GCA Supports Peer-to-Peer Training for Locally Led Adaptation Planning in Liberia
M
onrovia, Liberia, 22nd June 2023 – The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) supported a peer-to-peer training workshop in Monrovia, Liberia, on 21 and 22 June 2023. A delegation of six representatives from Nairobi, Kenya, including community members, Nairobi City County Government (NCCG) representatives, and representatives from civil society and academia, travelled to Monrovia to share lessons from the pioneering locally-led planning process that took place in Mukuru, an informal settlement in Nairobi.
The peer-to-peer training focuses on a locally-led planning process for building climate resilience in informal settlements in Monrovia, to inform investments under the $40 million World Bank Liberia Urban Resilience Program (LURP). As part of the project, GCA is partnering with the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) of Liberia, Akiba Mashinani Trust (AMT), Slum Dwellers International (SDI), and the Federation of Liberia Urban Poor Savers (FOLUPS) to support an enumeration and climate risk profiling process by local communities living in informal settlements in the Northern Bushrod and Southeastern Paynesville areas of Greater Monrovia.
The training, led by AMT, was attended by 37 representatives from the Liberia Ministry of Internal Affairs, Monrovia City Corporation, Paynesville City Corporation, National Housing Authority, Environmental Protection Authority, University of Liberia, FOLUPS, YMCA, and community mobilizers and enumerators trained by YMCA for the enumeration process. A guide produced by GCA in partnership with the Kenyan team, Locally Led Planning: A Guide for Building Climate Resilience in Urban Informal Settlements, was used as a resource during the training. The Kenyan team led sessions on climate vulnerability in urban informal settlements, challenges of land tenure, community mobilization, community-driven data collection and management, multisectoral coordination, and the role of academic institutions in providing climate-specific information/data to communities.
“In Liberia, settlement problems have become national problems,” said Alvin S. Bono, Director of Urban Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Liberia, during the opening session. “The number of people living in slums or informal settlements continues to rise and slum communities have been exposed to a variety of climate-related risks and hazards, mainly coastal erosion and flooding. This has resulted in deterioration of livelihoods, damage to infrastructure, frequent road closure, and loss of life and livelihoods.”
Informal settlements make up approximately 70% of the built-up area and accommodate two-thirds of the population in Greater Monrovia, according to a World Bank report. Approximately 113 informal settlements are concentrated around environmentally sensitive wetlands. Sea level rise, coastal flooding, erratic rainfall, and erosion further exacerbate the vulnerability of the residents, damaging assets and critical infrastructure, and negatively impacting livelihoods.
Jecinta Akinyi, Deputy Director, Housing and Urban Renewal, NCCG, said expanding informal settlements, water scarcity, inadequate service provision, and the loss of ecosystems that reduce vulnerability are key climate threats to cities in Africa. She emphasized the need to address the challenges through a broader understanding of urban ecosystems, and interactions between the built and natural environment, and human systems.
Bono underlined the importance of developing a comprehensive plan and strategy that is flexible, integrated, inclusive, interactive, and customized to the context of each settlement to adapt effectively, eliminate policy and implementation barriers, and facilitate scaling up.
Jane Weru, Executive Director, AMT, noted that the devastating impacts of climate change faced by informal settlements in Nairobi are also being experienced by the residents of informal settlements in Monrovia. She said a locally-led process to support communities in identifying urgent climate threats, challenges and gaps is a critical first step in building adaptative capacity and resilience in urban informal settlements. She also underlined the importance of peer-to-peer across informal settlements in Africa. “Learning is a process, and it should not be a one-off occurrence,” she said. “I urge GCA to continue investing in peer-to-peer learning initiatives as part of a larger adaptation process.”
“The training workshop was an eye-opener,” said Martin Allen, Montserrado County Coordinator, YMCA. “It helped participants understand the importance of assessing exposure, vulnerability, and risk to climate-related hazards, designating special planning areas, and developing a plan for coordinated and coherent actions to increase the adaptive capacity of Monrovia’s slum dwellers.” He said community-led settlement mapping, enumeration, and profiling play a vital role in bringing communities together to understand climate challenges, and in amplifying their voices.
Kassahun Suleman, GCA Senior Program Office for Locally Led Adaptation, said the Mukuru experience provides a robust and grounded framework for understanding the importance of local leadership, site-specific strategies, and knowledge of surrounding environments as essential elements for building the resilience of urban informal settlements to climate impacts.
At the end of the training, the data collection tool developed for Monrovia was reviewed, and the next steps discussed. Participants reflected on lessons learned from the Mukuru approach that were relevant for the Liberian context, including the importance of adopting inclusive, gender-sensitive, locally led planning approaches; making climate-related information accessible; and multisectoral planning. Participants also acknowledged that a strong partnership between government and non-government actors is key to developing effective climate resilience plans and policies.
Earlier in the week, the six members of the Kenyan delegation visited West Point and New Kru Town, two informal settlements where the enumeration will take place, to survey key climate threats and speak to community representatives. They also visited the Governors of the two municipal administrations. The Kenyan delegation included Jacinta Akinyi and Martha Muthoni from the Nairobi City County Government; Christine Mwelu from the Mukuru Community; Jane Weru and Patrick Njoronge from Akiba Mashinani Trust; and Dr. Mwaura Munyua from the University of Nairobi.
GCA has provided YMCA a grant for the community-led enumeration and climate risk profiling of informal settlements in Greater Monrovia. AMT has also received a grant to support the production of the Guide on the Mukuru planning process, now available on the Global Hub on LLA, and for peer-to-peer training in three cities in Africa.
Notes to Editors
About the GCA Global Hub on Locally Led Adaptation
GCA’s Global Hub on Led Adaptation (LLA) is a platform to inform, connect and inspire local communities and LLA practitioners around the world with the latest knowledge and solutions for LLA. Visit the GCA Global Hub on Locally Led Adaptation to learn more.
