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Climate-Smart Agriculture in LIBERIA:

Current Status and Support Needs to better integrate CSA into the LASIP

PRESENTED AT STAKEHOLDERS’ VALIDATION WORKSHOP

MAIN CONFERENCE ROOMMINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE

June 2014

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1. THE TERRITORIES OF AGRICULTURAL CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION IN LIBERIA

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AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES

Upper Highland Tropical Forest (agriculture belt)

Climate=high levels of rainfall (4,450- 4,550mm),high humidity (85-95%), longer sunshine hours, high and wider temperature rangesVegetation=mangroves, scattered patches of low and high bushes and savannah woodland

Coastal Plains

Climate=hot and humidTemperature range from 18.3ᵒC to 29.4ᵒC Annual rainfall around 1778 to 2032 mmVegetation=closed semi-deciduous forest and transition zone or secondary forest

Lower Tropical Forest

Climate=warm temperature and extremely high humidityAnnual rainfall=1930.4 mm Vegetation=evergreen rainforest53% of pop. Food insecured

Northern Savannah

Climate=high elevation with warm temperature and high humidityAnnual rainfall=between 700 mm -1,750 mmVegetation=dense elephant grass, scattered trees and patches of forests

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Analysis of the vulnerability of the territories to climate change

Territories Degree of exposure to CC

Degree of sensitivity to CC

Adaptive capacity 

Resulting vulnerability

Coastal Plains

HIGH:Heavy rainfall, Sea erosion & flooding

HIGH:Transportation difficulties and hike in food prices

LOW:lack of information and poor infrastructure

HIGH:Poverty, diseases and loss of assets, with women and children affected mostly

Upper Highland tropical Forest 

HIGH:Rainfall and temperature variation

HIGH:Transportation difficulties and hike in food prices 

MEDIUM:Low: limited infrastructureHigh: Diverse options

MEDIUMDeforestation, decline in food and cash crop production, Post-harvest losses,

Lower Tropical Forest

HIGH:Rainfall and temperature variation

HIGH:Transportation difficulties and hike in food prices 

LOW: limited infrastructure 

HIGH:limited alternatives for income & livelihoods, deforestation, low crop production

Northern Savannah

HIGH:temperature variation

HIGH:Erratic rainfall and flooding

LOW:Lack capacity to respond to risks

HIGHIncrease vulnerability to hunger and diseases

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Current status / diagnosis of climate change adaptation in these territories

TerritoriesProgress observed

Projects and programDifficulties

encounteredNeeds for support at the local level

Coastal Plains

• Awareness • Support for cassava

and fishing projects • Coastal defense

project in Buchanan

• Limited funding • Low agriculture

output • loss of crops and

assets during flooding

• Increased support for extension services including fishing projects for vulnerable communities and women

• Funding for coastal defence projects in vulnerable areas

Upper Highland tropical Forest 

• Climate change agriculture adaptation project in Bong county

• lowland farming• Rehabilitation of

farm to market roads

• Lack of climate forecast data and early warning system

 

• climate tolerant and resistant rice and cassava varieties

• Micro-finance credit opportunities for local farmers including vulnerable women

• development of irrigation systems • Support for women in tree crop

production Lower Tropical Forest

• Climate change adaptation pilot project in one district of Grand Gedeh County

• Poor infrastructure

• Limited extension servces

• Support for agriculture extension services

• farm to market roads• Micro-finance credit opportunities

Northern Savannah

• No program • Inadequacy policy, training and infrastructure

• Livestock production• Integrating livestock into tree

plantations

Current status / diagnosis of the adaptation component of national sectorial programmes  

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NAPA was completed in 2008 with 3 priority projects identified, which are currently being implemented as follows:

Project Objective Adaptation Challenges

1 Agriculture adaptation

Enhancing resilience to increasing rainfall variability through the diversification of crop cultivation and small ruminants rearing

