The Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia is providing this update on the Monrovia Metropolitan Climate Resilience Project (MMCRP), outlining its intended benefits, progress achieved and financing position. The project has completed important engineering and environmental studies, advanced construction procurement, strengthened community engagement and begun renovation of the West Point Education and Innovation Center. These milestones provide the foundation for the next phase of coastal protection and community resilience activities.

Approved in March 2021 and effective from July 2021, MMCRP is a Government of Liberia initiative supported by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The EPA leads national implementation and coordination as the executing entity, working with UNDP as the GCF Accredited Entity guided by a signed Letter of Agreement (LoA), and with relevant government institutions (Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Mines & Energy, and Ministry of Public Works) serving as responsible parties guided by a signed tripartite Memorandum of Understanding.

What the project will deliver

The project combines three areas of work: protecting West Point against coastal erosion, strengthening the management of Liberia’s coastline, and supporting mangroves and livelihoods in vulnerable communities. Its targets envisage approximately 250,000 direct beneficiaries across the interventions and approximately one million indirect beneficiaries from improved coastal management. These are expected benefits over the project’s life.

Coastal protection at West Point will include a planned 1,050-metre rock revetment, which is a sloping barrier of large rocks that reduces wave damage, with provision for fishing boat landings. Coastal management activities include a national integrated coastal management plan, vulnerability mapping, institutional training, coastal information collection and improved public access to knowledge through the Environmental Knowledge Management System already established at the Environmental Protection Agency.

The community livelihood component provides for an Education and Innovation Center, mangrove co-management agreements, awareness activities and monitoring. Planned livelihood investments include small-scale cookstove manufacturing and training, together with environmentally friendly cold storage near fish-processing sites. These activities are intended to support incomes and reduce pressure on mangroves within the Monrovia Metropolitan area (MMA).

Engineering and design completed for West Point

A major achievement has been the completion of the hydro-engineering study and detailed design for the West Point coastal defense. Engineering investigations in 2023 examined water movement, coastal conditions and the ground on which the protection works will be built. The study and detailed design received GCF approval in 2024, followed by stakeholder validation of the construction plan in 2025.

This work has moved the intervention from an initial concept to a defined technical design. It provides the basis for procuring construction services, establishing contractor obligations and supervising the quality of the works. Understanding coastal dimensions and ground conditions is essential to building protection that can perform under the conditions it is designed to withstand and last for a long period.

Construction procurement and rock supply have advanced

By the end of October 2026, procurement for the coastal defense works had advanced to negotiations. The main protection works had not yet begun; the next milestone is the completion of contracting and commencement arrangements, followed by mobilization of workforce for the commencement of the revetment construction.

Rising construction costs have added pressure to delivery, making affordable contract terms, confirmed funding and effective supervision particularly important. Each stage must be supported by the resources and safeguards needed for safe execution.

Arrangements for the government’s in-kind rock contribution have been completed with the relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Liberia Electricity Corporation. The Mount Coffee quarry supply arrangements are an important preparatory step toward securing materials for the West Point defense. The value and financial treatment of this contribution are explained in the financing section, and an official Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the EPA, Mines and Energy and the Liberia Electricity Corporation.

Environmental and livelihood safeguards have progressed

The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment received GCF approval in the final quarter of 2025. Its preparation, validation and disclosure have helped identify potential effects on communities, fishing activity, access and the environment, together with measures to manage those effects during implementation.

A Livelihood Restoration Plan has also been prepared and reviewed. Submission to the GCF and clearance remained outstanding at the time of this publication. The plan addresses potential economic displacement, including temporary disruption to trading, fishing-related activities and access to sources of income. Such disruption can affect a household even where no physical relocation is required.

These safeguards will guide construction planning, contractor responsibilities and supervision. Relevant measures must be in place before the corresponding impacts occur. After GCF approval, the implementation team’s next task is to translate the approved requirements into practical protection during the works.

Coastal planning procurement has moved forward

Procurement has advanced for an assessment of the institutions and policies governing Liberia’s coastline, high-resolution coastal vulnerability mapping and an Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan. The expression-of-interest period for international firms closed in October 2026, moving the process toward selection and commissioning.

