Conservation Agreements: Integrating Social and Environmental Investments in Liberia

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Abstract Social investments by the energy sector are often pursued separately from environmental programs, which can miss opportunities for mutually-reinforced outcomes. Since 2012, "Chevron Liberia Limited" (therafter referred as "Chevron Liberia") and Conservation International (CI) have partnered in Liberia to develop community-level integrated social and environmental projects with the Barcoline community through Conservation Agreements (CAs). CAs are negotiated with local communities and include a package of social benefit investments as an incentive for environmental conservation commitments and performance. CI has conducted feasibility assessments for CAs with 12 villages comprising the Barcoline community just east of the port city of Buchanan. Villagers have committed to conservation activities such as protecting mangroves and sea-turtle nesting beaches and more sustainable hunting and fuelwood collection. In exchange, with support from Chevron Liberia, CI is working with development partners to develop and deliver benefit packages that include investments in social services (e.g. health, education, water and sanitation) and livelihoods (e.g. new agroforestry products, small-scale tourism and hospitality ventures), as well as training, equipment and stipends for community efforts to protect resources. Preliminary work has already increased awareness of local communities as to how their activities are impacting their local environment and how behavior changes might help improve their lives as well as protect natural resources. The communities, Chevron Liberia, CI and government agencies are positioning these CAs as demonstrations of replicable structure for relationships between local communities and companies, informing the design of a national conservation and development program for Liberia. A national CA program inspired by Chevron Liberia and CI’s demonstration project with the Barcoline community could serve as a model to support and assist broad distribution of the benefits of Liberia’s natural resource wealth, and also serve as a model for other countries. Although the Conservation Agreement approach has been implemented in more than 25 projects in 15 countries with support from 8 companies, this is the first time it has been used with an energy company. Bringing this model of integrated environmental and social investment projects to the sector could spur greater delivery of social and environmental benefits to communities and countries with energy exploration and development, as well as companies seeking to enhance their environmental and social performance.