Buchanan, Grand Bassa County – August 14, 2025 – The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia, Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, has stressed the importance of Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) in valuing Liberia’s natural resources and integrating them into national economic planning.

Speaking at the Joint Project Steering Committee Meeting for all Conservation International (CI)–implemented projects in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County on Thursday, Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo explained that NCA helps place a value on ecosystems and the services they provide, such as carbon storage, water purification, soil fertility, and biodiversity protection.

“For Liberia, it means our forests, wetlands, mangroves, and biodiversity are not just environmental treasures but also economic assets,” he said.

According to Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo, Liberia is now in the final stages of developing a Carbon Market Policy, which will be showcased at COP30 next year. The country’s Climate Change Law will also be completed this year, allowing Liberia to officially enter the carbon market by 2026. The NCA report, he added, will be a key tool in global climate negotiations.

While acknowledging the progress of ongoing projects, the EPA boss raised concerns about whether the benefits are reaching the people who need them most. “The ordinary people, our farmers, fishers, and forest dwellers, are the true custodians of Liberia’s environment,” he said, urging more focus on direct support to these groups.

He pointed to the Small Grants Program as one way to channel resources to communities, helping them carry out their own conservation and climate adaptation efforts. However, he emphasized that the EPA will increase monitoring and evaluation to ensure transparency, accountability, and fair distribution of benefits.

Dr. Yarkpawolo also called on CI and other development partners to prepare documents aligning project activities and costs with the government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) and Liberia’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

In his closing remarks, he reminded participants that the success of these projects should not only be measured by restored habitats or better data but also by the difference they make in people’s lives. “Together, we can ensure that our natural capital is preserved while also lifting our people out of poverty,” he said.