Harper, Maryland County – The second regional consultation under the Climate Mobility Deep Dive Initiative was carried out in Harper, Maryland County, by the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia in collaboration with the Global Center for Climate Mobility. About forty people from Maryland, River Gee, Grand Kru, and Sinoe Counties attended the meeting to discuss the developing relationship between human movement and climate change in Liberia.
The engagement is a part of a nationwide series of regional consultations aimed at producing evidence, enhancing stakeholder participation, and identifying workable policy solutions to planned relocation, migration, and displacement caused by climate change. A national Climate Mobility Blueprint for Liberia, which will direct the government and other stakeholders in addressing the movement of individuals motivated or impacted by climate-related issues, is anticipated to be developed as a result of the consultations.
Arthur R.M. Becker, Director of the Department of Multilateral Environmental Agreements at the Environmental Protection Agency, stated that climate mobility is becoming a significant development and policy concern for Liberia. He cited a number of climate-related risks that are increasingly impacting communities and influencing human movement, including land degradation, biodiversity loss, flooding, and shifting rainfall patterns.
Becker emphasized how Liberia’s national planning and development procedures must take climate mobility into account. Additionally, he stressed the significance of making sure that the viewpoints of communities directly impacted by climate-related issues are represented in national decision-making. It is anticipated that the Harper consultation will offer regional viewpoints that will guide a High-Level National Policy Dialog that will take place in Monrovia.
Government agencies, development partners, civil society organizations, academic institutions, youth and women’s groups, and commercial sector representatives are anticipated to participate in the national dialog. The Global Center for Climate Migration’s program manager, Dr. Andrea Milan, reiterated the organization’s dedication to helping Liberia create evidence-based policies to deal with the new issues brought on by climate-induced migration.
According to Dr. Milan, GCCM’s assistance is intended to help Liberia foresee trends in climate mobility, bolster community resilience, and provide guidance for long-term planning and adaptation initiatives. As part of larger initiatives to guarantee that Liberia’s climate policies appropriately address the social and human repercussions of a changing climate, the Harper consultation is the second stage of the regional engagement. In addition to boosting resilience among vulnerable groups, the effort is anticipated to give policymakers evidence and suggestions that will help Liberia better plan for migration, displacement, and relocation brought on by climate-related disasters.
Credit: Trokon Wrepue
