DUBAI, UAE – Fauna & Flora and the USAID-funded West Africa Biodiversity and Low Emissions Development (WABiLED) program hosted a side event at COP28 titled ‘Protection and Conservation of the Upper Guinean Forests following Rights-Based Approaches for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation’. Held under the auspices of the Liberian Government, the event was moderated by Zoe Quiroz-Cullen, Fauna & Flora’s Director of Climate & Nature Linkages. Participants profiled the diverse initiatives and activities underway to protect forest ecosystems and avoid the loss of irrecoverable natural carbon stocks in Liberia.
Hon. Adams Manobah, Chairman of the Liberia Land Authority, inaugurated the event, stressing the importance of working with communities when he said, “Communities should be the centre of every work we do.” He also highlighted the importance of ensuring that forest protection aligns with the Land Rights Act of 2018, which recognizes the rights of communities as owners of customary land. Similarly, Ambassador Maria G Harrison, Secretary General of the Mano River Basin Union (MRU), highlighted the importance of protecting forests.
“As we all know, but it bears repeating because we still have far to go, the protection, conservation, sustainable use, and restoration of forest ecosystems are key to delivering on the multifaceted approaches of climate change mitigation, adaptation, and sustainable development,” Ambassador Harrison noted.
Distinguished panellists included:
- Hon. Harrison Karnwea, Board Chair, Forestry Development Authority, Liberia
- Darlington Tuagben, Low Emissions Development Strategies Lead, WABiLED
- Elijah Whapoe, Environment Protection Agency, Liberia
- Christina Magerkurth, Managing Director, ART-TREES
- Dr. Mary Molokwu-Odozi, Liberia Country Manager, Fauna & Flora
- Zoe Quiroz-Cullen, Director, Climate & Nature Linkages, Fauna & Flora (Moderator)
The event highlighted the importance of integrating rights-based approaches, such as the land tenure clarification, in support of bringing a greater proportion of Liberia’s forests under sustainable conservation management, for the benefit of local communities, nature, and climate. Panellists explored the relevance of this work in the context of the Paris Goals of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Global Biodiversity Framework of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. They also looked at links with the significant need and opportunities for sustainable climate finance to support country forest protection efforts, and in particular the critical role of communities; for example, via high integrity approaches to REDD+.
Speaking at the event, Darlington Tuagben, Low Emissions Development Strategies Lead, WABiLED, said: “We cannot achieve conservation objectives without respecting the views and rights of communities.”
Prof. Wilson Tarpeh, Executive Director/CEO, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and host of the Liberia Pavilion at COP28, provided the closing remarks for the event.