By Joseph O. Sayon
Liberia has officially formulated a National Advisory Committee (NAC) to supervise and manage trans-boundary water resources in the Moa-Makona and Cavalla River basins.
The constitution of NAC is in response to effort by Countries In the Mano River Union basin to enhance transboundary water resolurces management in the basin.
The decision was reached at the end of a one day stakeholders meeting held in Monrovia, Thursday, September 26, 2019.
The body elected a 21 member committee. The Ministry of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Forestry Development (FDA) were elected as chair, co-chair and secretary general respectively.
Other members are the Liberia Institute of Statistic and Geo-information Services (LISGIS), the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy, the World Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF), the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), West Africa Biodiversity Climate Change ( WABiCC), and the Liberia Maritime Authority (LMA).
Other members are the University Of Liberia (UL), The Forestry Training Institute (FTI), the Ministry of Gender & Children Protection, Tubman University, the Liberia Water & Sewer Corporation (LWSC), the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), the Wash Commission, the Liberia National Coast Guard, the National Legislature, the National Fishery Aquaculture Culture Authority (NAFAA) and the Liberia Land Authority (LLA).
Among other responsibilities, the Committee is mandated to prepare the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) and Strategy Action Plan (SAP) procedure in these two important River basins.
The committee is also obliged to strengthen the financial and technical capacities of concerned government institutions to ensure that the project succeeds consistent with its core objective.
It will also ensure that the transboundary water resources management and the preparation of regional transboundary diagnostic is validated and adopted at ministerial level.
In his opening remarks on behalf of the MRU Secretariat, the MRU Resident Coordinator, Mr. Christian Jallah shared MRU’s resolute obligation to the project which he termed as exceedingly worthy for the MRU member countries.
He hoped the participants would invest all of their best to make the project meet its intended goal.
He encouraged them to drive the agenda of the project with national and regional interests as far as the MRU is concerned.
Speaking on behalf of FDA Managing Director C. Mike Doyern, the Project And Technical Advisor to the Management MR. Trokon Moore challenged the participants to develop passion for the project and work assiduously consistent with the desire of the donors.
He noted that FDA management is always in the active gear to support any or all projects that meet the economic needs of the people in the MRU member states.
He said FDA as Secretary to the team is ever prepared to ensure that the desired goals are met.
The project is funded by the MRU.
