Liberia's Experiences- Consideration of gender and Vulnerable groups in National Adaptation Plan Of Action by Sampson K. P. Chea, Liberia

1. Liberia's Experiences-
Consideration of gender and Vulnerable groups in National
Adaptation Plan Of Action
NAP Expo Meeting
April 15, 2015
By
Sampson K. P. Chea
Assistant Coordinator, CBD

2. Outline
 Background and Rationale
 Identification of KeyAdaptations Needs
 Criteria for Selecting PriorityActivities
 NAPA Process
 Challenges
 Environmental Problems and Stresses
 Conclusion

3. Background and Rationale
 Liberia ratified the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol in 2002 respectively
 To enhance national adaptive capacity needs
UNFCCC Decision
Decision 4/CP.11: Extension of LEG Mandate until 2007
Decision 5/CP.17, paragraph 1: Integration of climate change adaptation into
relevant new and existing policies, programmes and activities, in particular
development planning processes and strategies.
Decision 29/CP:7: Established the Least Developed Countries Expert
Group(LEG)
 To Produce national adaptation programme of action
 To generate consultation at the grass root level
 To address urgent and immediate needs due to the adverse effects of
climate change
 To assess current vulnerability and local coping strategies at the community
levels and use that to identify immediate priority actions

4. Location Of Liberia
Figure 1: Political Map of Liberia

5. Environmental Problems and Stresses
Deforestation
 Land Degradation/Soil Erosion
 Loss of biodiversity
 Tropical storm
 Coastal erosion
 Flood
 Water and sanitation
 Pollution of Wetlands
 Poor Waste Management

6. NAPA Process
 InstitutionalArrangement
Synthesis of Information
 Stakeholder Consultations
Endorsement of NAPAs
On-going NAPA Projects

7. InstitutionalArrangement
NAPA National Steering Committee- Steering Committee members:
Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy, Permanent Representative of Liberia to WMO,
Ministry of Health , Ministry of Finance and Developmental Planning, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Society Against Environmental Degradation(SAED), Ministry of
Agriculture, Save My Future Foundation(SAFE), University of Liberia, UNDP,
Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia, Food and Agriculture
Organization, World Vision-Liberia, Liberia Electricity Corporation, Ministry of
Gender, Children and Social Protection, Liberia Indigenous Forum for the
Environment(LIFE), and Social Enterprise Development of West Africa.
Multi-disciplinary Integrated Assessment Team(MIAT):
-Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection,
University of Liberia, Liberia Electricity Corporation, Ministry of Health, Roberts
InternationalAirport, Society Against Environmental Degradation(SAED)
Project Management Team
-Project Manager, Deputy Project Manager, Accountant and Secretary
NAPA Process Con’t ...

8. Stakeholder Consultation-Gender and Vulnerable Groups
Climate Change affects everybody and every aspects of our society,
but the most vulnerable groups are:
 Women and Children
 The Disabled and Physically Challenged (Blind, Deaf, Cripple, etc)
 The Orphans
The Elderly (Senior Citizens)
 Farming communities
In all of our Stakeholder consultations and InstitutionalArrangements during
the NAPA process, these vulnerable groups were involved, using the
Bottom-Top approach.
 The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social protection, the Ministry
Agriculture and Organizations of Disabled and physically challenged
individuals, along with orphanages were part of NAPA process.
NAPA Process Con’t ...

9.  Workshops and public awareness about the impacts of Climate
Change were conducted with vulnerable groups.
 Women, Children, the Blind, Farmers, the elderly, and the physically
challenged have been informed and sensitized on the impacts of Climate
change to our environment; and they were considered as major stakeholders
in the NAPA process.
 Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, PRS
 Agenda For Transformation,AFT ( the current developmental policy)
Climate Change, Gender, and vulnerable group issues are incorporated in
our Developmental policies:
 The Vision 2030
Stakeholder Consultation-Gender and Vulnerable Groups
NAPA Process Con’t ...

10. Stakeholder Consultation-Gender and Vulnerable Groups
 Establishment of a Disaster Commission
Responsibility: to handle all disasters that might arise due to climate
Change and other man-made events- Disaster Risk Management
 The gender Ministry, the Commission on Disability, and the Disaster
Commission collaborate to address issues relating to gender and
vulnerable groups.
 Establishment of a Commission on Disability
Responsibility: to coordinate and carter to all organizations of
physically challenged and blind individuals in our society.
Inorder to build resilience to CC, Gender and Vulnerable groups issues
have to been addressed.
 Changing the name of our Gender Ministry to the “Ministry of Gender,
Children and Social protection”
Responsibility: to deal with gender issues, and carter to the welfares of
children and the social
NAPA Process Con’t ...

11. Identification of KeyAdaptations Needs
Adaptation options identified from the following:
 Vulnerability and Adaptation report
 Synergy Assessment Report
 Stakeholder Consultations(Bottom – Top Approach)
Criteria for Selecting PriorityActivities
 Level or degree of adverse effects of climate change
 Poverty reduction to enhance adaptive capacity
 Synergy with other Multilateral Environmental Agreements to which
Liberia is a party
 Cost Effectiveness(quantitative; expressed in cost per million units

12. Endorsement of NAPAs
 Following series of consultation workshops, the Draft final NAPA report was
discussed in a national workshop held in Monrovia.
 The document was improved by incorporating comments and suggestions
made during the national workshop
 Steering Committee reviewed and approved the NAPA document
 The NAPA document was officially approved and signed by The House of
Representatives Committee on Land, Mines Energy & Environment and the
Chairman of the Environmental Policy Council (Minister of Lands, Mines and
Energy).
 NAPA document was submitted to the UNFCCC in July 2008

13. On-going NAPA Projects
 Enhancing Resilience of Vulnerable Coastal Areas to Climate Change
Risk in Liberia – US$3.3 Million
 Strengthening Liberia’s Capability to Provide Climate Information and
Services to enhance resilient development and adaptation to Climate
Change – US$7.51 Million
 Strengthening the Resilience of WASH Service Delivery to Climate
Risks in Liberia Coastal Areas- US $7.11 Million (recently approved
by the GEF focal point)
 Enhancing Resilience to Climate Change by Mainstreaming
Adaptation Concerns into Agricultural Sector Development in Liberia
– US$2.70 Million

14. Challenges
 Lack of professionals with technical expertise on climate change
due to mass exodus during crisis (brain drain)- Gender imbalance
Inadequate of infrastructures for data collection and monitoring
Inadequate public awareness on the impacts of climate change
Limited budgetary support
Political Will

15. Conclusion
 Liberia is vulnerable to climate change due to high rate of poverty,
poor infrastructures, inadequate and lack of trained human resources,
etc. Gender and vulnerable group issues need to be further highlighted
and incorporated into our adaptation plan to Climate Change.
Adaptation and mitigation options are two main strategies that my
country is exploring in addressing the issue of climate change at the
national as well as the global level as advanced by Article 2 of the
Convention. Technology transfer, finance and capacity building
supplement the two strategies.
Mainstreaming climate change and gender-related issues in our
national policies, programmes, plans and activities is of national
concern as reflected in the Agenda for Transformation(AFT), current
development plan of Liberia

16. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!