Sustainable Forest Conservation in Liberia

Liberia is home to nearly half of West Africa’s remaining Guinean rainforest and is a biodiversity hotspot that serves important livelihood and climate change mitigation functions. Yet, Liberia’s forests, wetlands, and grasslands are threatened by a lack of clarity on ownership rights, resource extraction by private concessions, and unsustainable farming practices. These activities threaten biodiversity and contribute to climate change, which further degrades ecosystem health and community livelihoods. Without secure land tenure, rural communities struggle to implement long-term sustainable land management practices and face conflicts over land control as growing populations demand more resources from an already strained environment. As over 80% of land in Liberia is inhabited by rural communities, it is important to pair climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies with the land formalization processes to help protect and preserve the diverse ecosystems and improve quality of life throughout the country. 

This two-year project will contribute a crucial layer of environmental sustainability and climate resilience for communities receiving rights to their land, supporting 15,000 rural community members relying on forests and land for livelihoods and food security, and protecting approximately 93,629 hectares (234,072 acres) of threatened biodiverse ecosystems and vulnerable human settlements.

The project is supported with SEK 2 560 000 SEK.