Liberia – Develop a Waste Sector Strategy that reduces emissions of black carbon from open burning

Rationale

Liberia currently has no waste sector strategy. This project responds to a request made by the Liberian Government, through the Environmental Protection Agency to develop a waste sector Strategy that reduces Black Carbon emissions from the waste sector and raise the ambition of revised NDC that is scheduled to be delivered by 2025. The project will lay the foundation for improved air quality monitoring of PM2.5 and black carbon exposure in targeted municipalities. At minimum, the project is expected to contribute to existing policies by producing a consolidated policy document with recommendations and actionable interventions which are expected to make a substantial contribution to reducing Black Carbon emissions from the waste sector and raise the ambition through a revised NDC.

In its revised NDCs, Liberia has included various mitigation measures to address SLCPs, such as black carbon, within the framework of national air quality and climate change programs. While these measures are mentioned in the NDCs, the lack of a well-defined strategy for effectively reducing SLCP emissions, particularly BC, has hindered the fulfilment of certain NDC commitments. The proposed project aims to address this gap by crafting a comprehensive strategy to mitigate BC emissions originating from the waste sector.

Objectives

This project aims to:

1. Enable the Government of Liberia to develop and endorse the Waste Sector Strategy, a black carbon assessment conducted in selected municipalities (Monrovia and Paynesville) and the policy recommendations formulated by the end of the project.

2. Increase the capacity of The Government of Liberia to monitor, assess, and reduce black carbon emissions from the waste sector by the end of the project.

3. Enhance the technical capacity of relevant staff through the provision of training in black carbon emission inventory (using LEAP IBC, SWEET or other applicable model).

Woodcamp Community Takes Action Against Open Waste Burning in Paynesville

GreenLife West Africa recently partnered with the Paynesville City Corporation to carry out an awareness-raising campaign in the Woodcamp community.

The campaign focused on educating residents about the harmful health and climate impacts of open waste burning, while introducing safer and more sustainable waste management solutions through Community Based Enterprises (CBEs). These local private waste collection businesses work in partnership with the municipality to collect and transport waste to designated disposal sites.

Through community engagement activities, residents learned how the waste collection services operate, the associated costs, and the importance of reducing open dumping and burning practices. According to GreenLife West Africa, the campaign has already contributed to improved community understanding, with discussions underway to strengthen and expand similar initiatives across other areas of Paynesville.