Monrovia – The Mano River Union (MRU) including Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast has begun a two -day consultative workshop in Monrovia, Liberia where participants are expected to critically review draft of the Regional Synthesis Report of Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) which largely focuses on Moa Makona and Cavalla River basins.
The meeting which is being led by the National Coordination Committee (NPCU) and supervised by Regional Executing Agency (REA) of the MRU is also projected to address the issues of synthesis regional report, review and confirm identified problems, confirm identified Transboundary priority problems, consolidate comments and insert applicable amendments in support of national stakeholders’ inputs on the draft regional synthesis report, amongst others.
During the official opening ceremony, the MRU Country Coordinator, Mr. Christian Jallah extolled the courage of the workshop participants on behalf of MRU Secretary General Ambassador Medina Wesseh and urged them to use the workshop the best way possible so that its intended purpose can yield desired results to benefit the MRU countries. He registered the vested interest of the MRU Secretary General in the exercise, which he described as regionally viable for today and future generation.
Making statement also, the Deputy Managing Director at the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), Mr. Joseph J. Tally emphasized the scientific relavance of the Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis exercise terming it as the best way forward as far as diagnosis of the state of the environment and shared water resources are concerned.
He the hoped the TDS Regional Synthesis Report will.be endorsed as expected and incorporated as working tool in the development of Strategic Action Plan (SAP) of the priority basins, Cavalla and Makona in Liberia.
It can be recalled that a regional team of consultants conducted studies thereby developing what is now known as regional synthesis document of the MRU. As part of this exercise, short term field missions were organized allowing visits to sites of special interests in the target basis including Cavalla and Mao Markona Rivers.
From 2004 to 2008 the Heads of State of member countries demonstrated a greater political will to re-launch the MRU with more ambitious objectives with particular emphasis placed on sustainable use and management of the important natural resources within the MRU area including water and forest resources. At the end of the workshop a resolution is expected to be passed by the participants to approve the scrutinized version for regional validation.