IPNews-Monrovia: The Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on yesterday, are launched Liberia’s Climate Vulnerability and Risk Assessment Report for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry sectors on Thursday, June 27, 2019 in Gbarnga Bong County.

The Climate Vulnerability and Risk Assessment study was commissioned by the EPA and the UNDP with supports from the National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) in order to give decision makers and the most vulnerable population adequate tools and information that enables them to adapt to climate change.

The National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) project is helping Liberia in its medium-term investment planning in climate sensitive sectors including agriculture, energy, waste management, forestry, health and coastal areas in Liberia.

The project is funded by the Green Climate Fund and implemented by UNDP and partners including the EPA.

Speaking at the start of a two-day National Awareness and Sensitization training on Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry sectors on Wednesday, 26 June 26 in Gbarnga, Bong County, NAPs Project Manager, E. Abraham T. Tumbey said Liberia’s economy, population and environment are highly vulnerable to climate variability and change.

Tumbey said a range of studies including the Republic of Liberia’s Initial National Communication under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) established that the impacts of climate change are expected to intensify as changes in temperature and precipitation affect economic activity.

The two-day training seeks to raise awareness and sensitize local and national stakeholders on the adaptation strategies and action plans developed for the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors of Liberia as well as the launching of the climate vulnerability and risk assessment report for these sectors.

The workshop attracted about 100 persons from around the 15 counties, including local authorities and representatives from the relevant government agencies, community people, civil society organizations, private sector and university and research institutions.

Also speaking at the start of the workshop, EPA Deputy Executive Director, Randall M. Dobayou said climate change is an uncompromising and revolving environmental human induced phenomenon affecting our ecosystem.

“When the ecosystem is affected, the food we eat is threatened, animals are left vulnerable and our forest gets severely impacted because of the change in weather pattern, high temperature, aggressive humidity and fluctuating precipitation,” Hon. Dobayou said.

According to the EPA Deputy Executive Director, summary of the Climate Vulnerability and Risk Assessment Report among many others disclosed that climate change and climate vulnerabilities are already negatively impacting the productivity of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors including their associated food chain.

“You as key stakeholders, land users, forest custodians, community leaders, fisher men and women, student leaders, county authorities, private sectors and academic institutions need to be aware of these vulnerabilities because they have visible and adverse social impact and human dimension as it affects the livelihood of communities with altered effects on women, men, and children,” Dobayou told the participants.

Bobby Whitfield, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Liberia Wash Commission said the issue of climate change is real and lauded the EPA and the UNDP for the training.