With funding from the USAID - US Agency for International Development Conservation Works, The Nature Compact team has been using Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) protocols to engage rural community stakeholders, Private land owners, and Government partners on land formalization activities around the Marshall Wetlands Proposed Protected Area. This process is consistent with the Protected Area Gazettement Protocols of Liberia.
In the last weeks, we have been able to Raise Awareness on Liberia’s Land Rights Act in the communities, conduct Community Self-Identification (CSI) in all the four clans ( Sonniwein, Whenzohn, Doewein, and Yeannah ) in Grand Bassa County. The clans submitted signed Expression of Interest and Declaration of Intent to the Liberia Land Authority. We are happy that among many activities, the community members in these clans, specifically the youth, women, and men, implemented Participatory Land Use Mapping activities to develop sketch maps for their clans as prescribed by the 2018 Land Right Act of Liberia.
All the sections in the four clans agree to Self-Identify as Customary Land-owning communities as the first significant step in Land Formalization Activities. In the coming weeks, our team will continue its engagement with the communities and stakeholders under the guidance of the Liberia Land Authority to ensure the communities are strengthened and organized on Land Governance and Management issues, including norms/rules, and the development of the clans by-laws for the establishment of Community Land Development and Management Committees (CLDMC).