These assignments will help institutions identify areas at risk and coordinate decisions about coastal development, ecosystems and climate adaptation. The planned training of 36 technical staff will support the use of this information in government work. The assessment, maps, plan and training remain to be delivered; progress to date concerns the preparations and procurement needed to undertake them.

Mangrove information and livelihood assessments are advancing

The analysis of mangrove extent and degradation has been completed. This establishes an information base for understanding the condition of the resource and directing subsequent management activities. It will support decisions on protecting mangroves and reducing the pressures affecting them in the Monrovia metropolitan area.

Livelihood assessments have commenced to identify community needs and opportunities for appropriate support. Community activities cover targeted locations including Topoe Village, Jacob Town, Fiamah and Plunkor. Assessment findings will help guide the practical livelihood interventions envisaged under the project.

Community participation and public awareness have expanded

Knowledge-sharing groups and community stewardship arrangements have been established to support dialogue and local participation. Ten stewardship members have been contracted, including six women. This provides a channel for community perspectives, including women’s experiences and priorities, to inform implementation.

Twelve billboards have been erected across four targeted communities, and climate adaptation communication materials have been developed and distributed. These activities have expanded opportunities to share information on coastal risks, mangroves, and adaptation practices. Continued engagement will build on this foundation as physical works and livelihood activities move forward.

Residents need understandable information about the construction alignment, areas covered, drainage, fishing access and the sequence of works. Community meetings and project communication connect technical decisions to their practical implications for households and businesses. Grievance arrangements provide a further channel for residents to raise concerns and obtain documented responses through the project and EPA, alongside the relevant UNDP and GCF accountability mechanisms.

Renovation of the Education and Innovation Center has begun

Renovation of the West Point Education and Innovation Center is under way, with the Ministry of Public Works leading the supervision. The facility is intended to support learning, information sharing, community activities and climate-resilient livelihoods. Completion is anticipated around the beginning of 2027. The center will provide a practical base for community engagement for all of the MMCRP targeted communities.

Moving from preparation to delivery

Implementation has taken longer than anticipated. Early recruitment and work-planning delays, COVID-19 restrictions, subsequent staffing gaps, complex procurement, technical reviews and the timing of counterpart funding affected progress. Construction cost increases added further pressure. Additional procurement support, phased construction planning and catch-up planning have helped advance the remaining preparations.

An extension request for implementation duration and catch-up proposals have been submitted to GCF and are awaiting approval. The immediate priorities are to finalize construction arrangements, complete outstanding safeguards, commission the coastal planning assignments and move livelihood activities into delivery. The EPA recognizes the urgency for residents and the importance of reporting physical progress alongside expenditure.

Understanding how the project is financed

Climate finance supports action to reduce the causes of climate change and help communities cope with its effects. GCF pools contributions principally from governments, especially developed countries, while its governing framework also permits other sources of funding. Countries work with accredited institutions to develop and submit proposals that explain the climate problem, expected benefits, activities, costs and safeguards. National endorsement, technical review and GCF Board approval precede implementation under agreed funding conditions.

Under the MMCRP, UNDP administers the GCF and UNDP resources and makes vendor payments on the government’s behalf as part of the project arrangement and Letter of Agreement signed by the Government of Liberia and UNDP. The EPA and project management team coordinate activities, technical requirements and community engagement. The Government of Liberia’s separate cash co-financing is received in a dedicated project account hosted by the EPA. UNDP receives the GCF grant in tranches under the Funded Activity Agreement (FAA). This arrangement does not mean that the entire approved grant has already been transferred to UNDP.

Approved financing commitments

The overall financing framework is US$25,638,905, comprising US$21,373,505 in cash commitments and a government in-kind rock contribution valued at US$4,265,400. The percentages below are shares of the overall cash and in-kind total.

Combined GCF and UNDP cash commitments amount to US$18,833,505, or 73.46 per cent of the total project value. GCF transfers its grant in disbursements after the relevant FAA conditions have been satisfied. Approved financing therefore represents a commitment over the project’s life, rather than money already held in a project account.

