Sierra Leone – Liberia Cross-Border Master Plan Validation Workshop: A Crucial Step Towards Sustainable Development of the Grand Mano Landscape
On 4 and 5 March 2024, this workshop represented an unprecedented opportunity for the two countries to forge a common future in the sustainable management of the environment and coastal natural resources. The Transboundary Master Plan for the Grand Mano Landscape comprising Yawri bay, Sherbro River Estuary in Sierra Leone and Lake Piso in Liberia, is of key importance to the implementation of the EU-funded PAPBio (C1- Mangrove) programme, for which IUCN is the lead partner. Designed in close collaboration with governments, local communities, civil society organisations and international experts, this master plan aims to provide a strategic framework for integrated and sustainable management of the transboundary landscape.
Wetlands International Africa West Coast and Gulf of Guinea, for the validation of the plan, brought together government representatives, technical experts, civil society organisations and beneficiaries of projects Grantees by the programme. Over two intensive days were spent by participants to examine the contents of the master plan in detail, providing comments, suggestions and recommendations for its improvement and adaptation to local realities.
The main components of the master plan include the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable management of natural resources, capacity-building for local communities and the promotion of sustainable economic development.
At the end of the workshop, the Master Plan was officially validated, marking a decisive step in the process of cross-border cooperation between Sierra Leone and Liberia.
This plan will serve as a strategic roadmap to guide future actions aimed at preserving the natural and cultural wealth of the Grand Mano Landscape, while guaranteeing the well-being of the communities that live there. A key recommendation would be to engage the governments of both countries to support the implementation of the plan both technically and financially.
