By Abraham Tumbey UNDP Liberia Programme Coordinator (Inclusive Green Growth Pillar)
On this International Day of Forests 2025, under the theme
“Forests and Food,” we celebrate Liberia’s vast forests as a sanctuary for biodiversity and a lifeline for the rural communities, particularly women and youth, who depend on them for sustenance and livelihood. Liberia’s forests, particularly the Upper Guinean Rainforest, serve as a crucial global biodiversity hotspot and an essential carbon sink, significantly contributing to climate change mitigation efforts.
These forests are home to endangered species such as the pygmy hippopotamus, western chimpanzee, and red colobus monkey. At the same time, they provide food, medicine, and economic opportunities for thousands of forest-dependent communities.
For many rural Liberians, forests are not just landscapes; they are their supermarkets, pharmacies, and economic hubs. From wild fruits, nuts, bush meat, and medicinal plants to income-generating activities such as honey production and sustainable harvesting of non-timber forest products, Liberia’s forests ensure food security and economic resilience. Women, who play a key role in forest-based economies, rely on these natural resources to sustain their families and contribute to local markets. However, their future, and that of Liberia’s forests, is increasingly under threat.
UNDP Liberia is committed to ensuring sustainable forest management with people at the center—leaving no one behind. Our work through initiatives such as the Community-Based Forestry and Protected Area Management (CBFM) project funded by Sweden, a joint effort between UNDP and FAO, and the ‘Leh Go Green’ project financed by the European Union in collaboration with the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) is focused on strengthening governance, promoting sustainable livelihoods, and enhancing resilience to climate change.
The two interconnected projects are implemented through a holistic approach that integrates environmental conservation with sustainable agricultural development, encouraging practices that increase productivity without expanding into forest areas. This is done using advanced production techniques that adopt the System of Rice Intensification, which has increased yields of 1,400 pilot farmers, reducing the urge to cut more forest for more land.
The projects have empowered local communities to take an active role in managing their forest resources. Communities are involved in decision-making processes to ensure forest management practices focus on local needs and knowledge. This approach helps conserve biodiversity, prevent deforestation, and promote sustainable use of forest resources on which community livelihoods depend.
By formalizing community ownership over community forest lands, communities are supported to develop sustainable forest businesses in beekeeping, crafts, lowland rice production, and small ruminants. These businesses, ranging from timber production to non-timber forest products, provide income opportunities and improve livelihoods. In just four months of engaging with the project, one community group generated $300 from selling non-timber forest products such as honey and crafts, while the other community planted 150ha of cocoa impacting their livelihoods.
Moreover, the projects have contributed significantly to environmental conservation by fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility among community members. Strengthening governance structures at the community level provides opportunities for communities to get involved in managing their forests.
At the national level, the projects support the FDA in law enforcement efforts by enlisting eco- guards in bio monitoring and patrols to avert illegal activities. The information generated sensitizes the public about the value of forests. By empowering local communities, the CBFM and Leh Go Green conserve forest resources, improve livelihoods, and strengthen food systems. Continued support and collaboration are crucial to ensuring the success and sustainability of these initiatives in Liberia.
Liberia’s forests are also the heart of the country’s commitment to global climate action under the Paris Agreement. The recent Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) stock take report, supported by UNDP and presented by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on 14 March 2025, underscores forests crucial role in Liberia’s climate strategy.
In its 2021 NDC, the country set an ambitious target to reduce emissions by 64% below projected business-as-usual levels by 2030, although Liberia contributes only 0.03% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A portion of this commitment significantly depends on international support, particularly in the forestry sector.
While Liberia has made notable progress—achieving 20.47% of its targeted GHG reductions by 2024—critical gaps remain. These include financing shortfalls, limited gender responsiveness, and insufficient integration of vulnerable communities in climate action. Addressing these challenges will require urgent investments in forest conservation and sustainable livelihoods for forest-dependent communities.
Despite Liberia’s commitment to sustainable forest management, including the National Forest Reform Law (2006) and the target to protect 30% of its forests, significant threats remain. Unregulated logging, shifting cultivation, illegal mining, and land conversion for agriculture are leading to deforestation and forest degradation.
Climate change further exacerbates these challenges, threatening the environment and the livelihoods of those who depend on it. Without urgent action, the forests that sustain communities and combat climate change could disappear, undermining Liberia’s development and global environmental goals.
Call to Action
To safeguard Liberia’s forests and ensure sustainable livelihoods for local communities, it is imperative for concerted actions in the following areas:
- Accelerating Support for Forest-Dependent Communities – Forest conservation must align with strengthening community resilience. Providing alternative income sources, such as sustainable agriculture, eco-tourism, and agroforestry initiatives, will enable communities to thrive without overexploiting forest resources.
- Strengthening Forest Law Enforcement and Governance – Enhanced forest governance is critical. We urge increased investment in community-based eco-guards and monitoring systems to empower local populations to protect their forests. Additionally, more forest rangers must be enlisted and equipped to combat illegal activities and safeguard Liberia’s rich biodiversity.
- Investing in Technology for Forest Monitoring – Advanced drones, and digital reporting tools can significantly enhance Liberia’s ability to track deforestation trends and enforce conservation laws more effectively.
- Boosting International Support for Liberia’s Forests – Liberia’s forests are a national and global asset. The international community must strengthen collaboration, technical assistance, and financial support to help Liberia sustain its forests and ensure they continue to play their role in global climate action and biodiversity preservation.
- Advancing Liberia’s Readiness for the Carbon Market – Liberia has vast potential to benefit from carbon finance mechanisms that reward conservation efforts. Accelerating the development of the necessary legal and institutional frameworks will enable Liberia to access carbon markets, providing financial incentives for protecting forests and investing in sustainable development.
As we mark this year’s International Day of Forests, we reaffirm our commitment to working alongside the Government of Liberia, CSOs and communities, and development partners to protect Liberia’s forests while improving the well-being of those who depend on them.
The future of Liberia’s forests is the future of its people. Let us act now to secure both.
