Ministry of Environment, Partners Unite to Restore Western Area Park
In a bid to protect the Western Area Peninsula National Park, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, with its partners, recently held a validation session for a draft report on land use and land cover change in the park. The meeting, held at the Ministry’s Conference Room, gathered key environmental stakeholders.
Bintu Moseray, Project Manager of the Sustainable and Integrated Landscape Management Project, outlined the $5.5 million, six-year initiative funded by the UNDP and GEF. Launched in 2023, the project aims to restore the park, severely degraded by human activity. Moseray stressed the need for restoration, highlighting the park’s deforestation and degradation over the years.
The validation of the report, prepared by consultant Joseph Maada Bio, marks a critical step in the restoration process. Bio’s research, analyzing data from 1974, 2013, and 2024, revealed significant forest loss and ecological disruption. His recommendations include reforestation, afforestation, and improving the park’s ecological integrity.
Chief Director Edward Bendu reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to President Bio’s environmental protection agenda, stressing the importance of community ownership and addressing policy gaps. Bendu emphasized specific indicators of forest loss, such as reductions in forest cover and soil productivity.
Project partners contributed to the discussion, with Bio pledging to integrate their input into the final report. This collaborative effort underlines the shared goal of restoring the Western Area Peninsula National Park.
