Territorial Tensions: Rainforest Conservation, Postconflict Recovery, and Land Tenure in Liberia

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Since the cessation of civil conflict in 2003, the Liberian government is poised to expand greatly its protected area network to conserve the country's remaining rainforest. Liberia holds within its borders nearly half of the remaining Guinean rainforest, a global biodiversity hotspot. The planning process for this effort has been a central part of rebuilding Liberia's forestry sector, which helped fuel past conflict. The process, known as the Liberia Forestry Initiative, is widely considered to have been exemplary with regard to multistakeholder dialogue and policy making. Because the issue of land tenure remains widely contested, however, the initiative risks seriously aggravating land rights problems, complicating the prospects for a durable peace. This article focuses on the process through which land was zoned for strict protection and how this process is likely to exacerbate land tenure conflict in Liberia's priority conservation areas. Although the international conservation community sees postconflict scenarios as opportunities for promoting conservation initiatives, unresolved land tenure issues make for problematic outcomes, including land disputes and legal disarray. Such problems can result in significant volatility and can make the peace process and recovery much more, not less, difficult.