23/09/2026
EPA Executive Director Links Climate Change to Liberia’s Peace and Security
By: Emmett S. Yarsiah Jr.
NEW YORK, United States of America — Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, says Liberia’s peace and security must be linked to efforts to address climate change, protect natural resources and improve the livelihoods of vulnerable communities.
Dr. Yarkpawolo spoke in New York during a high-level side event organized by the EPA and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly.
He said climate change does not automatically cause conflict but can worsen poverty, food insecurity, displacement, inequality and competition over natural resources.
“Climate action cannot be separated from peacebuilding,” Dr. Yarkpawolo said, calling for justice, transparency, community participation and sustainable livelihoods.
Meanwhile, Hon. Jeanine M. Cooper, CEO of the Liberia Carbon Markets Authority and Presidential Envoy on Climate Action, said Liberia is working to develop its carbon market to generate revenue from protecting forests, mangroves and other natural resources.
She said the National Carbon Policy has been presented to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, while work continues on regulations and systems to determine the value of Liberia’s natural resources.
Cooper stressed that communities should benefit from climate action and carbon-related activities.
Madam Oretha Juah-Bestman-Yates, Assistant Minister for Human Resources at the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs, highlighted the impact of coastal erosion, saying the community where she grew up has gradually been lost to the sea.
She called for stronger coastal protection, flood control, early warning systems and support for affected communities.
“Do not wait until the ocean takes everything,” she urged.
UNDP Under-Secretary-General Haoliang Xu said Liberia contributes only a small share of global emissions but remains highly vulnerable to climate change. He noted that Liberia’s NDC 3.0 targets a 64 percent reduction in economy-wide emissions.
The discussions also focused on climate financing, natural resource protection, youth participation, and the connection between climate change, development and peace.
The event forms part of Liberia’s efforts to place climate security and peacebuilding higher on the international agenda during its 2026–2027 term on the UN Security Council.