Published: November 26, 2025
Belém, Brazil — BirdLife International and the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL) have emphasized that the future of conservation depends on shifting power and resources to local communities, calling for innovative financing models that place residents at the center of climate and biodiversity protection.
Speaking on a high-level panel at the Liberia Pavilion at COP30 in Belém, BirdLife International CEO Martin Harper said community-driven conservation is indispensable to tackling the accelerating climate and biodiversity crises. He highlighted the BirdLife–SCNL partnership as an example of how shared expertise and funding can deliver measurable impact on the ground.
“Real conservation success happens when communities lead the process,” Harper said, praising SCNL’s long-standing commitment to local stewardship and its work across forest landscapes.
The event — designed to spotlight community leadership, address financing gaps, and strengthen cooperation among governments, civil society, and the private sector — drew experts from across West Africa and the global conservation community.
SCNL’s Sylvia Diamond Dorbor, who heads the Liberia Child Project and serves as Sustainable Finance Coordinator and Technical Lead of the Guinean Forests Integrated Program (GFIP), urged governments and donors to adopt financing models that empower rural populations.
“Community-driven conservation is critical in addressing the escalating climate and biodiversity crises,” Dorbor said. “Policy support, capacity building, and access to finance are essential if communities are to drive meaningful conservation outcomes.”
Alade Adeleke, Country Program Manager at the Sierra Leone Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, echoed that message, stressing that local stewardship is vital for meeting global biodiversity goals.
He noted that well-supported community initiatives can protect wildlife, strengthen livelihoods, and boost climate resilience — but require predictable policy and financial backing to scale.
Liberia’s Forestry Development Authority was also represented. Nora Bowier, Deputy Managing Director for Communities, Conservation, and Carbon, called for deeper integration of community-led approaches into national conservation frameworks, arguing that they make policies more effective and sustainable.
Finance experts on the panel underscored the need for diversified and accessible funding. Damiano Borgogno of the UN Capital Development Fund outlined mechanisms — including blended finance, green bonds, and payments for ecosystem services (PES) — that could unlock significant resources for nature-based, community-led solutions.
Andrew Zeleman, Chairperson of the National Union of Community Forest Management Bodies, shared success stories from Liberia’s community forest sector and detailed the financial and bureaucratic challenges that often prevent local groups from accessing funding.
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