A milestone collaboration between MAP Liberia, EPA, & ILC strengthens national climate ambitions.
The Republic of Liberia has released its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 3.0, marking a significant step forward in integrating land rights and governance into the country’s climate agenda.
With support from the International Land Coalition (ILC) through the Global Land Catalyst, the National Land Coalition (NLC) of Liberia, MAP Liberia, played a key role in the review process to ensure that land governance is meaningfully reflected in this updated NDC.
Strengthening land rights in Liberia’s climate commitments
To inform the review process, the NLC organized a series of local consultations and conducted a study on the integration of land rights in Liberia’s previous NDC (2021–2025). The study produced concrete recommendations for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to strengthen land governance provisions in the NDC 3.0.
The collaboration between MAP Liberia, the EPA, and the UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centre (RCC) for West and Central Africa was instrumental throughout this process.
Following broad national consultations, the Government of Liberia submitted its NDC 3.0 on 24 September 2025, formally recognizing land rights as a cross-cutting priority for effectively addressing the climate crisis.
Key highlights from Liberia’s NDC 3.0
The NDC 3.0 introduces a range of land rights–sensitive targets and measures, many of which draw directly from the consultations facilitated by the NLC.
Notable highlights include:
Institutional recognition
The Liberia Land Authority (LLA), which chairs NLC Liberia, has been designated as a member of the National Climate Change Steering Committee (NCCSC). Chaired by the Office of the President, the NCCSC serves as the highest body overseeing the implementation of Liberia’s climate change agenda.
Alignment with the Land Rights Act
Plans to establish four new protected areas by 2029 (Forestry mitigation targets) must align with the Land Rights Act.
Community land and resource rights
The NDC 3.0 calls for negotiated agreements to legally recognize community land and resource rights by 2035, ensuring that protected area creation upholds community tenure security.
Customary land and women’s participation
At least 30% of annual reforestation efforts aimed at enhancing forest carbon stocks should occur on secured customary lands, with participatory land-use planning involving women.
Gender and inclusion
Recognising systemic barriers faced by women and marginalised groups, the NDC 3.0 commits to ensuring that by 2035, adaptation priorities from climate-resilient agriculture to disaster risk management are explicitly gender-responsive. Furthermore, at least 20% of disbursed grant-based climate finance will be accessible to women’s cooperatives, smallholder farmers, and entrepreneurs.
Community autonomy and transparency
The NDC 3.0 also calls for the development of regulations enabling communities to manage and apply their own land rental fees in line with the Local Government Act, promoting accountability and local ownership.
A path forward
The inclusion of these measures marks a milestone for land rights advocacy in Liberia, a direct result of the sustained efforts of the National Land Coalition (MAP Liberia) and the collaborative approach of the EPA and the UNFCCC RCC.
Going forward, continued collaboration among these partners will be essential for the joint implementation of Liberia’s 2025–2029 NDC, ensuring that land rights remain at the heart of the country’s climate ambitions.
