A two-day intensive workshop to improve freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) in Liberia was concluded on March 10, 2021 in Monrovia with a call to conserve and protect freshwater KBA species.
The workshop was also intended to validate the number of KBAs in Liberia and enhance the capacity of conservationists in identifying new once.
Liberia holds four of the thirteen KBAs in West Africa with critically endangered species including fishes, crabs,plants among others.
The participants were drilled in several topics including the potential of fresh water KBAs in Liberia, gathering information about a site or area existing KBAs and Protected Areas, local land management in the context of land tenures and customary rights holders as well as KBA proposal process among others.
The two-day event was facilitated by the Programme Officer Freshwater Unit of the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Thomas Starnes.
As part of the workshop,Liberia was deem qualified to participate in the KBA proposal process under the West Africa Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund(CEPF) in collaboration with the IUCN.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, an Official of the Environmental Protection Agency, Levi Piah welcomed the idea of the KBA describing it as a perfect opportunity for the Country.
Mr. Piah assured IUCN that Liberians will take advantage of the opportunity and said he is impressed of the fact that anyone or organization can apply for the KBA.
He said Liberians will work harder to identify more KBAs to promote freshwater KBAs conservation and sustainable use of forest landscape with hard conservation value.
Mr. Piah lauded organizers of the workshop including IUCN, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund and SCNL.
Also speaking the focal person for the West Africa Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund KBAs project in Liberia, Jerry Garteh called on the IUCN to continue to build the capacity of Liberians in KBA activities in the Country to ensure the realization of the process.
Mr. Garteh told the IUCN that Liberia looks forward for more support towards the improvement of KBA activities in the Country.
He noted that with the support of the IUCN and other conservation groups, Liberia can achieve the KBA process.
The workshop was organized by the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia with funding from CEPF in collaboration with the IUCN.
Institutions that attended the event include SCNL, the Environmental Protection Agency, National Fishers and Aquaculture Authority, Conservation International, Journalists for the Protection of Nature, among others.
