On the sidelines of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) meetings over the weekend in Germany, Maryland County’s district #2 Representative, Anthony F. Williams, and Montserrado County’s district #7 Representative, Emmanuel Dahn, engaged international partners, including multilateral banks, investors, and representatives from progressive forested nations, such as Suriname and Honduras, as well as the Coalition for Rainforest Nations (CfRN), to bolster coastal defense projects in West Point and Sinoe County.
During the discussions, Representative Williams emphasized the urgent need to accelerate the coastal defense projects that have seen minimal progress since the previous administration of former President George Weah. “We are here to encourage the donors—Green Climate Fund (GCF), Conservation International (CI), and Global Environment Facility (GEF)—who are the major financial players in the project’s cycle,” he stated, highlighting the importance of securing their support for immediate action.
Also speaking, Representative Dahn informed the GCF team about the devastation caused by coastal erosion in his district, specifically West Point, and urged them to expedite funding for the Westpoint Coastal Defense Project.
It can be recalled that in 2016 the Government of Liberia (GOL) through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Liberia Country Office, submitted a joint proposal to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for the Monrovia Metropolitan Coastal Resilience Project (MMCRP), with former President Weah launching the West Point Coastal Defense Project in 2021.
The project aimed at addressing barriers to effective climate change adaptation in the coastal zone of Monrovia through interventions in three interrelated focus areas: coastal protection, coastal management and diversified climate-resilient livelihoods, with the EPA being the implementing arm of government.
But the project has seen a prolonged delay due to several factors, which have left the sea eating away several homes and rendering occupants homeless.
However, Representatives Dahn and Williams have expressed confidence in the potential partnerships that could emerge from their engagements with multilateral organizations and other stakeholders, noting that the successful realization of these projects is anticipated to not only enhance coastal resilience but also foster economic opportunities for the affected regions.
They underscored the impact of climate change on Liberia’s coastlines and the imperative to implement effective defense mechanisms to safeguard communities against rising sea levels and erosion.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the Liberian delegation further spoke about deforestation in the various counties and the alternative livelihood for the people who live around the forest in the counties.
Representatives Williams and Dahn said they are committed to ensuring that Liberia does not fall behind in the global fight against climate change, advocating for immediate action and substantial investment in the country’s coastal infrastructure.
Representatives Williams and Dahn were accompanied by a delegation that included Cllr. Jeddi Mowbray Armah, the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Together, they aim to streamline collaboration with international partners to ensure that necessary funding and resources are mobilized for these vital coastal defense initiatives.
