Internal Affairs Minister wants National Program to protect Liberia’s rainforests, proposes ‘Green Tourism’. The Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. Morris M. Dukuly has called for a national program to protect the forests of Liberia. Minister Dukuly said a comprehensive re-reforestation program is required to renew and strengthen the country’s forest reserves and ensure that Liberia is safeguarded against desertification and other adverse climate conditions. He named Climate Change as a major environmental threat which largely contributes to global warming, deforestation and loss of biodiversity. Minister Dukuly made the statement over the weekend when he served as guest speaker at the 30th Anniversary of the Sapo National Park and performed the opening of the Sapo Conservation center in Jalay Town, headquarters of the Sapo National Park, in Sinoe County. The Minister warned against illegal activities which undermine economic viability and sustaining of the country’s forest resources. He said global warming and climate change are real challenges and threats resulting from undue human and industrial misuse and abuse of the ever diminishing forest resource. He called on the Forestry Development Authority-FDA and its development partners to manage and preserve the Parks of Liberia in accordance with international standards and best practices. According to him, if managed properly, the Parks will be major sources of employment and revenue generation through what he called “Green Tourism”. He said “Green Tourism will replace the traditional uses of the rainforests such as production of charcoal, poaching, fishing, farming, unregulated logging and other forestry activities. The Internal Affairs Minister assured the citizens that government will work with its international partners to create sustainable livelihood and other alternatives supported through capacity building at local and national levels to guarantee the conservation of Liberia’s ecosystem. Meanwhile, the Interim Managing Director of the Forestry Development Authority-FA, Hon Harrison Karnwea has disclosed that over one hundred eighty-five volunteers working at the Sapo National Park will now be paid by government of Liberia. Hon. Karnwea disclosed that most of the nearly two hundred workers at Liberia’s largest Park were not receiving salary at all, while only a small number were receiving, as low as forty United States dollars monthly. He said following his intervention, the Ministry of Finance has committed to begin paying the volunteers beginning this June with subsequent increment in their salaries to meet government’s minimum wage. The FDA interim boss made the disclosure over the weekend when he spoke at the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the Sapo National Park held in Jalay Town, Sinoe County. At the ceremony, the FDA and its partners also dedicated a newly constructed Conservation Center in the Sapo National Park, funded by Fauna & Flora International, an international NGO, dealing with trees and animals. Hon. Karnwea assured the employees of his full commitment towards improving their working conditions. The Sapo Conservation Center is intended to the build capacity of Conservation resource Managers, including University of Liberia’s Forestry Students as well as professionals in biodiversity conservation and research. Sapo is Liberia’s largest park established in 1983, with current size of 180,000 hectares featuring a broad range of animal and plant species.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:01:44 +0000
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