By: Kabina S Kabah – kabinaskabah98@gmail.com
New York, USA – Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia, has called on international donors and development partners to scale up support for women smallholder farmers facing the devastating impacts of climate change.
Speaking at a high-level roundtable on September 23 in New York, organized by BRAC with support from Denmark, Liberia, Uganda, Tanzania, and Bangladesh, Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo stressed the need to move beyond commitments and channel resources into practical solutions.
The roundtable centered on the “Big Bet on Climate Change Adaptation” initiative, which seeks to reach more than two million women farmers and their families—about nine million people—across Africa and Asia by 2030.
In Liberia, approximately 30,000 women farmers are expected to benefit from the program.
They will gain access to climate-smart seeds and tools, timely climate information, financial services such as loans and insurance, post-harvest storage facilities, and expanded market opportunities. The initiative will also strengthen government and local systems to ensure long-term sustainability.
Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo underscored Liberia’s alignment of the Big Bet program with its national development and climate policies, including the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, the National Adaptation Plan, and the country’s recently submitted NDC 3.0 to the United Nations climate body.
“Our stocktake of NDC 2.0 confirmed that Liberia must prioritize adaptation, as mitigation alone cannot shield us from the floods, droughts, and storms that define our daily lives,” he said. He described the program as “bold and practical action that makes adaptation real,” urging partners to rally behind the initiative.
The EPA boss praised Denmark for its leadership role in supporting the Big Bet, expressing hope that the initiative could spark a broader global movement.
He assured partners that every contribution would have direct impact. “Every dollar invested in the Big Bet program will go directly to improving the lives of women farmers on the frontlines of climate change,” he noted.
Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo also announced that Liberia plans to host a side event at COP30 in Brazil, where the country will showcase the Big Bet initiative alongside its national climate adaptation efforts.
Acknowledging the persistent financing gap, he highlighted progress made by the Coalition of the Willing in identifying practical solutions to strengthen women-led adaptation strategies.
“Together, we can transform this Big Bet into a lasting legacy for women, for communities, and for our shared future,” he concluded.
The Big Bet initiative is expected to strengthen food security, improve nutrition, empower women economically, and enhance community resilience to climate change across participating countries.
