MONROVIA: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says it continues to make significant strides despite the challenging global environment.
According to EPA briefing notes presented during the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) regular press briefing on November 24, 2022, “EPA is engaged with international climate change environment to source cheap funding to support climate smart and environmentally resilient projects that are objects of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). The NDC is a country’s packaged commitment to reducing Green House Gas (GHG). The NDC covers nine (9) sectors and amounts to US$490.5 Million.”
According to the briefing notes, early this year, EPA received US$10 Million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to protect vulnerable coastal communities and infrastructures in Greenville, Sinoe County, from the impacts of Sea Level Rise (SLR) and related extreme events.
The project, entitled: “Enhancing the Resilience of Vulnerable Coastal Communities in Sinoe County of Liberia” is hosted at the Ministry of Mines & Energy. Last Friday, November 25, 2022, it held a one-day inception workshop and launched the project, the briefing notes disclosed.
Accordingly, the EPA delegation to COP27 recently held in Egypt has returned following a very good impact.
EPA said, at COP27, President George Manneh Weah reiterated his call for developed countries to meet their commitments made for the reduction of GHG in Glasgow last year.
For example, the developed countries made a commitment to contribute $100 Billion annually to help developing countries adapt to the impact of climate change and initiate mitigating measures also necessitated by the adverse impact of climate change resulting from the emission from factories and other processes.
AT COP27, the EPA notes stated that Liberia confirmed that an amount of $8.5 Million is now available to the EPA for climate smart and environmentally resilient projects, resilient and environmentally.
This amount is separate and distinct from the general Least Development Countries Facility (LCDF) of $20 Million allocated for our country.
Combined, the GEF has given Liberia an amount of $28.5m to be accessed through the UNDP and other partners.
A delegation of the EPA and other partners will be going to Canada to attend the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the Convention on Biological Biodiversity (CBD).
While there, the Agency will finalize plans to access a portion of the $20 million set aside by Canada for four (5) West African countries (Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia and Togo) to improve each recipient’s MRV system.
Additionally, the Monitoring, Reporting and Verification is an infrastructure intended to assist a country in enhancing the country’s ability to monitor, report and verify climate finance activities in the country.
The EPA said it has taken close interest in the radiation and its adverse impact on human health and the general environment.
In furtherance of this interest, the EPA has contacted the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a part of the United Nations System, to assist the EPA.
IAEA is now providing capacity building opportunities to the EPA. Early this year, four (4) of our scientists and specialists were trained abroad to in various aspects of radiation handling, EPA asserted.
In addition, EPA said it received radiation management equipment in September, valued at over US$100,000. “These machines will enhance the EPA’s ability to detect and control radiation emission to safety levels in order to protect our people,” the Notes indicated.
However, the Environmental Protection Agency reiterates warning for people not to buy swamp land or land in the swamp from anyone.
Swampland belongs to the Government and NOT individuals, further warning that people should contact the EPA whenever they are interested to build anything in the ground.
“The EPA will demolish any structure that is unlawfully built in the swampland,” the notes concluded.