The protection of National Protected Areas (PAs) has not always been easy for a country like Liberia, especially when the daily survival of those living around such areas depends on it for livelihood.
The pressure on Protected Area also stands from worsen economic situation couple with the lack of job.
As a result, Conservation experts have called for collective inclusion of Indigenous people in all conservation processes that will prepare them serve as ambassadors or crusaders for Protected Area Management.
While Conservationists were making durable and solution based recommendations to enhance Protected Area Management, Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia has long been working with huge cluster of Indigenous population around the Gola Forest National Park in western Liberia.
Due to limited understanding of SCNL in Western Liberia couple with self-seeking interest, some local people along with their leaders continue to ignore the pivotal role being carried out by SCNL and instead hold the Conservation NGO to take on government responsibility of building roads, schools and hospitals among others.
In order to erase doubts in the minds of some local leaders, SCNL recently convened a strategic stakeholders meeting in Monrovia explaining its role and responsibility to affected Community.
The meeting organized by SCNL was attended by Local Ingenious leaders of Camp Alpha and other communities around the Gola forest including the Forestry Development Authority.
The meeting followed recent complained made by the people of Camp Alpha in Kungba District, Gbarpolu County.
In their Complained, the Camp Alpha people said since the introduction of conservation activities in their area, all their rights have been restricted as their livelihood depends on the Gola forest. They insisted that life is difficult for them.
However, at the stakeholder meeting, Authorities of the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) assured the people in forest affected Communities in Gbarpolu County that they will not be lift out of any benefit intended for them.
FDA Deputy Managing Director for Operations, Joseph Tally guaranteed the people of Camp Alpha that their livelihood will not be taken away from them as the FDA and its conservation partners will continue to source funding to improve their communities.
Mr. Tally furthered that the protection of the Park cannot be complete without addressing issues of livelihood and welfare of those living around the Gola Forest National Park. He disclosed that FDA and partners are keen on looking for funding to address some of those critical needs.
The FDA is responsible for all forest related issues in Liberia and has been working with community since its formation in 1976. In order to give clearer understanding of the park boundaries, authority of FDA during the meeting made a presentation to stakeholders of Camp Alpha aimed at understanding the legal boundaries of the protected area.
Representative wants Economic Benefit for affected communities
Speaking at the gathering Gbarpolu county Representative Joseph Matthews called on the FDA,Society for the Conservation of Nature in Liberia (SCNL) and other partners to ensure that local communities have unhindered access to community forest around the park and further program to better their living condition as ‘custodians’ of the forest.
Rep. Matthews, at the same time, wants affected Communities get what he calls just benefits and be part of any roll-out plan in the future.
In response, Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia Executive Director Michael Garbo told the Lawmaker that his organization ,as a civil society group has for years, has made significant livelihood intervention in the implementation of projects like the West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change Project (WABICC) and several other projects.
“SCNL is aware that in order to fully manage and protect the Gola Forest National Park, the Indigenous people must be incorporated into the process and that is already ongoing” Garbo noted.
Speaking on the economic benefit of the locals, the SCNL Executive Director told the gathering that several residents from the two counties where the park is situated are part of ongoing conservation projects his organization is implementing.
SCNL with funding from the World Bank in 2019 completed a Management plan for the Gola forest National Park in order to properly manage and protect the national reserve. Page 31 figure 3.2.1 of Plan states “External boundaries of the Park will be clearly demarcated with correctly numbered concrete pillars, signposts and other proper signage installed at appropriate points, and in the right direction”.
History of the Park
On September 20, 2016, the Liberian legislature enacted the Gola forest National Park thus designating the 88,000 hectares of untouched forest as a national reserve.
The Gola forest National park is a great tourists attraction and is one the world’s biodiversity hotspots and with several plant and animal species unique to science.
Species of Gola
The Gola Malimbe or (Malimbus ballmanni) a new bird species to science was discovered by scientist in the Gola forest just before the area was declared a National Park.
The Gola Malimbe is usually found alone or in small groups under the canopy of the lower storey, between 8 and 22m from the ground, where it searches for insects.
The park also contains Forest Elephant, Pygmy Hippopotamus, Jentink’s Duiker, Zebra Duiker, Liberian Mongoose, Diana Monkey, Sooty Mangabey, Western Red Colobus and Western Chimpanzee.
Comments are closed.