Yurfee B. Shaikalee, Environmental Columnist (aaccliberia@gmail.com/ Mobile: +2316937552)
Few people realize just how special Liberia is in terms of its natural forests and wildlife. With some 4.5 million hectares of tropical rainforest, Liberia is one of the last strongholds of a vast forest system that once covered most of West Africa – from Guinea to Cameroon. Furthermore, Liberia’s fauna and flora are exceptionally diverse, many species being unique to the country or to the region. Examples include the endangered pygmy hippo, the Zebra duiker and the Liberian mongoose.
It is hardly surprising that this area has recently been described as a critical area for global biodiversity conservation. That means Liberia is most definitely within the hotspot! There are currently only two protected areas in Liberia – Sapo National Park and East Nimba Nature Reserve.The importance of safeguarding the country’s natural treasures is recognized both at the national and international levels. With the participation and backing of many governmental agencies, academic institutions and non-governmental organizations, the Liberia Protected Area Strategic Plan of 2008 comprises a long-term project to create an additional 12 protected areas within the country. When complete, more than 1171,000 hectares of land will be protected from human activities detrimental to the conservation of biodiversity.
Sapo National Park: Liberia’s first protected area
Sapo National Park was established in 1983 and extended in 2003 to its current size of 180,000 hectares (1844 Km2). It is located in the southeastern region of the country, bordered by three counties -- Grand Gedeh, Sinoe and River Gee. The distance from Monrovia to the park’s headquarters is about 320 Km.
What is a Protected Area?
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (I.U.C.N.) defines a protected area as being “an area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources.”
Six different categories of Protected Areas exist; and each category has its own guidelines for land use. Sapo National Park is a Category II area, managed mainly for ecosystem protection and recreation. Human settlement in the park and commercial activities such as timber logging, hunting and mining are strictly prohibited, at least by law. However, entry to the Park for recreational purposes and for scientific research can be arranged with the park management, usually with the issue of a visitor’s permit.
A sanctuary for endemic and rare species
Sapo National Park has exceptional biodiversity and is home to many special species that can only be found in Liberia and in neighboring countries. Biological surveys indicate that most of the known species of animals and birds in Liberia that are considered ‘threatened’ (that is, in danger of disappearing) can be found in Sapo National Park. And the number of species on the verge of extinction is likely to be even greater, given that we know so little of taxa such as amphibians, reptiles, fish and insects.
This wealth of biodiversity that is fast becoming a rarity, not just in Liberia but the world over, could bring in billions of tourism dollars in revenue if protected and sustainably marketed by the Liberian government. But with Liberian leaders unwilling to take the necessary measure to protect the park, that possibility may never materialize.
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Updated: September 24, 2009 - 4:44pm
Few people realize just how special Liberia is in terms of its natural forests and wildlife. With some 4.5 million hectares of tropical rainforest, Liberia is one of the last strongholds of a vast forest system that once covered most of West Africa – from Guinea to Cameroon. Furthermore, Liberia’s fauna and flora are exceptionally diverse, many species being unique to the country or to the region. Examples include the endangered pygmy hippo, the Zebra duiker and the Liberian mongoose.
It is hardly surprising that this area has recently been described as a critical area for global biodiversity conservation. That means Liberia is most definitely within the hotspot! There are currently only two protected areas in Liberia – Sapo National Park and East Nimba Nature Reserve.The importance of safeguarding the country’s natural treasures is recognized both at the national and international levels. With the participation and backing of many governmental agencies, academic institutions and non-governmental organizations, the Liberia Protected Area Strategic Plan of 2008 comprises a long-term project to create an additional 12 protected areas within the country. When complete, more than 1171,000 hectares of land will be protected from human activities detrimental to the conservation of biodiversity.
Sapo National Park: Liberia’s first protected area
Sapo National Park was established in 1983 and extended in 2003 to its current size of 180,000 hectares (1844 Km2). It is located in the southeastern region of the country, bordered by three counties -- Grand Gedeh, Sinoe and River Gee. The distance from Monrovia to the park’s headquarters is about 320 Km.
What is a Protected Area?
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (I.U.C.N.) defines a protected area as being “an area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources.”
Six different categories of Protected Areas exist; and each category has its own guidelines for land use. Sapo National Park is a Category II area, managed mainly for ecosystem protection and recreation. Human settlement in the park and commercial activities such as timber logging, hunting and mining are strictly prohibited, at least by law. However, entry to the Park for recreational purposes and for scientific research can be arranged with the park management, usually with the issue of a visitor’s permit.
A sanctuary for endemic and rare species
Sapo National Park has exceptional biodiversity and is home to many special species that can only be found in Liberia and in neighboring countries. Biological surveys indicate that most of the known species of animals and birds in Liberia that are considered ‘threatened’ (that is, in danger of disappearing) can be found in Sapo National Park. And the number of species on the verge of extinction is likely to be even greater, given that we know so little of taxa such as amphibians, reptiles, fish and insects.
This wealth of biodiversity that is fast becoming a rarity, not just in Liberia but the world over, could bring in billions of tourism dollars in revenue if protected and sustainably marketed by the Liberian government. But with Liberian leaders unwilling to take the necessary measure to protect the park, that possibility may never materialize.