A group photo of women participants
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WA BiCC Training Positions Global Mamas Staff to Further Empower Women and Communities

Jul 10, 2020
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By Chaz Kyser   As a company founded to create prosperity for African women, Ghana-based Global Mamas has striven to ensure that both the women it employs and those it partners with to make and sell its array of handcrafted products are treated equitably and positioned for success. However, there is always more to learn…

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Forest Blessings Radio Drama Launched Across the Mano River Union

Jun 02, 2020
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“Forest Blessings,” a 24-episode radio drama series produced by the West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change (WA BiCC) Program, has officially launched in the Mano River Union (MRU) countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Côte d’Ivoire. The drama was created to raise awareness about forest conservation issues, including deforestation, forest degradation, and biodiversity loss. These…

A picture of a man giving a speech at the high table between two other men.
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Climate Information Training Helps Sierra Leone Better Tackle Climate Change

Mar 18, 2020
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By Fatmata Katta   For those charged with helping their countries both adapt to and combat climate change, understanding and being able to leverage climate information is critical. This is particularly true for Sierra Leone, recognized as the third most vulnerable country in the world to the effects of climate change. Thus, WA BiCC and…

Photo of the poster used to market the Watasay Stone radio drama series. It features a man pointing to a storm about the descend on the village, and comments on how storms like this could be prevented if the community stops cutting down mangrove trees.
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WA BiCC and UNDP Scale Up Entertainment-Education Efforts to Increase Coastal Resilience to Climate Change in Sierra Leone

Mar 11, 2020
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By Darius Barrolle   Radio dramas are a part of Sierra Leone’s rich culture; hence, it is no surprise that “Watasay Ston,” a new radio drama series and form of entertainment-education, has quickly emerged as one of the most popular in the country. One reason behind its success is that all stakeholders, including the government,…

A river flowing through the forest.
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Liberia and Sierra Leone Reaffirm Commitment for the Conservation and Shared Management of Gola Forest

Feb 24, 2020
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By Chaz Kyser   Building on the governments of Sierra Leone and Liberia’s commitment to protect the Gola Transboundary Forest Landscape, officials representing the two West African countries gathered on February 18 at Liberia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia to sign amendments to their current memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding the conservation of this…

Five people sitting at the table.
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ECOWAS Ministers Adopt Strategic Documents for a Cleaner, Sustainable Environment

Feb 14, 2020
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By Adejumobi Adegbite   Ministers representing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have adopted the revised Environmental Action Plan (EAP) and associated Monitoring & Evaluation Plan (MEP) of the ECOWAS Directorate of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), which were submitted for adoption during a three-day Experts and Ministers Meeting at the Ouagadougou International…

A man making a speech with a book in his hand.
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Sierra Leone Commemorates World Wetlands Day with Climate Change Adaptation Plan

Feb 14, 2020
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By Fatmata Katta   Sierra Leone marked this year’s World Wetlands Day celebration with the launch of its Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCAP), a document that WA BiCC played a key role in developing. The CCAP sets the framework for an adaptation plan that is geared towards increasing the resilience of coastal communities across Sierra…

A group of people sitting in a room,
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Mano River Union Member States Endorse Institution’s Five-Year Strategic Plan

Feb 14, 2020
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By Fatmata Katta   Delegates representing the four Mano River Union (MRU) countries—Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire—endorsed the sub-regional body’s five-year (2020–2025) Strategic Plan and Action Plan after a two-day deliberation to critically review both documents Feb. 4–5 in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The MRU is a core regional partner of WA BiCC. Its…

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Newly Elected Co-Management Committee Pledge to Protect Sierra Leone’s Sherbro River Estuary

Feb 10, 2020
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By Fatmata Katta   Sierra Leone’s Sherbro River Estuary (SRE) is rich in biodiversity, including turtles, manatees, sharks and crocodiles. Designated as one of the country’s four marine protected areas, the region is also reported to host about 58% of Sierra Leone’s total mangroves, and other coastal habitats in the region include beautiful sandy beaches,…

A group photograph
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CITES Master’s Graduates Chart a Path Toward Regional Collaboration

Jan 29, 2020
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By Chaz Kyser, WA BICC Communications Manager   The West Africa Biodiversity and Climate Change Program (WA BiCC) organized a vibrant exchange on “Knowledge Products and Lessons from CITES Master’s Training and Research in West and Central Africa,” held in Accra Jan. 23–24. Not only did the gathering succeed in bringing WA BiCC-supported CITES MSc…