Liberia ratifies Paris Agreement on climate change in ‘milestone achievement’ to foster low-carbon climate-resilient development

The National Legislature of Liberia ratified the Paris Agreement on climate change this June with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Liberian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), bringing the country one step closer to reaching its goals for low-carbon, climate-resilient development. “After reviewing and critically analyzing the Paris Agreement, Liberia stands to benefit from the financial and technological support in maintaining low-carbon climate-resilient development through effective adaptation to climate change and greenhouse-gas emission reduction,” the committee headed by Maryland County Senator H. Dan Morais said. Despite having contributed little to climate change, Liberia, like many other developing countries, is especially vulnerable to its impacts. Sea-level rise, soaring temperatures and increased rainfall threaten economic and social gains. The agricultural sector, which ensures the livelihoods of around 70 percent of the population, is especially vulnerable, with flooding, erosion and changing rainfall patterns putting lives at risk in a country where nearly eight out of ten people do not have secure access to food.