Robertsport, Grand Cape Mount County – With strong support from Conservation International, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and national authorities, BudgiT Liberia has formally launched the Mangrove Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods Project in Robertsport, Grand Cape Mount County, in an effort to protect Liberia’s endangered mangrove ecosystems while empowering thousands of rural residents.
The ground-breaking project, which combines environmental preservation with economic regeneration, is anticipated to have a direct impact on over 40,000 individuals in 28 towns after being launched in a high-profile event on the beaches of Lake Piso on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
Abraham Varney, Team Lead of BudgiT Liberia, stated, “This project is about empowering people and securing the future; it is about more than just protecting mangroves. Nature prospers when communities prosper. We all flourish when nature does,” he said.
One of Liberia’s most significant natural landscapes, the Lake Piso Multiple Use Reserve (LPMUR), is home to extensive mangrove forests that are essential for the storage of carbon, coastline stability, and fish breeding. However, the area is on the verge of ecological collapse as a result of decades of deforestation, fuelwood harvesting, and unethical fishing.
In light of the twin issues of rural poverty and environmental degradation, BudgIT Liberia has implemented a dual-focus strategy that emphasizes community-led conservation and climate-smart livelihoods. The project’s main goal is to revitalize the cassava value chain in order to reduce reliance on forest resources and economically empower women and young people.
The existing Gari Processing Plant in Teh Community will be rehabilitated with solar-powered, energy-efficient equipment including mechanized graters and hydraulic presses. This facility will serve as a regional hub for processing, packaging, and distribution, directly supporting five surrounding communities: Falie, Mandoe, Bendu, Teh, and Gawula.
With access to digital trade platforms and exhibitions in Monrovia, over 500 women and young people will receive training in agriculture, branding, and marketing. The goal of these interventions is to promote local entrepreneurship and create connections with markets outside of the area.
The launch is more than just a business venture. “This is a conservation revolution,” Varney said. The creation of Community Conservation Committees (CCCs) to supervise patrols, dispute resolution, and compliance, community-friendly translations of conservation laws, and combined law enforcement training with the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and the Liberia National Police (LNP) are all important environmental initiatives.
David Diggs Dennis, Conservation International’s GEF Portfolio Technical Advisor and the event’s Chief Launcher, gave a keynote speech in which he underlined the importance of local residents in attaining long-term conservation.
“By working together, we can create a model in which communities are the advocates for conservation. Communities are stewards, not just stakeholders. We guarantee long-term success and resilience in the face of climate and biodiversity problems by putting them at the core of conservation efforts,” Dennis said.
The project’s main pillars are advocacy and education. Over 200 students will participate in conservation-themed events, environmental discussions, and tree planting when Student Green Clubs are introduced in three schools. The region’s success stories will be shared and community voices will be amplified through a locally produced documentary film and radio series.
At the event, local leaders from the FDA and LNP vowed to continue working together on mangrove law enforcement and community involvement across Grand Cape Mount County, demonstrating their full support for the project.
BudgIT Liberia has also revised its implementation strategy to maximize community impact. A budget of $82,555 originally earmarked for new construction has been reallocated to direct interventions, using existing infrastructure and proven grassroots methods.
The sustainability model is underpinned by a community cooperative structure to ensure equitable benefit-sharing, and the transition to solar-powered operations sets a precedent for low-carbon rural development across Liberia.
A civic group led by young people, BudgIT Liberia is dedicated to sustainable development, participatory government, and financial transparency. BudgIT strives to guarantee that people have the ability to influence a fair and responsible future as a member of the Government Fiscal Transparency Advisory Group.
Reported by: Prince Saah
