The Environment Protection Agency, under its Umbrella Programme supporting the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan and the 7NR, engaged various heads of parliamentary committees to update them on the progress of the process, in collaboration with other MDAs.
The engagement with lawmakers regarding the third volume of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan is a vital meeting, considering the impact of biodiversity on the nation.
Bintu Sia Foray-Musa Kamara, Project Manager at the EPA, provided a brief overview of the document. She mentioned that the country has developed the second volume of the NBSAP and is currently working on the third volume. She added that extensive consultations have been conducted, and the call for engagement aims to update various parliamentary committees. She also highlighted the significance and differences between the third volume and previous ones. She explained that earlier NBSAPs were developed as a form of national commitment to the convention. However, with the vision of their Executive Chairperson, they are now developing the third volume in a different style one that is not only a document but also actionable and implementable. The NBSAP will include a monitoring system to track progress, ensuring that they not only develop and submit the third volume to the secretariat but also monitor implementation across different MDAs or sectors that impact biodiversity positively or negatively.
Eugene Cole, the Lead Consultant and Natural Resources Specialist, summarized his findings during his presentation to parliamentarians. He stated that parliamentarians were able to reflect thoughtfully on his presentation. He emphasized that the engagement aimed to help parliamentarians see how important biodiversity is, not just for Sierra Leone but from a global perspective. He stressed that biodiversity is the bedrock of the country’s economy, and their ability to manage the country’s biodiversity is crucial. The loss of biodiversity would mean losing a significant part of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
After the presentation, the parliamentarians highlighted key points regarding the NBSAP document, emphasizing the need to improve inter-agency collaboration, as it is crucial.
