Monrovia, Liberia – Liberia’s peace and prosperity are in grave danger due to climate change. Liberia, the oldest nation in Africa, has experienced economic instability, health crises, and civil conflict while navigating a difficult road to stability. However, in contrast to previous struggles, the climatic problem is not limited to a single chapter in Liberia’s history of progress. The consequences of global warming are long-lasting and gradually intensify. Warmer days will eventually lead to more intense months and years. Unpredictable patterns of rainfall will worsen into increasingly regular and devastating floods. The effects will extend beyond environmental deterioration and affect Liberia’s population’s well-being as well as the country’s economy.
The World Bank Group has released a national assessment on development and climate in Monrovia in light of this. The study seemed to look at how climate change is affecting Liberia, deal with these problems with development partners’ help, and advance the field for the good of the country and its people.
In remarks during the launch, the World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone stated that the study is crucial for the Liberian government to work on in order to support the national development plan of the nation.
In his view, decreasing poverty is the goal of the World Bank’s 21st-century core principles, which includes combating climate change. The greater growth rate since 2013 is examined in the report, he said, adding that the World Bank finds this to be highly significant.
Mr. Taliercio mentioned that the private sector, including development partners, should work with the government to combat climate change in Liberia because of the report’s thorough examination of the country’s climate, water, health, food, environment, forestry, energy, and climate finance.
The World Bank Director informed his audience that the report highlights noted that if Liberia does not face climate change sooner, the country’s poverty rate may increase, severely affecting the country’s economy, agriculture, and other important sectors, including the risk of national disaster.
He expressed the World Bank’s full readiness to work with the Liberian government. According to the World Bank Country Director, the areas of infrastructure development, electricity, land, forestry, carbon capture, and other important areas are key to the report for the protection and development of Liberia in the space of climate change.
Mr. Taliercio pleaded with the Liberian government to pay key attention to the report and add the climate change issue to the country’s budget.
Speaking as well, IFC Senior Country Manager for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, Kyle Kelhofer, notes that the research comes at a critical moment and urges action to address climate change together with the business sector.
He noted that the corporate sector and civil society are crucial to the process and promised the full assistance of his organization to address climate change. According to Mr. Kelhofer, initiatives aimed at increasing capacity, including those related to agriculture, are crucial in the fight against climate change.
He went on to say that the banking industry is crucial to the effort to combat climate change. The country director stated that the report’s introduction today marks the beginning of the fight against climate change in Liberia.
Representing the government of Liberia, Deputy Minister for Budgeting at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Minister Tanneh G. Brunson, said, Climate change has become a reality for Liberia and, in fact, much faster than all scenarios could have predicted.
According to her, climate change is not just an environmental issue, and too many people still believe this. She noted that the threat from climate change is serious and impacts both the public and private sectors. Madam Brunson added that it is an all-encompassing threat to health, agriculture, peace, and security, to the very ground millions of people live on, and to the global economy.
Climate change is a development concern that everyone should strive to address, according to the MFDP deputy minister. At the World Bank’s Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) launch for Liberia, she expressed her pleasure about being there.
According to the report, 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 the phenomenon. Therefore, rather than focusing on mitigation, many of the climate measures that the study recommends are in response to the needs for climate adaptation.
The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, takes seriously the report’s conclusions, according to Deputy Minister Tanneh Brunson. The government assures partners that it will continue to fund initiatives like these for the benefit of Liberia, its citizens, and all other citizens.