Buchanan City, Grand Bassa Co. – Scores of technicians from across the country, development partners, and NGO had gathered in the port city of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County in preparation for the revision of Liberia’s 2006 National Forestry Policy and Implementation Strategy.
By J.H. Webster Clayeh (0886729972)-[email protected]
The workshop was organized by the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with support from the United Nations Development Program (through its Climate Promise 2.0 Project), USAID-Conservation Works Activity, and the World Bank with technical support expected from other partners.
The revision is intended to update the National Forestry Policy by reflecting on the progress made and challenges so far and by incorporating evolving issues around natural resource management, including green finance, private sector engagement, climate change, SDGs, and other critical strategic national policies and plans that impact forest management and conservation.
Speaking at the event, the Program Cordinator of the UNDP E. Abraham Tumbey said reviewing the policy document is good because it provides what he termed as clear cut vision and direction in term of how Liberia proceed when it comes to sustainable management of the forest in Liberia.
Tumbey added: “Why this is important? It is more important considering the emerging issues that are priority to us as a developing country and as a member of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.”
He continues: “Taking into consideration the key issues around community, like youths, persons with disabilities and so on.”
According to him, the process is inclusive something he said good for key policy decision and also to identify the importance stakeholders.
“We also need to make sure that there are enough outreach around this policy. So, by the time the policy is developed it won’t sit on the closet, it should have wider circulation and it should cut across all of the major interests,” Mr. Tumbey said.
Also, the Deputy Managing Director for Operation at the FDA Joseph J. Tally stressed that after the concession review of 2004 to 2006, a reform Legislature that was based on policy and strategy allowed FDA to manage the forest estate.
Mr. Tally says despite a legal framework was put into placed base on the policy, it is good to look at the policy after more than a decade.
Deputy Managing Director for Operation at the FDA added: “Today, we are glad to be here with our consultants and all stakeholders in the forestry sector to come and look at policy to meet up with the current situation that we are faced with and to enable us rightfully carry out our mandate.”
Adding up, the Deputy Chief of Party USAID on Conservation Works Urias S. Goll said the government has shafted greatly from commercialization of forest resources to more of conserving those resources.
“With the climate operation, there is a big focus now with the climate change. How can the forest policy reflect that vision, not taking away commercial and not taking away communities,” Mr. Goll said.
“When the policy was drafted the whole framework about community forestry was not in place because the law came in 2009. So, you can see if you look at the community forest policy you don’t see the big community forest aspiration in the policy.”
“So I think we have the big opportunity to bring in all of the development that have happened over the years and as partner in the forestry sector -let reflect, let improve and let look forward to a brighter future,” he ended.