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EPA Press Release
New York, September 24, 2025 – The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia, Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, has urged global donors and development partners to rally behind women smallholder farmers, calling for practical action to protect those most vulnerable to climate shocks.
Speaking at a high-level roundtable in New York organized by BRAC with support from Denmark, Liberia, Uganda, Tanzania, and Bangladesh, on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo highlighted the urgency of translating climate commitments into tangible programs that improve lives on the ground.
The gathering focused on the Big Bet on Climate Change Adaptation, a program designed to reach over two million women farmers and their families, an estimated nine million people, across Africa and Asia by 2030.
In Liberia alone, at least 30,000 women farmers are expected to benefit from support that includes climate-smart seeds and tools, access to climate information, financial services such as savings, loans, and insurance, post-harvest storage, and market opportunities. The program also aims to strengthen government and local systems for long-term sustainability.
Opening the roundtable, Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo emphasized Liberia’s strong commitment to the initiative, noting that it aligns with the country’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, its National Adaptation Plan, and the newly submitted NDC 3.0 to the United Nations climate body.
“Our own stocktake of NDC 2.0 confirmed that Liberia must focus more on adaptation, because mitigation alone will not shield us from the floods, droughts, and storms that already define daily life,” he said.
He described the Big Bet program as “bold and practical action that makes adaptation real,” calling on all partners to join the effort.
The EPA Chief Executive Officer also highlighted Denmark’s leadership in supporting the initiative and stressed that the Big Bet could grow into a global movement if more countries and donors commit.
Dr. Urey Yarkpawolo used the occasion to thanked all partners for their dedication and emphasized the need to move from vision to action.
“Every dollar invested in the Big Bet program will go directly to improving the lives of women farmers on the frontlines of climate change,” he said.
He announced Liberia’s intention to host a side event at COP30 in Brazil, where the country will showcase the Big Bet program and its own adaptation initiatives.
He further highlighted that while challenges remain, particularly in closing the financing gap, the Coalition of the Willing has already identified practical solutions to strengthen women-led climate adaptation.
“Together, we can transform this Big Bet into a lasting legacy for women, for communities, and for our shared future,” he ended.
The Big Bet program is expected to strengthen food security, improve nutrition, empower women economically, and help communities withstand the rising shocks of climate change.
