From early December 2024 to February 2025, the EPA under the able leadership of Dr. Emmanuel Urey Yarkpawolo has embarked on training and distribution of computers and Global Positioning System (GPS) to its county-based staff within the 15 counties of Liberia. the trainings were held in line with the objectives of the Transformative Pilot Project on Forest and Mangroves monitoring. The Geospatial training sessions (GIS and GPS) were conducted for county-level technicians from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Forestry Development Authority, LISGIS, the Ministry of Mines and Energy and the MRV Community of Practice members. The training targeted at least twenty (20) participants within each county.
Each county hosting EPA offices received a set of geo-spatial equipment (one desktop computer, one Global Positioning system, one internet drive USB and one Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS)). These initiatives are being sponsored by the people and Government of Canada under the MRV for Climate Action Bilateral Program through NovaSphere which intends to strengthen national development priorities and capacities to plan, finance and achieve Greenhouse Gas emission reductions and implement low-carbon solutions for national development.
These trainings are meant to enhance the geospatial capability of the country in order to establish an effective domestic Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system which will also contribute to Liberia’s effort in meeting its domestic and international GHG reporting requirements.
The county-based staff were trained to use the equipment to facilitate their works within their respective counties of assignment and to support the work of the Transformative Pilot on Forest and Mangroves monitoring. The Pilot Lead Coordinator and lead facilitator of the training J. Negatus Wright mentioned that the Executive Director of the EPA Dr. Yarkpawolo is working with government and partners to ensure that all of EPA’s counties offices are equipped and staff are trained to collect and process environmental data for informed decision making at the national and international levels, while collectively responding to the impacts of climate change. Mr. Wright also mentioned that the involvement of other ministries and agencies of government during the trainings reflects the aspirations of the EPA Boss in forming synergies among state actors to combat climate change. The participants and beneficiaries extend thanks and appreciation to NovaSphere, and the people and government of Canada. They expressed that the equipment and knowledge gained will be used for its intended purpose.
