Kpanyan Statutory District in Liberia’s coastal south faces challenges including economic instability,
inadequate critical infrastructure, land degradation and climate change. Land use is a contentious topic in Liberia, as historically, the people who traditionally lived on the land were not formally recognized as the owners. In 2018, a new Land Rights Act was passed into law, whereby communities could become legal owners of their traditional homelands. To claim their land rights, communities are required formalize their land claims and develop a Land Use Plan that accounts for the interests of all members of society.