TUBMANBURG, BOMI County – Stakeholders in the forestry sector and partners during the weekend gathered to review and validate strategies and guidelines for urban greening and tree plantation in Liberia.
The document was developed by the Forestry Training Institute (FTI) in line with its green corridor project.
FTI, with funding from the United Nations Development Program initiated a green corridor in five cities (Gompa, Paynesville, Monrovia, Buchanan and Gbarnga) across Liberia.
The project is implemented under UNDP climate promise with funding from the United Kingdom Department for environment food and rural affairs.
Held in Bomi county, the one day working session aimed at reviewing, amending and validating strategies and guidelines for the urban greening and tree plantation in Liberia.
Forestry Training Institute Executive Director Joel Gamys says the development of the strategy and guidelines is the first step in the sustainability of the project as it entails the procurement of guidelines by the projects’ cities, protection of existing trees and penalties for cutting of the trees.
Also speaking, UNDP’s Program Coordinator Abraham Tumbey emphasized the importance of incorporating the views and inputs of all important stakeholders in the process while calling on them to take ownership of the document.
Tumbey also highlighted the health benefits that come with green corridor as the trees planted will regulate the air and get rid of dangerous gasses in the atmosphere.
The Forestry Training Institute entered into an agreement with the Society for the Conservation of Nature to work with community members for the trees planting. SCNL Executive Director Micheal Garbo described the event as first of its kind in Liberia and a milestone in the implementation of the green corridor.
The validation workshop brought together officials of city governments from the project’s five cities and stakeholders in the forestry sector including the Environmental Protection Agency, UNDP, Society forthe Conversation of Nature and the Forestry Training Institute.
Representing the Buchanan City government, Christian Jaboty expressed delight being part of the process while promising increased awareness on the strategies and guidelines of the trees planting in Grand Bassa County.
