Stakeholders at a one-day technical workshop have validated a framework document for the monitoring, evaluation, and learning system for the country’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP).
Organized by the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA) and its partners on Friday, October 8, 2022 in Paynesville, outside Monrovia, the validation workshop brought together representatives from government, civil society and non-governmental organizations.
In 2021, Liberia prepared and submitted its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Liberia NAP includes indicators for each priority adaptation sector. Chapter 6 of the document includes an overview of a system for monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on the NAP.
The need for the development of national monitoring, evaluation, and learning system is urgently being propelled by the anticipation of climate-resilient projects through the National Determined Contribution (NDC).
It is against this backdrop, that the Global NAP Project is supporting Liberia to establish a monitoring, evaluating, and learning (MEL) framework for the country.
Presenting the draft technical report to stakeholders, the National Consultant, J. Peryekor Dahn said the report was a first major blueprint for establishing a national MEL system for Liberia to monitor adaptation indicators in the country.
Mr. Dahn said the development of the document took into consideration all major stakeholders in the country including those in the leeward counties of Liberia.
Speaking at the start of the gathering, UNFCCC Focal Point, Jefferson Nyandibo lauded participants from line Government of Liberia’s ministries, agencies, and commissions for being present.
He disclosed that in 2008, the EPA embarked on the development of a national adaptation action plan, which subsequently cumulated into the country’s effort in trying to move further into the agenda of developing a national adaptation plan.
He said that with support from the Green Climate Fund, the Government of Liberia through the EPA and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) jumpstarted the initiative of developing a NAP in 2018.
Mr. Nyandibo assured that the Government of Liberia is committed fully to the NAP process and is still committed to ensuring that adaptation intervention at the national level becomes cross-sectorial and becomes very participatory of each and every segment of society.
According to him, with the support of the NAP Global Network, the United States, Canada, and other partners, Liberia was engaged to communicate a national adaptation plan which was done through the development of the country’s first adaptation communication document.
“Liberia as a least developed country was among few least developed countries around the world that have been able to submit her first adaptation communication document to the UNFCCC which is a plus to us as a country,” he said.
Mr. Nyandibo disclosed that based on the success in the development and submission of the document, Liberia was again engaged by the NAP Global Network, the US, Canadian and German Governments to develop a monitoring, evaluating, learning, and reporting system for our NAP to enable us to increase our level of monitoring on targets we have set-up in our NAP and NDC.
“The system will help increase indicators from measuring across what we stated in our NAP and indicators we have outlined in our NDC document,” Mr. Nyandibo added.
“It’s against this background, that a consultant was hired. He will provide you with a full background as to where we came from and where we are now in the development of the system. We are here to validate the document,” Mr. Nyandibo noted.
“The EPA seeks your indulgence to continually collaborate in this effort to ensure that adaptation intervention across the country can become coordinated, can become strengthened, and become holistic to ensure that our commitments to the UNFCCC as a party come to fruition because these are all reporting requirements,” he pleaded.
Speaking on behalf of United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Abraham E. Tumbey, lauded the participants and said UNDP is grateful that EPA is accelerating progress toward the NAP.
He disclosed that the EPA collaborated with UNDP in the formation of the NAP and indicated that it was a result of a whole society initiative.
Mr. Tumbey said he is gratified that the NAP is a millstone achievement that empowered the country in a significant way.
He made reference to the establishment of the school of environmental studies and climate change at the University, noting that it was an initiative of the NAP.
According to him, hundreds of Liberian and foreign nationals are now acquiring environmental education in various areas including disaster management, and risk assessment, among others at the University of Liberia.
According to him, other flagships of the NAP Process are the development of a National Climate Change and Response Strategy and a National Disaster Risk and Response Strategy.
“As you validated the document today, we asked that you maintain the same spirit that characterized the NAP formation process in Liberia.
He said the UNDP remains committed to supporting the Government of Liberia’s development agendas.
