New NASA Maps Will Help Liberia Chart Course for a Sustainable Future

Mar 22, 2021 | Kiley Price
View Original

Within Liberia’s borders lies one of the last strongholds of intact forests in West Africa. But as Liberia’s economy recovers following years of civil war, experts fear that these forests — and other ecosystems across the country — could become victims of unsustainable oil palm development, urbanization and logging. 

To prevent this, the Liberian government must first know where its most valuable ecosystems are located, how much of them is left and what critical services they provide to people. A groundbreaking effort is helping them achieve the first step in charting a course for a more sustainable future. In partnership with Conservation International and NASA, the government of Liberia recently mapped the country’s diverse ecosystems — from lush forests to coastal mangroves — and analyzed how they have changed over time. These “Ecosystem Extent Maps” will help the government quantify the economic benefits of Liberia’s natural resources and the services they provide to people — the country’s “natural capital.” They were created using remote-sensing data generated by NASA’s fleet of Earth-observing satellites and field surveys from Conservation International scientists on the ground.