Liberia’s capital Monrovia is particularly vulnerable to climate effects, namely sea level rise and the increased frequency of high-intensity storms. This has resulted in coastal erosion and shoreline retreat, which threatens the sustainability of ecosystem services and directly impacts Monrovians' fishery-based livelihoods. In 2016, the Government of Liberia through the EPA in joint partnership with the UNDP Liberia Country Office submitted a joint proposal to the Green Climate Fund for named and styled: the Monrovia Metropolitan Coastal Resilience Project with the sole aim of providing coastal protection along the Monrovia metropolitan coastal areas covering West Point, Clara Town and other surrounding suburbs. The grant proposal of 17.2M was recently approved. The EPA as executing entity for the GCF has fiduciary responsibility to begin initial preparatory activities that will pave the way for actual project implementation.
The core aim of the Project is to build the long-term climate resilience of coastal communities in Liberia by both addressing immediate adaptation priorities and creating an enabling environment for upscaling coastal adaptation initiatives to other parts of Monrovia and Liberia. This will be done through interventions in three interrelated focus areas of: i) coastal protection; ii) coastal management; and iii) diversified climate-resilient livelihoods. The Project includes an infrastructure component for the construction of a rock revetment to protect West Point against coastal erosion and storms. The Project is expected to run from 26 June 2021 to 25 June 2026.
The Project interventions will also focus on activities such as coastal protection, comprehensive, long-term planning for coastal zone management and the strengthening of local livelihoods — in conjunction with strong awareness-raising and knowledge management considerations and will address both the immediate and long-term impacts of climate change on the coast of Monrovia and facilitate the potential for upscaling these initiatives across Liberia. The Project will also catalyze a paradigm shift in the management of Monrovia’s coastal zone towards an integrated, transformative and proactive approach that addresses current and anticipated climate change risks and which mixes both infrastructure (where necessary) and coastal ecosystems in adaptation efforts.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the National Designated Authority (NDA) and focal entity for the management of the environment and natural resources is empowered to coordinate, monitor, supervise and consult with relevant stakeholders on all activities in the protection of the environment and sustainable use of natural resources. The EPA, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME), Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) will implement the MMCRP through a Project Management Unit, based at the EPA. The UNDP, as an Accredited Entity to the GCF will provide oversight and quality assurance support services to the MMCRP.
The Project Management Unit (PMU) will assist the implementation of the Project with support from the EPA and UNDP. The PMU will be hosted at the EPA including the PMU staff and will report to the Executive Director of the EPA. The Project Coordinator will run the project on a daily basis and provide strategic guidance and direction to the Project Board and the PSC, the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the EPA and the National Project Director.
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