Forest Sector Assessment, Liberia E-mail

Strategic environmental assessment of the Liberia forest sector

Project dates: Sept 2007 - June 2008

Liberia is slowly emerging from over a decade of debilitating civil conflict. With industry still largely undeveloped, there is considerable pressure on natural resources to kick-start the country’s economic development.

Historically, the forestry sector – traditionally seen as commercial forest – has played an important economic role in Liberia. While this view still holds, recognition is growing that the economic and environmental values of the forest sector extend beyond purely forestry.

Post-conflict approaches to forest management, for example, have led to the inclusion of conservation and community aspects in forest management.

Liberia’s vast and diverse forestry resources are one of the country’s greatest assets, yet the capacity to manage these resources in a sustainable manner is seriously lacking
Liberia’s vast and diverse forestry resources are one of the country’s greatest assets, yet the capacity to manage these resources in a sustainable manner is seriously lacking. The current Strategic Environmental Assessment of the forestry sector is one of several activities seeking to address this shortfall. Photograph: G. Wroe-Street / ProAct Network

As a result, Liberian forest policy is now based on an integration of the “3Cs” – the commercial, conservation and community aspects of forest management.

IUCN, the Sustainable Development Institute in Liberia and ProAct Network undertook a World Bank funded Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Liberia forest sector with a view to supporting the growing appreciation of the diverse roles of forest ecosystems.

The World Bank's final report on the project: Mainstreaming social and environmental considerations into the Liberian forestry reform process" is available for download.

A Strategic Environmental Assessment
for implementation of the 3Cs of the Forest Reform Law 2006"

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