Publications

This report will examine two of the most serious potential threats to good governance and professional management of Liberian forests: the looming wave of Community Forestry Management Agreements (CFMAs), and the potential for large-scale conversion of forests into agriculture plantations – particularly oil palm. By examining these emerging issues critically, the Sustainable Development Institute (SDI) hopes to warn the Liberian government and its partners of the potential for abuse and mismanagement in coming years. The report concludes with an examination of the sector’s role in the Liberian economy overall, with an eye on alternatives as well as the need to create an environment of oversight and accountability for civil servants at the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and elsewhere

SDI's letter to FDA highlighting their concerns about the Forest Development Authority's plan to legalize conversion timber.

This Policy Brief is a result of CSOs consultations with rural communities on the draft Land Rights Act. It provides the views of local communities on the draft Act, as well presents concrete recommendations to protect the pro community provisions of the Act.

This report reveals that Liberia earns too little from its iron ore exports. It reveals that the country gives overly generous tax breaks to iron ore investors grossly undercutting its revised Revenue Code. For example, while the Revenue Code requires multinationals to pay 30 percent income taxes on all corporate profits, ArcelorMittal, China Union, and Putu only pay 25 percent. The report also reveals that state-citizen relations and relations between local communities and foreign multi-nationals operating in the mining sector are strained.

This report evaluates Putu Iron Ore Mining operations in southeastern Liberia. At the PIOM concession, full-scale mining has not yet commenced, and as such the local population is largely hopeful of future opportunities and the company enjoys a fairly strong reputation. However, there are signs for concern. In 2011 a riot at PIOM caused two deaths and necessitated an ERU response, and there have been local complaints that the company is not doing enough to offer stable employment opportunities to residents of the district. Still, there is significant room for a stable and mutually beneficial relationship for PIOM to have with its affected neighbors. 

The Sustainable Development Institute (SDI), founded in 2002, was accredited by the Government of Liberia in 2004. Following a decade of work on community rights issues in the forestry, agriculture, land, and mining sectors, the SDI is using its 10th Anniversary to reflect on achievements and challenges to inform planning for the future. Achievements in this context refer to progressive changes in policies, laws and regulations governing the natural resources sector to which the organisation has made significant interventions. This report chronicles SDI's 10 year Positive Peace Crusade in Liberia. 

In Liberia there is an urgent need for strong legal protections for community lands and natural resources. This report details communities' experiences undertaking land documentation activities and the initial impacts of these efforts on conflict resolution and prevention, intra-community governance and conservation and sustainable natural resource management.

This report compiles evidence from community land titling initiatives in three countries in an effort to address community land protection issues in policy and practice. The report concludes that community land documentation may be a more efficient method of land protection than individual and family titling.

This report throws a spotlight on Liberia’s fledgling oil and gas sector. An oil find in Liberia, which is still recovering from two natural resource fuelled civil wars, could provide desperately needed revenues if the industry is sufficiently reformed. But this report highlights that Liberia is not currently ready for oil without a comprehensive reform of the country’s oil and gas industry.

ArcelorMittal Liberia contributes US$3 million annually to the County Social Development Fund (CSDF) for development in counties hosting its operations. This report examines the mismanagement of the fund and as a result how it is failing to make significant impacts on the lives of the target beneficiaries. The report recomments reform of the fund to ensure it is accountable, transparenct and involves citizen's participation.

This report examines forest law enforcement and governance in post-conflict Liberia and catalogues major issues in the implementation of forest sector reform. It asserts that failure to fully implement reform may put the livelihoods of communities at risk and undermine the implementation of the Poverty Reduction Strategy and any future Voluntary Partnership Agreement with the EU.

This report is the first ever forest sector report card for Liberia as part of the Making the Forest Sector Transparent project. It assesses the transparency and accessibility of information in the forest sector with a particular focus on forest governance. It underlines the vital role FDA, civil society and the private sector play in ensuring increased transparency in the sector.

This is a summary of 'So Who Owns the Forest?' which explores issues of property rights and customary land tenure. This report advocates the urgent need for reform which recognises local people's collective entitlement over their customary lands. It offers practical solutions for dealing with land tenure issues for inclusion in national law.