The initiative marks Liberia’s entry into the planetGOLD programme, a global effort supported by the GEF that has already assisted more than 20 countries in reducing mercury use while improving environmental health and livelihoods.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved a transformative project developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia and supported by the African Development Bank Group to dramatically reduce mercury pollution from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). The project, with $7.67 million in GEF financing and an additional $24.57 million in indicative co-financing from the Bank Group, will help build a safer, cleaner, and more sustainable gold mining sector in Liberia.
The initiative marks Liberia’s entry into the planetGOLD programme, a global effort supported by the GEF that has already assisted more than 20 countries in reducing mercury use while improving environmental health and livelihoods. The project advances planetGOLD’s global strategy, which focuses on strengthening policy and regulatory frameworks, expanding financial inclusion, promoting mercury-free technologies, and cultivating partnerships across government, communities, and the private sector.
It also builds on the African Development Bank’s Institutional Support for Enhanced Domestic Revenue Mobilization and Reform Implementation Project, which is helping to improve transparency and governance in Liberia’s mining sector.
“This is a powerful example of programmatic incrementality,” says Anthony Nyong, Bank Group Director for Climate Change and Green Growth. “The foundations established through the African Development Bank’s institutional support are now being expanded into a full-scale environmental and socio-economic transformation of Liberia’s mining sector. It proves that development and environmental protection can go hand-in-hand.”
“The approval of this project marks a significant milestone in our efforts to reduce mercury pollution worldwide,” says Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, CEO and Chairperson of the Global Environment Facility. “By supporting a comprehensive approach that combines policy reform, technology, and community engagement, we are helping Liberia lead the way toward a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable gold mining sector.”
“This approval is a major victory for the people and environment of Liberia,” said Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, Executive Director of Liberia’s EPA of Liberia. “By tackling mercury pollution at its source, we are protecting our miners, safeguarding our rivers and forests, and building a cleaner and more prosperous gold mining sector. This project moves Liberia closer to a future where economic growth and environmental protection go hand in hand in fulfillment of our NDC 3.0.”
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