EPA warns of climate change consequences here

The Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia or EPA has warned here that climate change poses serious threat to the development of anyway nation, adding that if nothing were done in Liberia to address issues surrounding this global challenge, the country’s developmental agenda will be at stake.

The EPA gave the warning over the weekend at its Head Office in Monrovia during a preparatory meeting on the upcoming climate change conference slated for November 7th -18th in Marrakech, Morocco.

The Focal Point on climate change and enabling activities at the EPA Mr. Benjamin Karmoh told reporters that Liberia is a party to the United Nations Convention on climate, therefore, it has an obligation to fulfill protocols relating to climate change, and subsequently find a solution.

Mr. Karmoh said Liberia has signed lot of agreements on climate change, adding that the key issue which is expected to come up in Morocco is to implement outcome of the 2015 Paris Conference on climate change.

“We all know the kinds of destruction that climate change can bring, it is against this backdrop that this year’s conference will be held in Marrakech in order to ratify all of those agreements that were signed”, he added.

The Marrakech 2016 UN climate change conference is expected to attract a large number of participants from all over the globe. The UNFCCC secretariat welcomes diverse representation of participants and has put measures in place to ensure an environment conducive to intergovernmental negotiations as well as the global representation of observers within the capacity limits of the planned venue and available services.

“Currently, we in Liberia are experiencing coastal erosion in the country, and all of these things are expected to come in the upcoming conference, and Liberia is not the only country facing the issue of climate change; we are about 175 countries that will be participating in this conference, which will provide the opportunity for us to cater to other issues, including Technology, Agriculture and Energy, among others” Mr. Karmoh noted that Liberians are expected to receive light from the Mount Coffee Hydro Plant by December, which will be a great plus for climate change experts at the EPA.

He said the recent Paris Conference on climate change represents an historic opportunity to put the world on course in meeting challenges in this sector, saying the world needs a new model of growth that is safe, durable and beneficial to all.

By Lewis S. Teh-Editing by Jonathan Browne