Liberia: Expansion of Protected Areas Network - II

Description of the project:Liberia contains 45% of the remaining forest cover in the Upper Guinea Biodiversity Hotspot of West Africa. Liberia's forest areas are thus one of Africa's highest conservation priorities. The Bank's intervention in this field to date, in the context of the LFI, and GEF, has resulted in the review of the forest concessions, the protection of the only declared national park in Liberia (Sapo Park) and the creation of a Protected Area Network including three new protected areas (lake Piso, Gola and Wonegizi). This project would constitute another step in the process by creating two additional new parks (a Wetland Park south of Monrovia called the Marshall Wetlands of about ha 50,000 and a Park bordering Ivory Coast, called Grebo of about ha 100,000).The Project global objective is to contribute to the conservation of the globally significant biodiversity of LiberiaComponent 1: Strengthening the Capacity of the Forest Development Authority (FDA) Conservation Department ($ 200,000)After 14 years of civil conflict, the FDA has weak capacity in protected area management and community engagement. The funds of this project will provide training and equipment to FDA Conservation Department.Expected outputs:' 10 qualified staff in place and performing in FDA (both in Monrovia and in the field)Component 2: Creation of New Protected Areas and Community mapping ($ 500,000)The project will fund consultations at local and central level prior to the legal establishment of the two additional proposed protected areas. A special focus will be on piloting the 'community mapping' approach in Liberia by compiling maps showing the overlap between the proposed demarcations of the two new protected areas with the extent of community land claims in the two areas. The maps will be useful to resolve land conflicts and inform dialogues and negotiations between communities, government agencies and conservation organizations.The project will also fund PA infrastructure, demarcation and equipment as well as operation costs of proposed PAs on a declining basis (including support to government staff involved in the local consultations and demarcation procedures).Expected outputs:' 2 National PAs demarcated using the community mapping approach and under improved management, as measured by GEF METT tracking tool' Basic infrastructure for the 2 PAs put in place' Management plans for the 2 PAs elaborated and approved by relevant institutions and stakeholdersComponent 3: Development of Community Livelihood Programme around Protected Areas ($300,000)The project will support communities through the identification and promotion of sustainable income-generating activities that will reduce dependencies of communities living on the fringes on natural resources of the selected two additional PAs. The project will fund assessments on the natural resources and the potential for timber and non timber forest products with potential commercial value through market analysis, value addition and strengthening the entrepreneurial capacity of local community members (using relevant materials such as the FAO Market Analysis and Development approach for Community Forestry Enterprises).Expected outputs:' 20% of communities around the new parks are involved in sustainable income-generating activities (e.g. agroforestry, apiculture, palm oil).