Government of Liberia and partners launch implementation of Coastal Resilience Project in Sinoe

28 November 2022 – The Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), with support from UNDP, have formally launched implementation of the Sinoe coastal resilience project at an inception workshop on 25 November.

 

Funded by the Global Environment Facilty (GEF), the project will protect coastal communities in Sinoe and their livelihood assets from climate change by implementing sea and river defences and risk management approaches while enhancing income streams through livelihood diversification.

 

The project, titled 'Enhancing the resilience of vulnerable coastal communities in Sinoe County of Liberia', will be mainly implemented in Greenville, but will extend some soft services like provision of micro-finance, value addition, and sustainable agriculture to other coastal counties. 

 

“The start of this project is a milestone that comes after rigorous negotiation as coastal communities continue to be threatened by sea level rise and intense rainfall,” said Minister for Mines and Energy, Gesler Murray. He said the evidence is glaring with almost half of Mississippi Street in Greenville already gone.

 

Reinforcing the Minister’s statement, EPA Executive Director Wilson Tarpeh stressed that the situation in Sinoe remains critical and requires urgent and immediate actions.

 

Professor Tarpeh is excited about the strategic partnership with UNDP and the project management arrangements which give communities and Liberian experts the opportunity to be involved and support the roll out and implementation of the project. “This is the second highest project managed by competent Liberians with the participation of communities. It is a major test that we can’t afford to fail,” Professor Tarpeh noted.

 

UNDP Deputy Resident Representative for Operations Thabani Mabodoko called for the need to collectively work to change the current short-term approach to addressing the impacts of climate change to long-term integrated and participatory planning that involves the public sector, private sector, and communities at all levels of governance.

 

“This project has adopted an integrated approach that involves micro-finance, value-chain addition, sustainable agriculture as well as coastal protection measures. UNDP applauds the Government for its continuous commitment in providing co-financing for the mobilization of these funds, which are very critical in driving the country towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Government Pro-poor Agenda,” said Mabodoko. 

 

Other speakers at the program including the County’s Senator Milton Teahjay, Representative Matthew Zarzar, and Superintendent Lee Chea, reaffirmed support to the project stressing the need to ensure that the construction of revetments start immediately to prevent the loss of more land area, adding that residents of vulnerable communities must be the direct beneficiaries of job opportunities.

 

The project is worth over US$10 million and will construct an 800-meter-long revetment to protect Mississippi Street in Greenville, Sinoe County, and a 700-meter-long revetment to protect the shoreline by reducing coastal erosion around the inlet where the Sinoe/Sehnkwehn river empties into the Atlantic Ocean.

 

This news release was originally published by UNDP Liberia here.