FDA Conducts National Forest Forum Strategic Planning Meeting

FDA Conducts National Forest Forum Strategic Planning Meeting

To promote transparency and accountability aimed at ensuring that best practices are the hallmark in the sector, the Forestry Development Authority is expected to host a National Forest Forum (NFF) in October 2025.

To thoroughly prepare for the NFF, a strategic planning meeting was organized on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at the Corina Hotel in Monrovia.

Participants included government institutions, civil society organizations, communities, the private sector, academia, and donor partners.

In opening remarks, FDA Managing Director, Rudolph J. Merab, Sr., admonished participants to learn from history to understand the mandate of the Authority to its pre-war status. “Forestry is supposed to improve the lives of the community people, but we are not doing it,” he said.

Accordingly, Liberia is endowed with approximately 6.6 million hectares of tropical rainforest based on the country’s forest definition. These forests are said to be critically important for global biodiversity conservation, carbon storage, and ecosystem services, as they provide vital support to the livelihoods of forest-edge communities.

The new administration vision of FDA dubbed- People, Planet, and Profit (PPP), reflects its mission to leverage forestry as a tool for sustainable development, poverty reduction, and climate resilience. This vision is aligned with the country’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID).

During the meeting, Madam Gertrude W. K.Nyaley,  FDA Deputy Managing Director for Commercial and Technical Services, presented the history of the entity since its establishment in 1976, its legal and policy frameworks, and key challenges, including illegal logging, artisanal mining, and agricultural encroachment.

 Madam Nyaley also provided an overview of the Commercial Forestry Division’s priorities and plans to increase revenues, which would reduce the dependence syndrome of the entity on donor funds.

After the presentation, five breakout groups were created based on the 4Cs (Commercial Forestry, Conservation, Community Forestry, Carbon Sequestration) and a cross-cutting group that focused on policy coherence and interagency coordination. Information from the breakout groups is expected to help the FDA and partners better organize the upcoming National Forest Forum.

Stephan Cocco, the European Union’sGreen Team Program Manager, said, “The FDA should leverage its leadership role to secure sustainable funding and coordinate better with government institutions that have interests that may conflict with the FDA sustainable forestry objectives.”

Other participants suggested that the structure of the NFF should be strategic and not focused on too many topics. They also asked the FDA to propose a theme or message to guide  other government institutions that will participate in the NFF.

In  closing remarks, Madam Nora G. Bowier,  FDA Deputy Managing Director for Community Forestry, Conservation, and Carbon Sequestration, said, “Whilst the FDA is reviewing the outcomes of previous National Forest Forums, this strategic meeting was helpful in preparing us to organize a more targeted, constructive, and impactful NFF. We greatly appreciate your input and look forward to working with you on the upcoming National Forest Forum.” 

The forestry sector plays a cardinal role in supporting Liberia’s sustainable development. The Forestry Development Authority (FDA) leads the sector whilst affecting the 4Cs approach, which includes conservation, commercial forestry, community forestry, and forest carbon sequestration.