Various civil society organizations within the environmental sector, led by their umbrella organization – the National Civil Society Council of Liberia (NCSCL), with support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), have concluded a one-day engagement on Liberia Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), with emphasis on the forest sector.
NCSCL, as the CSOs’ umbrella organization, under the project, is expected do a mapping of CSOs engaging on climate change and forest issues at the national and local level.
The Council is also tasked to initiate a national dialogue amongst stakeholders to identify policy and governance priorities for driving the implementation of the forestry sector NDC targets. Furthermore, the Council is to set up a multi-stakeholders CSO platform, for advocacy, monitoring, reviewing, and reporting on the implementation of Liberia’s forestry NDC target.
Giving an overview of the project, the Chairperson of NCSCL, Loretta Alethea Pope-Kai, explained that the Council, under the project, will build network and strengthen partnerships by mobilizing national and local CSOs to engage regularly and effectively in forest NDC climate-related processes.
She indicated that NCSCL is tasked to enhance communication mechanisms to share updates on forest NDC action and relevant information, to promote advocacy and policy brainstorming and provide support to the government and other stakeholders.
Furthermore, the Head of NCSCL asserted that the project is geared to establishing a multi-stakeholder driven process for tracking and reporting on NDC implementation in the forestry sector.
Pope-Kai told the gathering that the project aims to ensure that at least 25 percent of priority degraded forest be restored by 2030.
“As the Apex body for all CSOs in Liberia, with the influence and networking capacity, we will strengthen the multi-stakeholders working group (National Climate Change Steering Committee) to engage the FDA and the EPA on what has happened and how we can increase our stakeholders’ engagement to ensuring that the government meets up with this target priority. Our focus is not to re-invent the wheel but to work and strengthen the capacity existence structures,” said the Council Boss.
As part of the many activities, NCSCL will identify different CSOs engaging in climate change and forest issues, at the national and local levels.
She disclosed that the Council will initiate one regional dialogue amongst stakeholders to identify policy and governance priorities for driving the implementation of the forestry sector NDC targets (Bong County).
“We will set up a multi-stakeholders CSO platform with existence structure for advocacy, monitoring, reviewing, and reporting on the implementation of Liberia’s forestry NDC target. We are also going to identify modalities for mobilizing financial support needed to support CSO engagement in the NDC process. Also, the Council will initiate a national conference amongst stakeholders, including the government and development partners on the implementation roadmap of the NDCs.
Pope-Kai also mentioned that the Council will build network-building and partnerships for support (technical and coordinating) for CSOs to regularly engage and contribute to the climate change processes at national and local levels.
One of the key expected outcomes of the project, which is valued at US$30,000, is that NCSCL, through the CSOs Working Group on Climate Change the Forestry Targets, would develop one policy brief on the forest targets and disseminate that amongst stakeholders.
The group would engage the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) to develop a common approach for CSO advocacy, monitoring, and information sharing, and reporting on the implementation of the NDCs with a key focus on the forestry targets.
It also aims to build consensus with relevant CSOs in the sector, to sustain network-building and partnerships for support (technical and coordinating) for CSOs to regularly engage and contribute to the climate change processes at national and local levels.
The project also aims to strengthen coordination with the National Climate Change Steering Committee (NCCSC), and ensure that CSOs in the sector are aware of the forest targets, through information sharing in monitoring the implementation of the NDCs.
In remarks, Abraham Tumbey, Program Officer at UNDP, vowed the organization’s support to initiatives that aim to promote and protect the environment.
In so doing, he said UNDP will work with different stakeholders, including CSOs in the environmental sector and NCSCL, by supporting their efforts and programs that support the realization of the country’s NDCs.
Liberia is known to hold 43 percent of the Upper Guinean Rainforest, which is a significant portion under the West African biome (EPA, 2019).
Even though the country is noted for its advantages in biodiversity and forest cover, a recent land satellite land cover monitoring from the FDA indicates that from 2009 to 2022, Liberia has experienced deforestation in its Northwest and Southeast Forest cover landscapes, and these are on the decrease, while forest degradation has at least tripled everywhere (FDA, 2021).
The total tree cover loss is about 1,918,352 ha from 2001- 2020. However, the FDA has recommended that the country institutes a strong legal and operational framework, to manage and sustain the remaining forest resources in Liberia.
Besides, Liberia’s NDC has set targets for the forestry sector, to reduce the national deforestation rate by 50 percent by 2030 (EPA, 2021). Additionally, the NDC has proposed that the country restore about 25 percent of priority degraded forests by 2030, and at the same time, establish five new Protected Areas to complement the existing government commitment to increase forest Protected Areas to 1.5 million ha, ensuring a 3km buffer zone by 2030 (EPA, 2021). Under Climate Promise 2.0, Liberia is one of the countries receiving funds from the UK’s DEFRA for a national project.
