For the first time in Liberia, students and professional people will soon have access to a Climate Change Resource Center. Grounds were broken on 13 October 2015 by the Deputy Minister for Planning and Development, Dr. Charles McClain and the Superintendent of Bong County, Hon. Selena Poulson-Mappy for the establishment of Climate Change Resource Center in Gbarnga, Bong County, Liberia.

 

The resource center is been established with support of the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) through its Climate Change Adaptation Agriculture Project (CCAAP), funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and UNDP. The purpose is to build additionally capacity of county planners and extension workers as well as other development stakeholders to support communities on managing climate change, by providing advice on climate change impacts on the development sectors and on alternative approaches and measures for addressing the impacts. 

 

At the ceremony, Hon. Mappy expressed great delight that Bong County was selected for this pilot and promised to ensure that the center will be fully utilized by students, extension workers and other county development planners. On behalf of the MOA, Dr. McClain remarked that the MOA was serious about addressing climate change, and would work with all relevant partners in supporting the enhancement of resilience to climate change, especially by poor rural farmers. He assured the stakeholders of Bong County that the MOA will continue to support them to increase learning opportunities and strengthen the county’s capacity to reduce vulnerability to climate change.

  

The Climate Change Resource Center will serve as climate change learning information sharing by university and secondary school students as well as professional individuals and organizations working in the sector in these counties. It will provide different kinds of information on climate change and how to manage the risks associated for the development sectors. It will contain computers with internet, books, research reports, sample weather equipments, different kinds of CC resources materials, etc. There will be conference facilities for holding symposiums and topic discussions with different interest groups. Activity at the center will focus on research and community outreach. Public lectures, topical and other discussions with communities on climate change related issues, seminars for schools, local government/policy makers and private sector people.