Liberia: MCC Secures US$200k Grant to Mitigate Climate Crisis
According to Monrovia City Mayor, Jefferson Koijee, the funds will help to mitigate flooding and coastal erosion.
The Monrovia City Corporation on Thursday announced that it has secured a grant of up to US$200,000 from the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees Awards, a nature-based solution to reduce climate displacement.
The Global Cities Fund (GCF) is the Mayors’ Migration Council’s (MMC) response to the unmet needs of cities as they support migrants, refugees, and internally displaced people (IDPs).
The GCF is led by the MMC in partnership with five key Strategic Partners: the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40), the UN Migration Agency (IOM), United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
MMC is a mayor-led advisory and advocacy organization that helps cities shape national and international policy on migration and displacement.
The Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) and other cities acquired the grant after putting forward best ideas that ensure migrant, refugee, and internally displaced communities affected by climate crisis are included in project design or implementation.
According to Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Koijee, the funds will be used to help mitigate flooding and coastal erosion by “planting mangrove trees, creating green spaces around the city, and offering green job training opportunities to migrants and internally displaced youth in the process.”
He added that West Point and New Kru Town, two of Liberia’s most challenged urban communities will be specifically focused on as the City government accelerates developing the needs of migrants and people affected by the climate crisis.
The 2019 Technology Need Assessment’s (TNA) report on the coastal zone of Liberia reveals that Liberia is faced with climate change impacts including coastal erosion, and coastal flooding among others that have become a national concern for which; if immediate and sustainable actions are not taken to mitigate or adapt, the situation shall worsen, with West Point and New Kru Town being two of the most affected areas.
“Our team of project coordinators and City Government experts put in a lot of work, time and effort in drawing up proposals and plans to get us here, for this we say thank you.
“We like to thank the Global Cities Fund– Mayors’ Migration Council for trusting our leadership to adequately perform this role; the world indeed watches,” Mayor Koijee posted on his official social media handles.