An assessment of climate change risk and vulnerability funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) has been inaugurated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Monrovia.
The two year project, which seeks to support Liberia, is being implemented by the EPA and the UNDP through the National Adaptation Plan (NAP).
The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process helps countries conduct comprehensive medium- and long-term climate adaptation planning.
The climate change risk and vulnerability assessment will advance Liberia National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process for medium-term investment planning in climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture, energy, waste management, forestry, health and coastal areas.
It is intended to support Liberia, so that it can put in place its National Adaptation Planning process contributing to and building upon existing development planning strategies and processes and to implement priority adaptation actions.
It would also empower Liberia to respond to risks posed by climate change, because Liberia’s economy, population, and environment are highly vulnerable to climate variability and change.
“A range of studies, including the Republic of Liberia’s Initial National Communication under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) notes that the impacts of climate change are expected to intensify as changes in temperature and precipitation affect economic activity, E. Abraham T. Tumbey, Jr., NAP Project Manager said.
Tumbey noted that in order to respond to the risks posed by climate change, there is a need to conduct and update relevant climate vulnerability and risk assessment in the key sectors.
“This will give decisions’ makers and the most vulnerable population adequate tools and information to integrate climate change into their planning strategies,” he added.
Mr. Tumbey believes this will also enables them to better plan their medium and long-term adaptation programs, policies and strategies.
According to him, the project will conduct climate change vulnerability and climate risk assessments on key sectors and systems with a goal of enabling Liberia to develop the knowledge base and capacity required to reduce vulnerability to climate change and to facilitate the integration of climate change adaptation into national development planning processes.
Mr. Tumbey further noted that the exercise is intended to develop the scientific knowledge base and capacity required to reduce vulnerability to climate change and as well facilitate the integration of climate change adaptation into national and sectoral development planning processes.
“The study is being conducted by an international climate change consultant supported by two local consultants and a multidisciplinary team of sectoral experts, with inputs from an international expert on gender,” the NAP Project Manager disclosed.
He added that the assessment project will provide decision makers and stakeholders with information to justify sustainable and viable sector interventions, which will provide the basis for guiding coping strategies that will ensure that the sectors are managed in consideration of any climate-related risks and adaptation needs and options.
The activities of the study, according to Mr. Tumbey will include consultations with all relevant stakeholders including the Ministry of Agriculture, National Fisheries & Aquaculture Authority and the Forestry Development Authority; identification of observed trends in climate to examine potential future climate conditions, the possible impacts on agriculture, fisheries and forestry; field consultations with local community groups in different agro-ecological zones on existing risks and vulnerabilities as well as their knowledge and experience and identification of priorities, strategies and action plans for