Across the world, 10 million hectares of forests are lost to deforestation, and about 70 million hectares are lost due to fire each year. The consequences are severe – particularly for countries where a large proportion of the population relies heavily on forests for jobs, livelihoods and other ecosystem services (such as water regulation and protection from flooding). In these countries, the welfare of nature and of people are so closely connected that prioritizing the well-being of people tends to also secure forests against deforestation and degradation. At a global scale, shrinking forests are also a concern because forests remove 16 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually.
Reducing pressure on forest resources will require developing alternative, sustainable livelihoods for forest-adjacent communities. This approach gained momentum in Liberia, a West African country nestled between Sierra Leone and Cote d’Ivoire, where more than half of the population lives within 2.5 kilometers of a tropical forest. These forests, which currently cover 43.4 percent of the country, have declined substantially in recent decades, shrinking by 0.7 percent on average each year between 2000 and 2015.
Forest-focused initiatives are bringing significant benefits across the world, including in Liberia. For example, the Liberia Forest Sector Project – a US$36.7 million, multi-year initiative – supported practical measures to improve forest management and increase benefit-sharing in targeted forest landscapes. Between 2016 and 2023, the project successfully enhanced community forest governance; improved measurement, reporting and verification systems; and strengthened regulatory and institutional arrangements. These improvements are discussed in greater detail below.
Community forest governance was enhanced, with a focus on income generation
The Liberia Forest Sector Project demonstrated how training and equipment can position local communities to contribute to a sustainable forest economy and develop financial resilience to impacts of climate change. In particular, the Liberia project successfully:
- Strengthened local community governance structures through capacity-building initiatives, benefiting more than 10,200 farmers while enabling sustainable agriculture and fostering forest-based community enterprises.
- Helped communities establish volunteer savings and loan associations (VSLAs) in the northwest and southeast priority conservation landscapes. VSLAs typically manage revolving funds that can be used to create microfinance options for community projects and forest enterprises, in effect supporting the creation of local jobs and small businesses that engage in sustainable forestry and agriculture.
Measurement, reporting, and verification systems were improved
The Liberia Forest Sector Project designed, developed, and commissioned a national-level measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) system to track metrics such as emissions reductions and deforestation rates, so improving the evidence base for informed decision-making.
Regulatory and institutional arrangements were strengthened
The Liberia Forest Sector Project focused on building the capacity of multiple government institutions, including Liberia’s Forestry Development Authority and its Environmental Protection Agency. It also enhanced transparency and accountability in forest governance at the national and subnational levels by supporting the introduction of co-management governance approaches. In Sapo National Park, Wonegizi Nature Reserve, and Lake Piso Multiple Use Reserve, the Liberia Forest Sector Project enhanced management effectiveness and created local value chains around sustainably harvested forest products. This approach improved conservation outcomes while increasing employment in forest-product processing activities.
Moving forward
Progress achieved over seven years – including in developing community forest governance and strengthening institutional and regulatory frameworks – lays important building blocks for deepening impact through the World Bank’s Global Challenge Program: Forests for Development, Climate, and Biodiversity (GCP-F).
Launched in October 2024, the GCP-F operational framework can help guide the development of Liberia’s forest economies by:
- Strengthening the policy, institutional, and regulatory framework for sustainable forest management that is inclusive of communiti
- Investing in sustainable forest landscape management to enhance biodiversity conservation and climate resilience
- Supporting community natural resource management
- Developing livelihoods and value addition related to timber and non-timber forest products through agroforestry and by helping small producers access markets better.
With sustained effort, Liberia can be poised for expansion in meaningful, forest-based economic opportunities for businesses and communities adjacent to forested landscapes, and more jobs. This approach can help to secure Liberia’s forests as a renewable, sustainable, income-generating asset, the integrity of which is closely linked to the well-being of the people who depend on it.
Read more about the Liberia Forest Sector Project’s outcomes in the results report.
