As part of a major step towards sustainable land management and the fight against climate change, Conservation International (CI) and partners have concluded a national validation workshop aimed at finalizing a Land Use Plan for the Northwest Liberia landscape.
The workshop, held in Monrovia, brought together key stakeholders to review and approve the proposed strategies for responsible land use and environmental conservation.
The Land Use Plan, developed under the support of The Global Environment Facility (GEF) through its Food Systems Land Use and Restoration (FOLUR) Impact Program, seeks to create a roadmap for sustainable land management in Bomi, Grand Cape Mount Gbarpolu, and Lofa counties. This initiative is designed to balance economic development, promote environmental conservation, ensuring that local communities benefit from natural resources without compromising future generations’ needs.
The national validation workshop follows a series of county-level consultations held in Gbarpolu, Grand Cape Mount, and Lofa Counties. These local engagements ensured that communities’ voices were heard and integrated into the final planning process, thereby, fostering inclusivity and grassroots ownership of the plan.
Addressing participants at the workshop, Roger Emmou, CI’s Director for Program Delivery in West and Central Africa, emphasized that the FOLUR project is deeply committed to the interests of local communities.
He outlined key interventions of the project, including sustainable land use practices, agroforestry, restoration of degraded lands, and forest conservation.
“This Land Use Plan represents a collaborative effort to create a sustainable future for Northwest Liberia,” Emmou stated. “By involving local communities at every stage, we are ensuring that conservation efforts align with their needs and aspirations.”
‘CI as a conservation NGO always put people at the center of our activities that is why this project is very important” he said.
“I am very happy to see how the government is being involved through the Liberia Land Authority and other Ministries and Agency” he emphasized.
The Liberia Land Authority (LLA) was represented by its Assistant Director for Land Use and Management, Tom-Wesley Korkpor, who expressed the Government of Liberia’s commitment to collaborating with Conservation International (CI) for the implementation of the FOLUR project. Mr. Korkpor assured, “LLA will provide all the necessary support to ensure that the project benefits our people in the northwest landscape of Liberia.”
A key outcome of the workshop was the endorsement of a research report conducted by the University of Liberia. This report provides critical data and recommendations that will guide the implementation of the Land Use Plan, ensuring that scientific insights inform policy and practice. Stakeholders at the event, including government representatives, community leaders, and environmental experts, expressed optimism about the plan’s potential impact.
They praised CI and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for their efforts in fostering a collaborative approach to land management and environmental conservation.
As Liberia continues to face challenges related to deforestation, land degradation, and climate change, initiatives like the FOLUR project offer hope for a more sustainable future.
The validation of the Land Use Plan marks a crucial milestone in ensuring that Northwest Liberia’s landscapes are managed in a way that supports both biodiversity and livelihoods.
With the plan now endorsed, the next steps will involve developing implementation strategies, capacity-building programs, and continuous monitoring to ensure its success. Conservation International and its partners remain committed to working with local communities and stakeholders to transform the vision of sustainable land use into reality.
The project is co-financed by several organizations, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo Information Services (LISGIS), the Liberia Land Authority (LLA), the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), Mano Oil Palm Plantation(MPOI), the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the Society for the Conservation of Nature in Liberia (SCNL), Fauna and Flora, International Trade Initiative (IDH), and Conservation International (CI).
The project will work with local and national governments, as well as community members, smallholder farmers, and commercial agroforestry plantation operators, to advance the Land Use Plan, promote sustainable commodity production, restore degraded lands, and support forest conservation.