Government co-financing helped unlock implementation

The release of substantial GCF disbursements is linked to government co-financing and agreed preparatory engineering milestones. The Government of Liberia and UNDP needed to finance much of the studies and preliminary work, including a functioning project implementation unit. When the Boakai-Koung Administration took office in early 2024, only US$50,000 in government cash had been received, in 2022. The new administration provided US$500,000, received in December 2024, and another US$800,000 in 2026.

Government cash received by the project consequently reached US$1,350,000, or 53.15 per cent of the US$2,540,000 cash commitment. Limited co-financing before 2024 had constrained the pace of work and the achievement of milestones needed for larger GCF disbursements. GCF transferred an initial US$523,932 in November 2021 and a further US$2,255,410 in August 2025, bringing cumulative transfers to US$2,779,342.

Cash received and financing still to be released

The table below distinguishes approved cash commitments from amounts received. It excludes the in-kind rock contribution. All figures are in US dollars and reflect the information available for the end of October 2026.

GCF has transferred 16.11 per cent of its grant, leaving 83.89 per cent, or US$14,476,413, to be released. Government cash co-financing is still outstanding at US$1,190,000. UNDP co-financing still outstanding is US$354,750. Together, these outstanding amounts total US$16,021,163. Thus, of the US$21,373,505 in cash committed to the project, US$5,352,342, or 25.04 per cent, has been released.

Not all cash released has been spent. The table below presents expenditure and cash balances as of the end of October 2026.

Expenditure and balances at the end of October 2026

Of the GCF money received by UNDP, US$1,035,356.47 has been spent on project activities, and US$1,743,985.53 remains with UNDP. Expenditure represents 6.00 per cent of the full US$17,255,755 GCF grant. The balance remaining to be spent is US$16,220,398.53, or 94.00 per cent. This consists of US$14,476,413 still with GCF and US$1,743,985.53 set aside by UNDP to commence the revetment construction in West Point. The total cash spent to the end of October 2026 is US$2,069,488.46. Cash released but not spent as of the end of October 2026 amounts to US$3,282,853.54.Of the total cash commitments of US$21,373,505.00, US$2,069,488.46, or 9.68 per cent, has been spent as of the end of October 2026. The bulk of the funding is budgeted for construction of the coastal defense. Construction has not yet started, and contract negotiations are ongoing.

Spending to date has supported preparation and enabling activities, including technical studies, safeguards, procurement preparation, engagement and project coordination. The government contribution supports coastal planning, training, community awareness and the Education and Innovation Center, among other approved activities.

The Government In-Kind (rock) contribution

The US$4,265,400 in-kind contribution is the assigned value of rocks for the coastal defense under the Mount Coffee quarry supply arrangements. It is separate from the government’s cash contribution and is not a deposit in the EPA or UNDP accounts. Arrangements have been completed with the relevant authorities.

General Challenges

Implementation continues to face challenges arising from early recruitment and work-planning delays, COVID-19 restrictions, subsequent staffing gaps, complex procurement processes and the time required for technical reviews. Delays in government co-financing, particularly from 2021-2024, and the timing and conditions of further GCF disbursements have constrained the pace of delivery, while outstanding livelihood safeguards clearance, completion of coastal planning procurement and the transition from livelihood assessments to practical support remain important dependencies. These pressures have compressed the delivery schedule, with the project extension request still awaiting GCF approval. The most recent challenge concerns negotiations for the West Point coastal revetment contract: the prospective contractor has requested a one-time 20 per cent increase in its proposed contract price before signature, citing inflation and increases in fuel and material costs since its December 2025 financial proposal submission. This request adds pressure to the construction financing requirement and could further delay contract finalization and mobilization. No adjustment has been approved. EPA and UNDP are assessing the supporting calculations and assumptions and engaging the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning on financing options and outstanding government co-financing. Addressing these challenges requires timely financing, completion of safeguards and procurement requirements, and a realistic recovery schedule; any agreed price adjustment must be adequately justified, funded and processed through the applicable procurement and approval procedures.