By: Laymah Kollie
Liberiaโs Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Executive Director, Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, has told world leaders that climate change is driving thousands of Liberians from their homes and threatening the countryโs future.
He made the statement at the Berlin Climate Mobility Forum, held at the Robert Bosch Stiftung in Germany from June 16โ17, 2025.
Speaking on behalf of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and the people of Liberia, Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo said that climate change is not just about the environment anymore it is causing insecurity, suffering, and mass movement of people.
โWe are already seeing the impact in Liberia.
In 2024 alone, over 100,000 people were affected by flooding in more than 75 communities,โ he said. โHomes, schools, and health centers were destroyed. Families were left with nowhere to go.โ
He explained that the country is facing both internal and cross-border climate-related displacement. During a recent visit to Grand Gedeh and River Gee counties, he witnessed the arrival of thousands of migrants from Burkina Faso, driven out of their country by worsening drought and violence in the Sahel region.
โThese young Burkinabe men, estimated between 60,000 to 80,000, are coming into Liberia to farm cocoa.
But this is creating pressure on our land, increasing land disputes, and causing tension in local communities,โ Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo said.
He also spoke about conversations with Ivorian officials during the West African Carbon Market Conference in Dakar. They confirmed that similar climate pressures are pushing people south into Liberia.
Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo stressed that while Liberia is struggling with the effects of climate change, it remains one of the worldโs key protectors of tropical rainforests. He said these forests help absorb carbon dioxide and fight global warming.
Yet, Liberia receives little support for the role it plays in protecting the planet.
โLiberia is doing more to reduce the impact of climate change than it causes,โ the EPA Executive Director said. โBut we are left to suffer its worst effects.โ
He stressed that climate-related migration should not be treated as a stand-alone issue but as part of broader development and human rights efforts.
โPeople need support to stay where they are if they can.
And if they must move, it should be safe and with dignity,โ he added.
Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo announced that Liberia is taking action through its National Adaptation Plan, updating its Nationally Determined Contributions, and making climate mobility a priority under the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development led by President Boakai.
However, he emphasized that Liberia cannot do it alone and called on international partners to among other things; Increase climate financing, especially for vulnerable countries, Support stronger early warning systems and infrastructure and Invest in data and research about climate mobility.
Others are the Promotion of policies that protect people forced to move due to climate, among others.
โThe choices we make now will affect our people and the world for generations,โ he said. โLiberia is ready to work with others to respond to climate displacement and build a safer, fairer world.โ
The Berlin Climate Mobility Forum was organized by the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the Global Centre for Climate Mobility.
It brought together decision-makers, experts, and partners from different sectors to talk about the link between climate change and migration.
The event focused on real solutions, early warning systems, and funding support. It was held after the UN Ocean Conference in Nice and during the climate meetings in Bonn (SB62).
The forum aimed to find new ways to respond to climate mobility by building partnerships and including local experiences in global planning.
