Protecting forests in Liberia

Slightly less than half of Liberia is covered in forested land. However, almost 90% of its greenhouse gas emissions came from land use change and forestry in 2011. More than a quarter of the population can be considered as forest people.

Legal reform / VPA status

The forest sector in Liberia is currently undergoing important changes which could have crucial impacts on the country’s forests as well as the populations which depend on them.

ClientEarth in Liberia

ClientEarth started working in Liberia in 2015. Two years earlier Liberia ratified a bi-lateral agreement on timber trade and forest governance, known as a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA), with the European Union  in December 2013.

In Liberia, we are supporting legal reform and implementation by gathering and analysing forest laws in order to make them more accessible. We provide training and support to civil society representatives to engage with forest governance processes. We work via a Legal Working Group – comprised of representatives from local communities as well as NGOs. We address topics such as the national legal framework, land tenure, and the implementation of the VPA.

Resources

Liberia law database: This page provides information to civil society organisations and others working on natural resources and community-rights related issues in Liberia. This resource will be updated and improved on an ongoing basis, so that we can build our expertise together with civil society organisations in Liberia.

The Liberia team

In Liberia, ClientEarth works with T Negbalee Warner, Abrahim Sillah, J Awia Vankan and Kula Jackson from Monrovia-based law firm Heritage Partners and Associates. To get in touch with a member of the team, please write to forest-contact@clientearth.org.