Monrovia, Liberia – Climate change poses a serious threat to the peace and prosperity of Liberia. The oldest country in Africa, Liberia, has navigated a challenging path to stability while dealing with health issues, civil unrest, and economic instability. But unlike earlier conflicts, the climatic issue is not confined to a single era in Liberia’s development narrative. Global warming has long-lasting effects that get worse over time. Months and years will gradually become more intense due to warmer days. Unpredictable rainfall patterns will exacerbate more frequent and destructive floods. Beyond simply degrading the environment, the repercussions will also have an impact on the economic and general well-being of Liberia’s populace.
In light of this, the World Bank Group has launched a national report on development and climate in Monrovia. The research appeared to examine how climate change is affecting Liberia, address these issues with the assistance of development partners, and make improvements in the field that will benefit the nation and its citizens.
The report is crucial for the Liberian government to work on in the best interest of the nation’s national development strategy, according to the World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, Mr. Robert Taliercio, who spoke at the launch.
With the intention of lowering poverty, he claimed that one of the basic values of the World Bank in the twenty-first century is combating climate change. He said the report examines the faster growth rate after 2013, which is crucial information for the World Bank.
Mr. Taliercio added that, with the detail of the report, which looks at the climate, water, health, food, the environment, forestry, energy, climate finance, and poverty, it is important that the private sector, including development partners, collaborate with the government to fight climate change in Liberia.
”IT IS IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THE DEVELOPMENT OF LIBERIA IN THE AREA OF HIGHER GROWTH, GREENER GROWTH, AND IMPROVE CLIMATE CHANGE.”
The World Bank Director told the audience that the analysis made clear that poverty in Liberia would rise if the government did not address climate change sooner, which would have a serious negative impact on the nation’s economy, agriculture, and other vital industries, as well as raise the likelihood of a national calamity.
The World Bank is fully prepared to collaborate with the Liberian government, he said. The World Bank Country Director claimed that the report’s critical sections on land, forestry, power, infrastructure development, carbon copy, and other crucial sectors are essential to Liberia’s development and protection against climate change.
Mr. Taliercio implored the Liberian government to give the study careful consideration and include the subject of climate change in the nation’s budget.
Speaking as well, IFC Senior Country Manager for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, Kyle Kelhofer, pointed out how important the report is and urges action to combat climate change together with the business sector.
In addition to stating that the corporate sector and civil society are crucial to the process, he promised the full assistance of his organization to address climate change. Climate change, according to Mr. Kelhofer, is a factor in all capacity building initiatives, including agriculture.
He continued that the finance industry is crucial to the effort to combat climate change. The country director stated that today’s launch marks the beginning of the report’s journey and the fight against climate change in Liberia.
Deputy Minister for Budgeting at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Minister Tanneh G. Brunson, spoke on behalf of the Liberian government and stated, “Climate change has become a reality for Liberia and, in fact, much faster than all scenarios could have predicted.”
She claimed that too many people continue to think of climate change as merely an environmental problem. She pointed out that there is a severe concern about climate change that affects both the public and commercial sectors. Madam Brunson went on to say that it poses a complete threat to the world economy, millions of people’s livelihoods, peace, security, agriculture, and health.
Climate change is a development issue that needs to be addressed head-on by everyone, according to the MFDP deputy minister. She expressed her delight about being a part of the World Bank’s launch of Liberia’s Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR).
“It is my understanding that this CCDR examines Liberia’s development trajectory through the lens of the country’s vulnerability to climate change. It identifies Liberia’s development risks and opportunities, modelling various scenarios of climate impact and interventions, and proposes ways to strengthen resilience and finance climate actions that support Liberia’s development aspirations of inclusive growth and poverty reduction.”
Despite being one of the countries that emits the fewest greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, Liberia is not well-prepared to deal with the consequences of climate change, according to the report. As a result, rather than focusing on mitigation, the report’s suggested climate activities address the demands for climate adaptation.
According to Deputy Minister Tanneh Brunson, the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, takes seriously the findings of the report and reassures partners of the government’s commitment to continuously supporting efforts like this for the betterment of Liberia, its people, and all other residents.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s therefore the government’s hope that this launch will achieve a full appreciation of the progress, challenges, and opportunities for climate change interventions in Liberia.”
