EPA Pushes Stronger Forest Protection -Urges Safeguards, Funding, Community Rights

MONROVIA: The State-owned Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has called for stronger safeguards, increased investment and meaningful community participation in forest governance, warning that effective protection of the country’s forests is essential to biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, water security and sustainable economic development.
Dr. Emmanuel King Urey Yarkpawolo, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), made the call during a virtual presentation at the national validation of Liberia’s Forest Sector Policy and Strategy for 2026–2036, held over the weekend in Monrovia.
ED Yarkpawolo emphasized that Liberia’s forests are more than ecological assets, serving as critical natural infrastructure that sustains agricultural production, protects watersheds, supports wildlife habitats and provides livelihoods for communities that depend on forest resources.
He urged the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) and the EPA to strengthen institutional coordination and environmental compliance, ensuring that forest-related activities are guided by sound ecological principles and rigorous environmental oversight.
He stressed the importance of comprehensive environmental assessments before projects are approved, particularly those with the potential to disrupt sensitive ecosystems.
Wetlands, watersheds, riverbanks and wildlife corridors, he noted, require stronger protection because, according to him, degradation in these areas can undermine water quality, biodiversity and the resilience of surrounding communities.
The EPA chief also called for more effective enforcement of environmental regulations, including routine inspections, pollution control and compliance monitoring, emphasizing that environmental safeguard must translate into practical action on the ground rather than remain policy commitments without measurable results.
Restoration of degraded forest landscapes was another priority highlighted during his presentation. Yarkpawolo underscored the need to rehabilitate damaged ecosystems, prevent further forest degradation and strengthen pollution management as part of a broader strategy to maintain the ecological functions that forests provide.
He further stressed that the success of the 2026–2036 policy would depend on adequate and sustained financing. Without sufficient resources for field monitoring, technical capacity, restoration programmes and enforcement, environmental institutions could struggle to implement policy objectives effectively across the country.
Beyond institutional capacity, Yarkpawolo called for meaningful participation by forest-dependent communities, particularly women, young people and vulnerable groups.
He maintained that people whose livelihoods are directly linked to forest resources should have a genuine voice in decisions affecting their land, environment and access to natural resources.
Transparent benefit-sharing arrangements and respect for community rights, he emphasized, must remain central to forest governance.
According to him, communities should be able to understand how benefits derived from forest resources are allocated and what protections are in place to prevent their interests from being overlooked.
The EPA director also highlighted the importance of reliable environmental data in guiding policy implementation and assessing outcomes.
Consistent data collection, regular field inspections and public reporting would help authorities identify environmental risks, track compliance and demonstrate whether forest management interventions are delivering the intended results, he noted.
Yarkpawolo also called for responsible carbon-financing initiatives that generate tangible benefits for local communities.
As forest conservation increasingly intersects with climate finance, transparent governance and credible monitoring are essential to ensuring that carbon-related programmes deliver verifiable environmental gains while respecting the rights and interests of affected communities.
The national policy review is being organized by the FDA with support from the European Union through the Forest for the Future Facility.
It seeks to establish a framework for sustainable forest management, stronger environmental protection, job creation and economic growth over the next decade.
The proposed strategy comes at a critical time for Liberia, where forest resources play a major role in supporting rural livelihoods, maintaining biodiversity and strengthening the country’s response to climate change.
Its effectiveness will depend on how well environmental protection is integrated into land-use decisions, investment activities and natural-resource management.
Stronger collaboration between the EPA and FDA, supported by adequate financing, transparent oversight and community participation, could help close implementation gaps and improve accountability across the forest sector.
The policy’s validation therefore represents an important opportunity to establish clear environmental priorities and measurable safeguards for the next decade. Its lasting impact will ultimately depend on consistent enforcement, responsible resource management and ensuring that forest conservation delivers lasting ecological and economic benefits for Liberia and its people.