MONROVIA – The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA), Dr. Nathaniel T. Blama is expected to highlight the plights of residents of the township of West Point at the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Global Programing Conference ‘Realising Climate Ambitions’ in Songdo, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
West Point, Liberia’s largest slum faces imminent danger caused by sea erosion. Several homes in the community have been washed under the ocean.
The Liberian Government has finally asked residents in areas in the township considered as ‘red zone’ to evacuate dangerous spots to avoid fatality.
The Government Liberia needs US$ 40 million to secure the entire township from the rising level of the Atlantic Ocean.
The government has financial constraint, but authorities of the EPA are scouting funding to erect coastal defence in West Point.
In this regard, EPA Executive Director Dr. Blama is expected to take advantage of a speaking opportunity at the second day of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Global Programing Conference on Tuesday, 23 August 2019 to champion the case of West Point.
Dr. Blama was invited to serve as a speaker at the day-two of Green Climate Fund (GCF) Global Programing Conference, which runs from 19 to 23 August 2019.
The GCF addresses climate change. It relies on the support of partners like the Government of Liberia to deliver and catalyse transformational change in developing countries.
The second day session which is titled “Getting ready for Climate Action: A holistic Approach” will feature panel discussions on how countries could use the GCF’s Readiness and Preparatory Support Program to strategically prepare themselves for ambitious climate action.
The session is being organized in the context of the proposed pursuit of impact programing directions for the GEF first replenishment whereby the GCF’s dedicated financing allocation for readiness national adaptation planning and project preparation make the GCF a unique provider of full value-chain support to developing countries in planning, conceptualizing and implementing mitigation and adaptation projects and programs.
Dr. Blama is expected to seize the opportunity to talk about the situation facing West Point considering that the latest climate syncience from the inter-governmental panel on climate change makes it clear that the global community must act with a sense of urgency and at scale to ensure that the goals of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement are met.
According to the organizer of the conference, the UN Climate Change Action summit to be convened by the Secretary General (UNSG) in New York, USA on 23 September 2019 will be a momentous event to galvanise the globally community towards more ambitious climate action.
“To support these efforts, the GCF is coalescing climate finance leaders from nearly 100 developing countries at the ministerial level as well as the leadership of our 50 accredited entity partners to build ambitious programing plan during the GCF’s first replenishment period,” Yannick Glemarec said in a letter of invitation of Dr. Blama.
“The stewardship of the Government of Liberia is crucial in this endeavour and I sincerely hope you will accept my invitation,” Glemarec concluded in the letter.