1. Liberia Forest Sector Program Annual World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty March, 2016 Gerardo Segura, N. Hooda, P. Agostini, A.M. Gonzalez, S. Kondo,G. Ledec, N.M. Soikan, G. M. Mahama, C. Anderson, A. Adubi, J. Roger, S. Morita, and L. Verheijen

2. 1 LIBERIA AT A GLANCE Land area: 111,375 Km 2 (about size of VA) Population: 3.79 M (40% rural) Emerged from a 14 year conflict period in 2003 Civil war severely damaged economy, infrastructure, institutional capacity, social capital GDP has grown at 7% from 2003-2014. Ebola Epidemic 2014-15 Some progress in poverty reduction but rates remains high. In 2014: 175 of 187 countries on Human Development Index; and 145 of 152 on Gender Inequality Index

3. 2  4.33 M Ha (45% of total land)  Rich in biodiversity: 43% of the remaining Upper Guinea Rainforest (only 14.3% remaining)  One of 35 global biodiversity hotspots FORESTS AND BIODIVERSITY  Deforestation rates (1990-2010)  0.61% / yr  30 mil ha/yr (12.2)%

4. Liberia Forest Sector Program 3 THE FOREST SECTOR  Forest sector contribution to GDP: 15.2% (2012) (1.2 for Sub-Saharan Africa; 0.7% in North America)  Forest resources are critical for local economies and forest communities  Main threats to forests: expansion of large scale agricultural, mining and logging concessions

5. Liberia Forest Sector Program 4 Forest Development Authority (FDA) created in 1976: mainly timber concessions and promoting export earnings, little contribution to rural development. In 2003 UNSC imposed sanctions on Liberia to ban trade timber products as export revenues were being used to finance the civil war Private Use Permits (PUP) controversy: logging permits to private companies on 30% of Liberia’s total land area ending with a full suspension of permits FOREST GOVERNANCE AND INSTITUTIONS

6. 5 Lifting of UN sanctions in 2006 to launch an ambitious forest sector reform National Forest Reform Law (2006) National Forest Sector Strategy (2007) Community Rights Law (2009) : focusing on local forest communities, major step in recognizing customary lands rights, and promoting community forestry The three “C”s approach: Community, Commercial, Conservation LEGAL FRAMEWORK

7. Liberia Forest Sector Program 6 Land Rights Policy (2013): recognition of customary land right at center of land policy wide approval Land Rights Act (2014) under discussion by Parliament. Land Commission to evolve into Liberia Land Authority Dramatic slowdown of land acquisition processes by the major industrial agricultural industrial concessions (oil palm, rubber) LEGAL FRAMEWORK

8. Liberia Forest Sector Program 7 FDA with a new director committed to recognize customary rights and develop a robust community forestry sector Growing demand for recognition of customary rights continues to build Forest sector as the main provider to recognize and secure collective rights over forest lands. More than 120 requests to initiate a Community Forestry Management Agreement (includes demarcation) received. Estimated demand: 500 to 1000 communities. RECENT SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS

9. Liberia Forest Sector Program 8 Involvement in the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility to develop a national strategy to reduce carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) (2012). Liberia Norway Partnership (2014). Letter of Intent. Support the national REDD+ Strategy, Sustainable Landscape Management (community forestry, agriculture, conservation, restoration). The Liberia Forest Sector Program (2016) RECENT SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS

10. 9 THE LIBERIA FOREST SECTOR PROGRAM Reduced deforestation and degradation and improve management and benefit-sharing in targeted forest landscapes  Area under forest cover in targeted forest landscapes (ha)  Emissions Reductions and Carbon sequestration (tCO2 e)  People in targeted forest and adjacent communities with increased monetary or non- monetary benefits from forest (number).

11. 10 THE LIBERIA FOREST SECTOR PROGRAM Components  Component I. Strengthen Regulatory and Institutional Arrangements (US$8 million)  Component II. Strengthen Capacity for Landscape Management (US$24 million)  Component III. Forest Monitoring Information System(US$2 million)  Component IV. Project Monitoring and Management (US$3.5 million) Total project cost: (US$37.5M)

12. 11 Aims at providing support to local communities and their organizations to improve the sustainable management and conservation of natural resources and improve the economic and social benefits they obtain from them Improved Land Use Planning Strengthen Management of Protected Areas Support for Community Forests Public-Private Partnerships to Strengthen Sustainable Agriculture Development II. STRENGTHENING MANAGEMENT OF TARGETED FOREST LANDSCAPES

13. 12 Community Governance and Social Capital Community Territorial and Development Planning Forest tenure and management rights of common pool resources by local communities Technical assistance and training for sustainable natural resources management. Community Driven Development Grants Development of Community Forestry Enterprises. COMMUNITY FORESTRY

14. Liberia Forest Sector Program 13 Limited institutional, technical and financial capacity (e.g. FPIC, demarcation, conflict management and resolution) Political timing is critical: passing of the LRA, ensuring that the LRA is consistent with the Policy Donor assistance is crucial: timing, coordination, harmonization! Employment and improving livelihoods is a mayor priority (unemployment of 80-85% with rural and youth as the most affected). Support for the Land Commission in its transition into the new Land Authority IMPORTANT CHALLENGES

15. Liberia Forest Sector Program 14 Designing and implement­ing jurisdictional programs also requires changing the way people think about rural development. Realistic expectations regarding the pace of change and investments in long- term outcomes are critical. Early indications and stakeholder interest suggest that a trans­formative shift is possible—one that can provide substantial benefits to people and the environment but concerted collaborative efforts will be necessary across sectors WAY FORWARD