- Use of climate resilient crops- Better understanding of climate change by farmersCapacity building for staff of MOA and other partners - Climate change adaptation courses integrated into curriculum of 2 universities

Lack of climate forecast data

Limited resource persons and logistical support

2 National Meteorological Monitoring System

Enhance adaptive capacity: The rebuilding of the national hydro-meteorological monitoring system and improved networking for the measurement of climate parameters

- Project will provide farmers and extension officers with climate information when completed

Prospect of information disseminating in rural and remote areas where information is most needed

3 Coastal Defense

Reducing the vulnerability of coastal urban areas

- Coastal land reclaimed in Buchanan

Limited funding

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LASIPIn keeping with its commitment to the Comprehensive African Agriculture

Programme (CAADP) of NEPAD, GOL developed the LASIP which expresses Liberia’s strategic choices for the growth and development of agricultural in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner over a period of 10 years

LASIP has 5 priority programs:

1. Food and Nutrition Security

2. Competitive Value Chains and Market Linkages

3. Institutional Development

4. Land and Water Development

5. Cross-Cutting Issues (Gender & Environment)

LASIP gears toward food security, public and private sector investment for the agriculture sector, promoting the use of technology and innovation by local farmers

CHALLENGE: Low private sector investment

Integrated Water Resource Management PolicyPolicy developed in 2007: to ensure the supply of adequate quantity

and quality of water for domestic water use, food production and other uses

Mandates scattered amongst various agencies Inadequate leadership, governance and coordination low funding

Governance, Advocacy & Leadership in Water, Sanitation and Leadership (GoAL WaSH) currently being implemented to establish a mechanism for leadership and coordination in the sector

IWRM Action plan developed in 2014, pending validation review and harmonize existing legislations and institutions, water

management strategies and address the impacts of land use and climate change on water management

important for the development of irrigation and agriculture water management systems that are necessary for CSA

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Inter-institutional dialogue and inter-sectorial coherence for CSAIssues:

National Instruments: NAPA, LASIP and IWRMP benefitted from broad-based stakeholders input during formulation but interagency coordination and coherence in implementation has been fragileGovernment agency mandated with coordinating activities between the programs has not been successful in ensuring effective coordination and coherence

Needssharing of resources and personnel to facilitate strategic joint planning and actiondevelopment of strategic capacity at the national and provincial levels of the various sectors agencies

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Related existing mechanisms for CSA: description, progress and bottlenecksThe National Climate Change Steering Committee and the Ministry of Planning & Economic Affairs mandates provides a platform for intersectoral coordination for CSA programs.

Inter-sectorial coherence and coordination between the NAPA, IWRMP and LASIP is weak

BottlenecksLack of climate change policyInadequate nationally driven climate-smart strategies that rallies broad stakeholders supportStakeholder dialogue with civil society and within government has been minimalLimited budget for intersectorial coordinationNo direct budgetary support for CSA

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Support needs and requests to mainstream CSA in the NAIP Investment for research & development

Climate resilient varieties of different crops barriers and benefits of CSA impacts of climate change on farming

Capacity Development Revitalization of CARI’s infrastructure including laboratory facilities and equipment Training of graduate level scientist in fields that support CSA Training for MOA extension officers

Access to Credit for local farmers Reestablishing the Agricultural Cooperative Development Bank of Liberia to provide

loans and long-term credit for investment in farms,

Support for irrigation development & Hydrology Sector support for irrigation development/ agricultural water management support the Liberian Hydrological Services in the areas of training, planning, and

water resources assessment, equipment and instrument, monitoring and water utilization for the various sectors like agriculture, energy, industries, tourism and recreation

Support for women and youth access to cash crops support fund that enables women and youth to get involved in cash crop production

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Support needs and requests to strengthen inter-institutional dialogue and inter-sectorial coherence on CSA

Development of CSA policyStrengthening the technical capacities within the relevant government agenciesStrengthen coordinated intersectoral mechanisms at the Ministry of AgricultureFund CSA coordination activities and programs