As a way of protecting the mangrove forest in Liberia and Sierra Leone, the Wetlands International and Stakeholders have last week concluded validation workshop for the diagnosis study and priority action plan in the priority intervention Landscape Grand Mano at the Dohas hotel in Bo.
The two-day workshop which was held on Monday and Tuesday was attended by members of the Management of Mangrove Forest from Senegal to Benin, Wetlands International from Liberia and Sierra Leone, government officials, and traditional leaders, among others. In Sierra Leone, the project will target the western area, Moyamba and Bonthe districts. The project will benefit Sierra Leone, Liberia, Senegal, Benin and five other countries.
Giving the purpose for the validation, the Project Manager of
Landscape Grand Mano Project, Alhaji Malikie Siaka said that Wetlands International has secured funding from European Union for the protection of mangrove forest areas.
He explained that a study was conducted by a consultant and the data which was collected from the two countries will be validated to know whether what the people said were contained in the document presented to them.
The Project Manager said, “What we are looking at in the validation report is the main reason why the mangrove forest is going down in the two countries (Sierra Leone and Liberia) and why it is declining day by day.” He noted that, some people used the mangrove forest as wood to dried their fishes, others for mining activities etc.
Executive Director of National Protected Area Agency – Sierra Leone, Joseph Ranto Musa said that he met with the Wetlands International sometime last year in Senegal and they told him that they want to bring a project to Sierra Leone to save our mangrove forest, more especially the coastal area which has been depleted, adding that he agreed with them to implement the project in Sierra Leone.
Mr. Musa explained that the project became close because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the world. He added that the validation is a good one for the two sister countries while noting that members of the Wetlands International were in Sierra Leone to look at the diagnostic result in the entire Landscape Grand Mano.
Making statement of behalf of the government of Sierra Leone, the Minister of State, Southern Region, Mohamed E. K. Ali thanked the organizers, noting that the government is committed to the project.
The Minister said that some of the problems encountered have to do with the sales of wetlands and processing of documents which bears the signature of some of the traditional leaders.
He hoped that the two countries will pay key attention to the validation report. He assured the delegates of maximum security and safety.
Speakers from Liberia made strong commitment in supporting the project to succeed, while appealing to their Sierra Leonean counterpart to go by what they have said and agreed upon to ensure that Sierra Leone too support the mangrove forest project.
By Stephen V. Lansana
26/01/2021. ISSUE NO: 7988