the Liberia project coordinator Osuman Kiazolu said the project is intended for inclusiveness whereby local community representation will highly be needed. According to him the project area covers about 97,159 ha currently. He said the committee members will be trained in fund raising, leadership and governance as well as mangrove conservation and techniques. He also said that ecosystem training is underway at the Forestry Training Institute (FTI), in Tubmanburg, Bomi County.
In his earlier opening remarks, FDA Deputy Managing Director for Operations Joseph J. Tally, welcomed the committee members and challenged them to muster the courage and multiply efforts in making sure that Liberia’s platform to donor’s expectation. Mr. Tally assured that FDA as chair of the committee will work assiduously with others partners to achieve the desired goal of the project.
It can be recalled that on December 5, 2020 the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and the Wetlands International Africa (WIA) jointly conducted a one-day workshop held at Lake PIsco Grand Cape Mount County where stakeholders were urged to submit proposals in the wake of the euros 9,900,000 grant provided by the European Union to promote, protect and conserve wetlands in 9 West African countries including Liberia. The application for the grant began December 20, 2020-January 20, 2021 and Liberia became victorious.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (ICUN) will implement the project entitled: “Managing Mangrove Forests from Senegal to Benin,” including the grand Mano landscape of Sierra Leone and Liberia through Wetlands International Africa (WIA) and the Collectif 5Deltas who are co-applicants of the fund. The project will ensure the sustainability of Regional Governance of Protected Areas in West Africa; specifically it will link governance and production systems with mangrove conservation at the territorial and is expected to achieve integrated protection of the diversity and fragile mangrove ecosystems and their greater resilience to climate change.
Furthermore, a grant mechanism to support local initiatives aimed at biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources on a landscape level also contains the project’s goal. It equally focuses on supporting local initiatives for biodiversity conservation, monitoring, resource development, training as well as the establishment of new protected areas with the view to effectively contributing to the resilience of mangrove ecosystems and the social economic well-being of communities in the sub-region.
Essentially, the workshop developed a national platform including the establishment of both steering and technical committee members to include Forestry Development Authority (FDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, Agriculture, Mines and Energy, Justice, CBOs, Academia, National Fishery & Aquaculture Authority (NAFAA), amongst others to ensure the effective and timely implementation of the project.
