CIL, EPA Launch $316,300 Green Accounting Grant Program -Integrate Environmental Data into National Planning

By Anthony Q. Jiffan, Jr.

MONROVIA – Conservation International (CI) Liberia, in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has launched a US$316,300 Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) Small Grant Program aimed at strengthening local capacity and embedding environmental data into Liberia’s national development planning as the country pushes toward a greener, more climate-resilient future.

Funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the program was officially unveiled Tuesday at a ceremony in central Monrovia attended by senior government officials, development partners, civil society organizations, and members of the media.

Three local nongovernmental organizations—VADEMCO, BASA Development Initiatives, and The Nature Compact (TNC)—are the initial beneficiaries.

Putting Nature into the Numbers

CI-Liberia Country Director Momodu Kemokai described the initiative as a critical step toward enabling Liberia to measure, value, and manage its natural resources as economic assets rather than treating them as invisible components of national accounts.

“Liberia is blessed with extraordinary natural wealth—extensive tropical forests, unique biodiversity, freshwater ecosystems, and coastal and marine resources that sustain thousands of households,” Kemokai said. “Yet these assets have historically been invisible in national accounting systems—unmeasured, undervalued, and often overexploited.”

Without recognizing nature’s economic value, Kemokai warned, that development planning risks becoming “short-sighted, costly, and unsustainable.”

He explained that Natural Capital Accounting provides a science-based, data-driven framework that allows policymakers to factor environmental assets into decisions across forestry, mining, fisheries, agriculture, energy, and infrastructure.

For Liberia, he emphasized, NCA must move beyond theory to become a practical tool for national resilience.

“It should help us answer fundamental questions about the value of our forests, rivers, and biodiversity, how these assets are changing, and what we must do to safeguard them for future generations,” he said.

Building Local Expertise

Kemokai noted that the Small Grant Program is designed to strengthen Liberian-led research and implementation by supporting hands-on NCA work within local institutions.

The initiative will build skills in environmental data collection and analysis, promote transparency and accountability through civil society engagement, and encourage young researchers to develop innovative approaches to assessing ecosystem services.

By expanding the national talent pool, he said, the program will improve data quality while empowering Liberians to lead conservation and sustainable development efforts.

Kemokai also reaffirmed CI’s broader commitment to Liberia’s environmental agenda, highlighting ongoing partnerships with the EPA, the Forestry Development Authority, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, and other key stakeholders.

“We are excited to continue providing technical assistance, global expertise, and catalytic funding to ensure that nature’s value is recognized, protected, and fully integrated into national development priorities,” he said.

Government Endorsement

Launching the program on behalf of EPA Executive Director Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, Deputy Executive Director for Administration and Finance Anthony S. Kollie commended CI-Liberia for its sustained support to conservation efforts in the country.

“Your continued commitment to strengthening local institutions in this sector is commendable,” Kollie said, reaffirming the government’s firm support for the partnership through the EPA.

Beneficiaries Welcome Support

Representatives of the beneficiary organizations described the grants as timely and critical to advancing environmental work at the community level. Clarence Powell, Project Manager of the Sinoe Building Climate Resilience initiative at BASA Development Initiatives, thanked CI-Liberia and the EPA for their support and oversight.

“The work we do is in the interest of the country, and this support will help us address key environmental challenges,” Powell said.

Marvelous Queejay-Weah, speaking for The Nature Compact, pledged strict accountability in the use of the funds. “We are committed to ensuring that these grants deliver real impact in the targeted areas and programs,” she said.

With the launch of the NCA Small Grant Program, stakeholders say Liberia is taking a decisive step toward aligning economic growth with environmental stewardship—ensuring that nature finally counts where it matters most.