CYCLES-LIBERIA, one of Liberia’s leading advocacy grassroots environmental organizations has stressed the importance of taken concrete actions against the negative impact of climate change on smallholder farmers in rural communities to help mitigate the current challenges.
“Farmers can no longer rely on traditional weather patterns. They prepare for the dry season but experience unexpected rains, and during the rainy season, they face droughts. This affects food production and overall food security across the country,” Beyan E. Harris, Executive Director of CYCLES-LIBERIA stated.
Mr. Harris emphasized the significant impact of climate change on Liberia, particularly on farmers who struggle to predict seasonal patterns.
According to Harris, Liberia’s role in global environmental policy remains critical and that was the reasons why the issues of climate change, waste management, were key issues discussed at the Youth Post-COP29 Conference.
“Many people think waste disposal is just about throwing trash on the ground, but over time, it accumulates and creates serious hazards,” he added.
He stressed the importance of both mitigation—preventing further environmental damage—and adaptation—learning to live with climate changes while minimizing its effects. He called for greater youth participation in climate policy-making and urged the Liberian Government to take concrete action on climate issues.
“Attending global climate conferences like COP is a privilege, not a right, and many young Liberians struggle to participate. However, what truly matters are how we implement solutions back home,” he said.
Mr. Harris made the remarks when he spoke briefly at a day-long youth post COP29 conference organized by CYCLES-LIBERIA in collaboration with the its partners. The purpose of the conference was to discuss key issues surrounding post COP29 and Liberian’s role in global efforts.
The need to take concrete action remains critical as farmers in rural communities continues to be in a state of confusion as they no longer rely on traditional weather patterns for farming. Over the last few years, the impact of climate change has been server, as a result farmer’s productions on whether or not there would be any rain at a giving time is no long something to hope for due to the negative impact of climate change.
Meanwhile, Mr. Abraham E. Tumbay, Program Coordinator for Livelihood and Empowerment Creation/Inclusive Growth at UNDP, highlighted the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Change and Liberia’s Entry into the Carbon Market. He discussed the importance of Liberia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 3.0, which outlines the country’s commitment to climate action.
Mr. Tumbay underscored that all nations must contribute to global climate stability. “Every commitment made so far is crucial, but we must go beyond pledges. Studies show we need to increase our efforts by at least 3% to make a real impact,” he stated.
He also stressed the importance of financing climate initiatives, particularly for least-developed countries like Liberia. “Transitioning to renewable energy is vital. Investments in solar farms and clean energy projects will help reduce emissions and secure a sustainable future,” he noted.
Tumbay acknowledged the challenges of balancing economic growth with environmental protection, particularly in countries that rely on industries contribution to deforestation. However, he emphasized that financial mechanisms ensuring equitable access to resources and markets are essential for progress.
Both speakers called for stronger government action and sustained youth engagement in climate policy discussions. As Liberia continues its climate efforts beyond COP29, the conference reinforced the need for collaborative, solution-driven approaches to environmental sustainability.
The Youth Post COP29 Dialogue was organized by the Center for Youth Civic Leadership and Environmental Studies -CYCLES with over 50 young people from marginalized groups, CSOs, Universities and High school as well as people living with disabilities.
This dialogue also had a panel discussion with young people engaging with COP29 attendees on Liberia Perspective on COP29 Outcomes: Looking at firsthand experiences at COP29, (Key takeaway, Observation and Connections made), emphasizing the importance of youth representation in global climate discussion and how young people can translate COP29 Outcomes into tangible actions at the national, sub-national and local level in Liberia.
With the vase experience from the attendees at the dialogue, young people who never attended the Conference of Parties (COP29) got a clear understanding about the event. At global levels some commitment was made by the Global North that the US$1-5 Trillion dollars that was advocated for by advocates, it was agreed upon by the Global North that they will contribute US$300 billion dollars annually to the Global South for Climate issues.
However, participants were being drown from other grassroots environmental organization including Youth Initiative for Climate Change (YICC), Climate and Environmental Protection Initiative of Liberia (CEPIL), Youth Climate Change Initiative (YCA), Girls Voice Liberia Inc, Climate Activists Association of Liberia (CAAL), Liberia Deaf Youth Association (LDYA), and the National Youth Council – YMCA Liberia. Others were University of Liberia (UL), Stella Maris Polytechnic University College.
