December 22, 2025; Monrovia, Liberia: Liberia stands at a defining second. House to over 40% of the remaining Higher Guinean Forest and extraordinary biodiversity—together with 2,900 plant species, 150 mammals, and 600 fowl species—the nation is a world ecological treasure (Conservation Worldwide, 2023).
By: Abraham Tumbey, former Programme Coordinator (UNDP Liberia Inclusive Inexperienced Development Pillar)
But, Liberia stays among the many world’s poorest nations. 55.6% of its inhabitants lives in multidimensional poverty, with households experiencing greater than half of the weighted deprivations in well being, training, and dwelling requirements (UNDP, 2024).
This paradox—considerable pure wealth amid widespread human deprivation—underscores Liberia’s growth dilemma: easy methods to eradicate poverty whereas conserving forests and biodiversity to advance international local weather targets.
The Improvement Problem
Liberia’s Human Improvement Index (HDI) ranks among the many lowest globally, reflecting constraints in well being, training, and earnings. Life expectancy is beneath 65 years, and the imply years of education stay beneath 5 (UNDP, 2024).
Poverty is starkly uneven: city poverty at 30%, rural poverty at 81%, and a million Liberians in excessive poverty (World Financial institution, 2024).
Girls and youth bear the brunt—24.9% of ladies marry earlier than 18, adolescent beginning charges exceed 130 per 1,000, and youth unemployment stays excessive regardless of making up over 60% of the inhabitants.
Liberia’s financial system is fragile, closely reliant on uncooked commodity exports—iron ore, gold, and rubber—leaving it weak to international value shocks. Structural limitations compound this fragility:
- Infrastructure deficits—poor roads and unreliable electrical energy inflate prices and hinder industrialization.
- Restricted fiscal area—low home income and debt vulnerabilities prohibit transformative public funding.
- Governance gaps—corruption and weak establishments erode investor confidence and sluggish reforms.
- Gender and youth exclusion—girls maintain solely 11% of parliamentary seats, and younger folks lack entry to high quality training and first rate jobs.
With out daring reforms, Liberia dangers remaining trapped in low-income standing. Beneath a “business-as-usual” situation, the World Financial institution warns Liberia is not going to obtain middle-income standing by 2030.
Pure Capital: Liberia’s Untapped Engine
Liberia’s forests should not obstacles—they’re financial lifelines. Conserving them aligns with international local weather targets and opens pathways for local weather finance.
The Nation Local weather and Improvement Report estimates that local weather change may shrink Liberia’s financial system by 15% by 2050 if unchecked. Conversely, leveraging carbon markets and biodiversity finance may mobilize tens of tens of millions yearly, funding renewable power, climate-resilient infrastructure, and sustainable agriculture.
However these alternatives require institutional readiness—a sturdy carbon framework and operational biodiversity financing mechanisms are pressing priorities.
The Path Ahead
To transition to lower-middle-income standing, Liberia wants an built-in method:
- Put money into Infrastructure — Roads, power techniques, and ICT to cut back prices, join markets, and allow industrialization.
- Construct Human Capital — Broaden training, vocational coaching, and well being techniques, particularly for girls and youth, to show demographic potential into financial power.
- Enhance Personal Sector Dynamism — Appeal to FDI, nurture SMEs, and promote inexperienced entrepreneurship to diversify past uncooked commodities.
- Leverage Pure Capital — Monetize carbon credit, biodiversity offsets, and eco-tourism to remodel forests into engines of inclusive progress.
- Strengthen Establishments — Speed up governance reforms, implement fiscal self-discipline, and fight corruption to construct investor confidence and guarantee clear useful resource administration.
A Imaginative and prescient Inside Attain
Think about a Liberia the place communities earn from forest-friendly enterprises, girls lead climate-smart agriculture, and youth drive inexperienced innovation.
The place carbon finance funds faculties and clinics, and biodiversity turns into a driver of prosperity. This imaginative and prescient is achievable—by way of partnerships amongst authorities, non-public sector, civil society, and international growth actors.
Liberia’s forests are the inspiration of a brand new progress mannequin—one which reconciles poverty eradication with planetary stewardship.
The selection is evident: put money into nature, put money into folks, and Liberia can transfer from the crossroads to the quick lane of sustainable progress.
UNDP is uniquely positioned to assist this transformative journey—bringing international experience, modern financing options, and technical help to speed up reforms and investments.
Collectively, we are able to flip Liberia’s imaginative and prescient of prosperity into actuality, making certain growth that’s fast, resilient, and equitable.
