EPA Ends Two-day Validation Meeting on County Climate Change Baseline Report

Monrovia: The Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA) with support from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) through Novasphere as the implementing partner held a two-day Validation Meeting on County Climate Change Baseline Report that involved the fifteen political subdivisions of the country. The workshop was held at the Catholic Diocese Compound Conference Room in the city of Gbarnga, Bong County from August 21 -22, 2024.

The purpose of the Meeting was to validate the County Climate Change Baseline Report and present the current state of the level of environmental degradation taking place in the country and solicit the collaboration, cooperation of local administrators of working together to address environmental and climate issues at the county level and to highlight environmental issues that the county superintendents should include in the development of their county development agendas.

The Meetings were attended by relevant stakeholders that included the fifteen county superintendents and development officers, representatives of line ministries, agencies and commission, international and local environmental organizations.

During the opening of the Meeting, a special statement was made by Dr. Emmanuel Urey King Yarkpawolo, Executive Director/CEO of the EPA. He highlighted the level of environmental degradation that is taking place in the country ranging from pollution of water bodies by the usage of mercury in the extraction of gold by miners.

He lighted the danger of mercury entering our food chain through the consumption of fishes and other animal bodies that interact with polluted water bodies. Dr. Yarkpawolo further informed the gathering that mercury enters the water creatures during food ingestion and later humans ingest contaminated fishes thereby affecting their health status. Advertisement

The County Climate Change Baseline Report identified other environmental issues which include environmental degradations that are exacerbated by climate change hazards characterized by erratic weather patterns giving rise to early rain, prolonged rain and late rains, rising level of sea causing sea erosion in nine of our coastal counties and frequent tropical storms.

Commenting on the report, Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo said Liberia’s hazards have heavily impacted all the climate sensitive sectors especially the Agriculture Sector that accounts for almost 70% population of the country. The Agriculture System continues to record low harvest thereby affecting low level of nutrition intakes and incentives making the population more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

In his presentation, the Assistant Minister of Development Planning at the Ministry of Finance and Development, Hon. J. Wellington Barchue underscored the need to integrate environment and climate changes in the development of the ARREST Agenda for inclusive growth and transformation.

Hon. Barchue informed the gathering that the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning had been in consultations with local government administrators in soliciting their inputs in the development of the county development plan.

He assured the participants that the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive growth will be greened and climate proofed in fulfillment of the achievement of Liberia’s Nationally Determined Contributions.

Earlier, Mr. Abraham Tumbey of the Energy and Programme Unit of UNDP presented on the guideline for the establishment of the county and district environment offices in all the fifteen counties.

The Act Creating the EPA mandated that the EPA establish county and district environment offices in order for local inhabitants to be involved in the decision making body of living in harmony with their environments and the sustainable use of their natural resources.

Mr. Tumbey informed the gathering that UNDP had been working with the EPA to ensure the successful establishment of four county offices in Montserrado, Rivercess, Grand Capemount, Gbarpolu during the first 100 day deliverables of His Excellency Joseph Nyumah Boakai Administration.

Novasphere’s Consultant Toma Gomeze presented on the Chilean’s Experience in integrating climate change issues within the national planning process of the Government of Chile in South America. 

Gomez informed the participants that the Government of Chile was very successful in establishing all the relevant structures from the community to the level of the presidency in addressing the issue of climate change. Gomez informed the gathering that the Government of Chile has a strong enforceable climate change law.

In terms of mainstreaming environmental and climate change governance and leadership at the national level, representative of the Governance Commission, Counsellor Stanley Kpaklain, Commissioner, Monitoring, Reporting, Research and Publication assured the EPA that the Governance Commission will work closely with the EPA in promoting responsible governance and leadership in protecting and managing the environment at all levels of the government more especially at the county level.

The Chairperson of the Superintendent Council of Liberia, Madam Kou Meapeh Gono, Superintendent of Nimba County informed the gathering during the workshop that all the counties of Liberia are experiencing environmental and climate change issues. She informed the gathering that the counties were very limited both in terms of finance and experts in addressing problems associated with environmental and climate change. Madam Gono called for needy support to strengthen the county in responding to many environmental problems.

Similar concerns were highlighted by each superintendent during the dinner held in their honour by Madam Hawa L. Norris, Superintendent, Bong County. During the dinner, Dr. Yarkpawolo requested each superintendent to identify three major environmental and climate change issues affecting each of their counties. In response, the superintendents identified coastal erosion, deforestation, killing of wildlife, waste, destruction of wetlands, abandoned mining pits, pollution of water bodies and many other problems affecting their counties.

In conclusion, Dr. Emmanuel Urey King Yarkpawolo thanked the Government of Canada through Novasphere for financing the meeting. He also extended his profound thanks to the superintendents and others for their active participation in the meeting and requested their full cooperation and collaboration in working with the EPA in protecting and managing the environment in their respective counties. 

He assured them of EPA’s support for the establishment of county and district offices at the county level. The superintendents of Rivergee and Grand Kru counties were further assured that EPA will establish their county offices to finalize the decentralization of EPA’s County Offices in all the fifteen counties.