After Seven-Year Hiatus, €4.7M Taï-Grebo-Krahn Conservation Project Relaunched

MONROVIA — After nearly seven years of suspension, Liberia has relaunched the Taï-Grebo-Krahn Complex Biodiversity Protection Project, a €4.7 million initiative aimed at strengthening the protection of the Grebo-Krahn National Park, improving livelihoods in surrounding communities and enhancing cross-border conservation along the Cavalla River.

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By Patience M. Jones,patiencejones@frontpageafricaonline.com

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The project, funded by Germany through KfW Development Bank and implemented by the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) in collaboration with the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation (WCF) and local communities, was officially relaunched Thursday at the Royal Grand Hotel in Sinkor, Monrovia.

The project, which was initially valued at €6 million, was launched in 2017 but was suspended in July 2019 following delays in implementation and the failure to meet several financial and administrative conditions required by KfW.

Following discussions between the FDA and KfW after the assumption of office of FDA Managing Director Hon. Rudolph J. Merab, Sr. in February 2024, the project was restructured and its budget reduced to €4,718,065.74.

Under the revised arrangement, the project will focus exclusively on the Grebo-Krahn National Park (GKNP). The original plan to include the Sapo National Park and establish an ecological corridor between the two parks has been removed because of the reduced funding.

The three-year project is scheduled to run from July 2026 to June 2029.

FDA: Conservation Must Benefit Local Communities

Speaking at the launch, FDA Managing Director Rudolph J. Merab said the success of conservation efforts depends heavily on whether surrounding communities see tangible benefits from protected forests.

Merab said Liberia must rethink how its forest resources are managed so that conservation can coexist with sustainable economic opportunities for communities.

His central message was that conservation should not be separated from the needs of people living around protected areas.

“What I am going to bring, whether conservation or commercial, must impact the lives of our people. And if it doesn’t, then we have a problem,” Merab said.

He called for the project to create meaningful benefits for communities while maintaining the protection of Liberia’s forests.

According to Merab, activities around protected forests can create jobs, generate income and contribute to rural economic development, while resources generated through responsible forest utilization can also support conservation.

He urged stakeholders to ensure that the project produces visible and sustainable results for communities.

Project Targets Infrastructure, Rangers and Law Enforcement

Under the redesigned project, the FDA plans to improve infrastructure and equipment for the protection and management of Grebo-Krahn National Park.

The project includes the construction or rehabilitation of ranger posts, headquarters, park warden offices and other facilities, as well as improvements to water and solar power systems.

Infrastructure will be developed in areas including Ziah Town, Tempo, Freetown, Glayway and Youbor.

A dock post will also be constructed to support boat-based monitoring along the Cavalla River.

The project will further provide equipment such as motorbikes, boats and high-beam lights to strengthen surveillance and law enforcement.

By May 2029, the project is expected to support the employment of 33 regularly employed rangers for the protection of the Grebo-Krahn National Park.

It will also support ranger training, community forestry, livelihood programs, small-scale community infrastructure development, road maintenance, community engagement, research and buffer-zone activities.

The project document states that wildlife populations of selected indicator species are expected to increase or remain stable by early 2029.

WCF Pledges Support

Dr. Annika Hillers, Country Director of the Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, welcomed the relaunch, describing Grebo-Krahn National Park as an important part of the Taï-Grebo-Sapo forest complex and one of West Africa’s remaining large connected forest areas.

She said the project comes at a time when communities and the FDA continue to face challenges involving infrastructure, logistics, employment opportunities, sustainable livelihoods, skills training and law enforcement.

Hillers, however, emphasized that conservation cannot be achieved by the FDA and WCF alone.

She called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, particularly in addressing infrastructure and road challenges affecting communities around the park.

“It is teamwork to improve the situation,” Hillers said, pledging WCF’s full commitment to working with the FDA and other stakeholders.

Communities Demand Tangible Benefits

Concerns from local communities also featured prominently during the launch.

A representative speaking on behalf of River Gee County Superintendent Mike T. Swengbe stressed the importance of ensuring that communities living closest to the forest directly benefit from conservation programs.

She recounted concerns from communities that have protected forest areas over the years but have not always seen corresponding development in roads, schools and other basic services.

She urged the FDA and its partners to ensure that benefits promised under the project reach the people living closest to the protected area.

Her message was echoed by Jeremiah G. Sokan, representing District #1 in Grand Gedeh County, who warned that years of delays had contributed to distrust among some communities.

Sokan called on the FDA to approach community engagement with patience and transparency, saying the agency would need to rebuild confidence among residents who have lived with restrictions associated with forest protection for years.

He also urged the government to develop a transition plan to ensure that activities and trained personnel supported by donor funding can be sustained when external funding ends.

Project Suspended in 2019

According to the project overview, the original initiative was conceived to establish an ecological corridor between Grebo-Krahn National Park and Sapo National Park, while strengthening FDA capacity and promoting transboundary conservation.

The project was launched in 2017 but came to a complete stop in July 2019.

KfW subsequently required the FDA to provide financial reports, recruit an external audit firm, transfer remaining project funds back to KfW and work with a KfW-appointed expert to redesign and conceptualize the project.

Following a series of meetings between the FDA and KfW, the project was restructured.

FDA Deputy Managing Director for Community, Conservation and Carbon, Nora G. Bowier, said the FDA has since met the financial and accountability conditions required for the project to resume.

She explained that the project now focuses on Grebo-Krahn National Park, with surrounding communities in Grand Gedeh and River Gee Counties as beneficiaries.

The three beneficiary communities identified in the project document are Konobo, Glio & Twabo, and Glaro.

€4.7 Million Budget

The project’s total budget stands at €4,718,065.74, with major allocations directed toward park management, infrastructure, equipment, personnel and consultancy services.

The budget includes:

€1.3 million for infrastructure;

€300,000 for equipment;

€80,000 for surveillance personnel and rangers;

€130,000 for equipment and field-trip running costs;

€50,000 for strengthening transboundary coordination;

€1.91 million for improvement of Grebo-Krahn National Park management;

€170,000 for studies and analysis;

€410,000 for international consultancy services;

€300,000 for national consultancy services; and

€60,000 for contingencies.

German Government Reaffirms Support

The official launch was conducted by Germany’s Ambassador accredited to Liberia, H.E. Carsten Hölscher, and FDA Board Chairperson Hon. Philip C. Parker IV.

In remarks, Ambassador Hölscher said Germany’s support for environmental protection reflects the country’s longstanding interest in forest conservation.

He described KfW as a state-owned German bank involved in financing projects globally, including those focused on sustainability and environmental protection.

Without the forests, there would not be a good future for all of us,” Ambassador Hölscher said.

FDA Board Chairperson Philip Parker IV also linked the project to the longstanding cooperation between Liberia and Germany in the forestry sector.

He said the renewed partnership through KfW represents a continuation of Germany’s support to Liberia’s efforts to protect its forests and biodiversity.

He urged the implementing partners to ensure that the project addresses the needs and concerns of communities surrounding Grebo-Krahn National Park.

Project Officially Declared Open

Declaring the project open, Ambassador Hölscher said he was pleased to be part of the launch despite arriving in Liberia only recently and not being involved in the project’s earlier preparation.

The relaunch now places the FDA, WCF, the German government, local authorities and beneficiary communities before a three-year implementation period, with expectations that the project will strengthen conservation while producing measurable benefits for people living around Grebo-Krahn National Park.

For communities that have waited through years of suspension, the central test will be whether the project’s promised infrastructure, jobs, livelihood support and conservation benefits reach them as implementation moves forward.