Prof Wilson K. Tarpeh-Executive Director, Environmental Protection Agency

Representative of the MFDP

Other officials of government present

Development partners, representatives of the project communities, NGOs and the private sector.

Ladies and gentlemen.

We acknowledge and applaud the cooperation received thus far from the relevant Government of Liberia stakeholders, especially from the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, the Private Sector and Development partners, for the development of this funding proposal and particularly the Government of Liberia through its  Global Environment Facility (GEF) Operational Focal Point for Liberia, Professor Wilson K. Tarpeh, for the partnership and  preferment of UNDP to lead on the accessing of the GEF/Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) on behalf of the Government.

This is not just a demonstration of the continued confidence of the Government in UNDP as a trusted partner but also to consolidate the gains made.  

The project was developed as a result of a request from the Government of Liberia to the UNDP through the regular GEF national project endorsement modalities. The objective is to protect coastal communities in Sinoe County and their assets from future climate change while enhancing their income streams through livelihood diversification by implementing sea and river defense and risk management approaches.

I am pleased to inform that the total cost of the project is US$10,464,420.00 with contributions from (GEF- $8,932,420; UNDP-$200,000 and GoL- $1,332,000). The GoL contribution is in the form of goods (rocks and services) while the GEF and UNDP contributions are cash. We want to acknowledge and applaud the Government for its continuous commitment in providing co-financing for the mobilization of these vertical funds, which is very critical.

The project, which will be mainly implemented in Greenville, Sinoe County, will extend some soft services including micro-finance, value-chain addition, sustainable agriculture, etc to other coastal counties. The cooperation of these communities is very key to the successful implementation of the project. Consequently, we look forward to working with the EPA and the county authority to establish county-level coordination groups to enhance implementation.

Hence, we encourage a strong partnership with the community and seek to enlist their full cooperation and support during the implementation of the project, without of which we will not succeed.

While the project presents viable solution in addressing the impacts of climate change, it is important to develop long-term integrated and participatory planning that involves the public sector, private sector, and communities at all levels of governance.

Therefore, this project has adopted an integrated approach, involving micro-finance, value-chain addition, sustainable agriculture as well as coastal protection measures.

Ladies and gentlemen, as we convene today for the purpose of appraising this GEF funded project, I want to express my gratitude for the opportunity to work with you all in this process and look forward to a rewarding and successful appraisal process.

I want to conclude by highlighting that the success and effectiveness of the LPAC will largely depend on your active and meaningful participation in the discussions ahead. To the representatives of the project communities, your active participation is especially important. You are the one that directly feel the impacts of climate change in your communities and will be directly involved in the project implementation.

May I take this opportunity to reaffirm UNDP’s support to the Government of Liberia, to strengthen our partnership with the Ministry of Finance & Development Planning Ministry of Mines & Energy and Environmental Protection Agency and, beneficiary communities, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Community Based organizations and the Private Sector in the implementation of this development project.

UNDP and the UN are fully committed to encourage solutions-driven partnerships for achieving the sustainable development goals.

I thank you!