By P. Vangerline Kpotoe
MONROVIA, Oct. 24 (LINA) -The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia has engaged international partners and UNCIEF for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and child-focused interventions into the country’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP).
Speaking at the start of a three-day workshop held from October 20-23, 2026, at the Survivors Aid International Liberia Conference Hall in Gborfellah Community, Kakata, Margibi County, the Director of the Department of Multilateral Environmental Agreements, Arthur R. M. Becker, thanked UNICEF Liberia and other partners for backing the initiative.
“This workshop underscores the critical link between climate vulnerability and access to basic services. According to UNICEF data, nearly 650,000 children in Liberia are at risk of river flooding, while over 1.2 million are exposed to extreme weather conditions. Coupled with huge gaps in access to sanitation and basic hygiene” he asserted.
According to him, these statistics make it clear that climate adaptation must go beyond protecting roads and buildings – it must safeguard children’s health, education, dignity, safety and future.
Mr. Becker said climate change is already taking a toll on Liberian communities through floods, droughts, destruction of infrastructure and disruption of basic services.
He pointed out that children and other vulnerable groups bear the brunt of these impacts, particularly when climate shocks cut off access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene services.
He stressed that climate-resilient WASH must be treated as a central part of Liberia’s climate adaptation agenda, noting that dependable water supply, safe sanitation and proper hygiene are critical to protecting public health and building resilient communities.
The EPA official noted that Liberia’s National Adaptation Plan provides a strategic framework for building resilience across priority sectors, including water resources, health, infrastructure, coastal zones, agriculture, and disaster risk management.
“The task before us is to translate that framework into coordinated action that reaches communities and improves people’s lives. Climate-resilient WASH must therefore be treated as an essential component of adaptation—not as a separate or secondary concern” Becker announced.
He pointed out that reliable water supplies, safe sanitation, sound hygiene practices, and resilient schools and health facilities are fundamental to community resilience and public health.
As the Environmental Protection Agency, we recognize that effective adaptation requires institutions to work across sectoral boundaries. Climate risks do not respect ministerial mandates, and solutions cannot be delivered by any single institution acting alone.
Becker called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, development partners, local authorities, civil society and communities to ensure adaptation plans translate into concrete results on the ground.
He urged participants to identify priority actions, define institutional responsibilities, set up monitoring mechanisms and explore financing options for climate-resilient WASH.
He also emphasized the need to involve children, adolescents and young people in decisions that affect them.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of the National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Commission, Morris G. Gono Jr., commended the EPA for its leadership in promoting climate resilience and sustainable development.
Gono said climate change is increasingly threatening Liberia’s water and sanitation systems, and when these systems collapse, sanitation facilities are damaged or disease outbreaks occur, children suffer the most.
While acknowledging gains in access to safe drinking water, he said serious gaps remain in sanitation and hygiene and called for WASH services to be fully integrated into climate adaptation planning, budgeting and monitoring.
He underscored the need to upgrade water infrastructure, strengthen preparedness for climate-induced emergencies and deepen cooperation among government, partners, local authorities, communities and the private sector.
He noted that no single institution can tackle climate change alone and stressed that children’s needs must be prioritized in adaptation investments and planning.
For his part, the Head of Secretariat of the WASH Legislative Caucus, Timothy Kpehe, called for stronger political commitment to make climate-resilient WASH a national priority.
He thanked the EPA and its partners for their continued support to climate resilience and sustainable WASH delivery, and urged stakeholders to move beyond global commitments to practical improvements in water, sanitation and hygiene services across Liberia.
Kpehe encouraged participants to use the workshop to pinpoint key challenges and craft recommendations that will push government to give greater attention to climate-resilient WASH.
The workshop is expected to serve as a platform to review current plans, identify gaps and develop actionable recommendations for embedding climate-resilient WASH and child-centered approaches into Liberia’s National Adaptation Plan.