ArcelorMittal announced Friday the launch of its 2015 annual report of its Biodiversity Conservation Programme (BCP).
The programme was set up by ArcelorMittal Liberia in August 2011 as a compensation for the impact that the mining industry has had on the country's flora and fauna.
The report has outlined key milestones reached, including the steps taken in protecting the East Nimba Nature Reserve (ENNR) by ArcelorMittal, Fauns and Flora International (FFI) and the ENNR Co-Management Committee. Another breakthrough was the signature of Liberia's first ever conservation agreements by ArcelorMittal partner Conservation International with six communities in northern Nimba.
"ArcelorMittal's Biodiversity Conservation Programme (BCP) would not be possible without the strong partnerships and collaborations that have been developed throughout its four and a half years of existence to date," commented John Howell, environmental advisor to ArcelorMittal Liberia. "The success of the programme is testament to the hard work of our implementing partners, the continous support and guidance from stakeholders and collaborators, and their willingness to trust and work with ArcelorMittal Liberia."
Experts have also come together under the programme to take steps towards showing the presence of endangered species in the region. West African Lepidoptera expert Szabolcs Sáfián and telemetry specialist Mátyás Prommer achieved a world first by successfully radio-tracking the Giant African Swallowtail (Papilio antimachus): Classified as data deficient on the IUCN redlist, it is one of Nimba's most charismatic species and Africa's largest butterfly. Four Nimba Otter Shrews have also been tracked and monitored in the Gba and Blei Community Forests.
Photo by ArcelorMittal
