NATIONAL NEWS
HARPER – The Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia, in partnership with the Global Center for Climate Mobility, has held the second regional consultation under the Climate Mobility Deep Dive Initiative in Harper, Maryland County.
By: Trokon Wrepue – trokon1992seokin@gmail.com
The consultation brought together approximately 40 participants from Maryland, River Gee, Grand Kru and Sinoe Counties to examine the growing connection between climate change and human mobility in Liberia.
The engagement is part of a nationwide series of regional consultations intended to generate evidence, strengthen stakeholder participation and identify practical policy responses to climate-related displacement, migration and planned relocation.
The consultations are also expected to contribute to the development of a national Climate Mobility Blueprint for Liberia, which will guide government and other stakeholders in addressing the movement of people driven or influenced by climate-related challenges.
Speaking on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency, Arthur R.M. Becker, Director of the Department of Multilateral Environmental Agreements, said climate mobility is increasingly becoming an important development and policy concern for Liberia.
He pointed to flooding, changing rainfall patterns, land degradation, biodiversity loss and other climate-related hazards as factors increasingly affecting communities and influencing human mobility.
Becker stressed the need to integrate climate mobility considerations into Liberia’s national development and planning processes.
He also emphasized the importance of ensuring that communities directly affected by climate-related challenges have their perspectives reflected in national decision-making.
The Harper consultation is expected to provide regional perspectives that will inform a High-Level National Policy Dialogue to be held in Monrovia.
The national dialogue is expected to bring together government institutions, development partners, civil society organizations, academic institutions, youth and women’s groups, as well as representatives from the private sector.
Meanwhile, Dr. Andrea Milan, Programme Manager of the Global Center for Climate Mobility, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to supporting Liberia in developing evidence-based policies to address the emerging challenges associated with climate-induced mobility.
Dr. Milan said GCCM’s support is aimed at helping Liberia anticipate climate mobility trends, strengthen community resilience and inform long-term planning and adaptation efforts.
The Harper consultation represents the second phase of the regional engagement and forms part of broader efforts to ensure that Liberia’s climate policies adequately address the social and human consequences of a changing climate.
The initiative is expected to provide policymakers with evidence and recommendations that can help Liberia better prepare for displacement, migration and relocation resulting from climate-related hazards while strengthening resilience among vulnerable communities.
