Monrovia – A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at enhancing comprehensive national forest inventory acidities throughout Liberia has been signed and put into motion by the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) on the one hand and Food And Agriculture Organization (FAO) on the other hand.
The inventory which begins with immediate effect is described as a milestone in the sector since 50 years.
FAO Country Director, Marc Abdala who signed for his institution said Liberia is endowed with treasured natural resources that require proper management for sustainability for now and future generation.
He pledged FAO unrelenting partnership with the FDA in the implementation of the project.
The FAO boss expressed the hope that the FDA and FAO will complement each other in the process to ensure a successful implementation.
Earlier the Deputy Managing Director for Operations at the FDA Mr. Bowen Sayon who signed for his institution lauded the existing partnership between the FAO and FDA and recounted FAO’s numerous contributions to the science aspect of the forest management.
Bowen said the step taken is a national boost that will open a viable corridor for a truly sustainable forest management.
He said the gesture comes at a time when the FDA is in process of transitioning to a much more defined and measurable development in the sector.
He noted that the move is a lead way in ensuring a realistic approach in FDA outreach program which he said is very vital to the growth and development in the forest sector.
He assured the FAO family of FDA’s sustained partnership to ensure the desired implementation of the project.
For his part the National Coordinator of the RED + Implementation Saah David Jr. expressed delight in the process and said the inventory was timely since it would produce a detailed record of what our forests contain including wood species, biodiversity among other inherent constituent elements of the forest.
Mr. David said it was important to have a full knowledge of those natural resources which nature has blessed us with. “Unless such an exercise is conducted we wouldn’t know what we have in the forest”.
He described the process as generational change. He said a number of prepared young Liberians were being recruited to be deployed in the forest for this task which cost US$1.2M for implementation. He expressed happiness in that young people are coming on board to fill in the gap created by the older ones thereby rejuvenating the FDA and its national agenda.