EPA & partners dialogue on Green Climate Fund Readiness
Liberia Environmental Protection Agency, working with Sustainable Solution for Africa dialogue on multi-country Green Climate Fund Readiness
By Lincoln G. Peters
Monrovia, Liberia, October 29, 2024—The Liberia Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with Sustainable Solution for Africa (SSA) and with funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) through Ernst and Young (EY), concluded a national policy dialogue on multi-country Green Climate Fund Readiness.
The symposium held over the weekend focused on “Accelerating the Financing and Implementation of Low-Carbon and Climate-Resilient Priorities for Agriculture and Energy in Agriculture in African Countries”.
GCF Readiness Program, which aims toward the African Adaptation Initiative, brought together officials of the EPA, Ministry of Agriculture and cross-session of stakeholders, including international organizations, civil society and the private sector.
The Green Climate Fund-funded Pan Africa Readiness Program was approved to strengthen the capacity of 23 African countries of the Africa Adaptation Initiative – AAI, to respond to climate change challenges.
The program focuses on enhancing climate resilience and integrating climate adaptation strategies into agricultural frameworks, with a strong nexus between agriculture and energy for sustainable growth.
The dialogue aimed to provide stakeholders a platform to review the readiness of deliverables and discuss how climate data and projections can be incorporated into agricultural policy frameworks.
It is part of the first phase of the multi-country GCF Readiness Program, which supports the African Adaptation Initiative on “Accelerating the Financing and Implementation of Low-Carbon and Climate-Resilient Priorities for Agriculture and Energy in Agriculture in African Countries.”
In opening remark, Mr. Elijah Z. Whapoe, Coordinator of the National Climate Change Secretariat, thanked the organizing body for hosting such an important occasion.
Mr. Whapoe described the meeting as critical, as it is intended to give more information on climate change, impacts on agriculture and livelihoods and how these phenomena can be managed across Liberia.
For his part, Mr. Benjaman Karmoh, chief technical adviser (CTA) to the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, extolled the participants for assembling to participate in the dialogue on how to address issues of agriculture energy in terms of climate change adaptation.
Karmoh disclosed that the agriculture sector is key to Liberia’s gross domestic product (GDP), but it is being bombarded by climate change.
Representatives of UNDP, the University of Liberia, the Community of Hope Agricultural Project (CHAP), the Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Authority, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, and the Ministry of Agriculture also delivered statements.
The various speakers expressed strong interest and optimism in an engagement that will ultimately deliver a solution to Liberia’s agriculture and food security challenges in the wake of climate change.
At the same time, the Deputy Minister for Agriculture, David K. Aquoi, was keen on the Ministry of Agriculture’s role in ensuring sustainable and climate-smart food production across the country. He cited ongoing initiatives in low-land rice cultivation in urban and pre-urban communities across Liberia.
According to Minister Aquoi, they are encouraging and working with farmers to grow what they eat, eat some, and sell some. This, he said, will promote income and enhance livelihood. Editing by Jonathan Browne
