Monrovia — The Government of Liberia, through the Environmental Protection Agency and its development partners over the weekend, signed and committed themselves to the National Adaptation Plans (NAP).
The document is called "Farmington High-level Declaration for Implementing Liberia's National Adaptation Plans.
The NAPs globally are critical frameworks established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to help countries like Liberia address the impacts of climate change.
A dialogue was held under the theme: "Effective Implementation of National Adaptation Plans (NAP) for Development Processes in Liberia: A Collaborative Approach between Policymakers and the Donor Community."
Its objective was to enhance collaboration and partnership between sector policymakers and donors to accelerate NAP implementation in Liberia.
The program brought together members of the diplomatic community, including UN Women-Liberia, UNDP-Liberia, UNICEF-Liberia, and UN-FAO in Margibi County.
The Ministers of Mines, energy, and Agriculture, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Forestry Development Authority, National Fishery and Aquaculture Authority, National Disaster Management Agency, and the Legislature, were in attendance.
Giving the overview of the program, Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpwolo, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said that given Liberia's vulnerability to climate-related hazards such as flooding, drought, and rising sea levels, it is imperative that these plans are effectively implemented.
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As Liberia embarked on this important dialogue, the EPA boss urged participants to commit themselves to taking concrete actions that will lead to tangible outcomes in implementing Liberia's NAPs.
"It's vital that we leave this gathering not only with renewed energy but also with specific commitments from all stakeholders present, as will be done today in our adoption of the Farmington High-level Declaration of NAP," he said.
Mr. Arthur R. M. Becker, acting manager of the Department of Multilateral Environmental Agreements and NAP Technical Lead at the EPA, read the declaration statement.
He said they committed to the declaration by affixing their signatures, representing their respective Ministries, Agencies, Commissions, and institutions.
According to him, they are committed to a socially inclusive and participatory decision-making process that integrates the insights and contributions of all sectors of society, including government, the private sector, civil society, youth, women, and children.
