The Cities Alliance Liberia Country Programme is expanding its Community Upgrading Fund to finance climate adaptation projects in two Monrovia communities, West Point and King Gray Town. The move aims to help informal coastal communities build their resilience and better adapt to climate shocks.
The Country Programme team announced the expansion and issued a Call for Proposals for community projects related to climate adaptation at an inception workshop on 15 September 2020 in Monrovia.
Financing for much-needed climate adaptation projects
The urban poor, who often live in informal housing in precarious locations with little or no access to basic services, are most at risk from the impacts of climate change. Heavy rains can turn into disastrous floods or devastating mudslides, especially in a crowded slum settlement with poor drainage.
With its focus on climate resilience, the CUF’s 2020 Call for Proposals will help two of Monrovia’s most at-risk coastal settlements identify vulnerabilities and craft community-driven responses that improve their adaptive capacity.
The proposals should address the potential impacts of climate change on women, young people, and underrepresented groups in urban poor communities. The selected projects should be inclusive and create opportunities for engagement with local governments and other relevant stakeholders. They should also demonstrate the potential to catalyse transformational change.
Watch this video about coastal erosion in West Point:
The decision to expand the CUF to climate adaptation is in line with the UN’s Year of Action on Adaptation. It is being done through the Cities Alliance Global Programme on Climate Change, Resilience and Informality, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The Cities Alliance Liberia Country Programme team will oversee the implementation of the CUF projects.
The Community Upgrading Fund (CUF) is one of the most successful components of the Cities Alliance Country Programme in Liberia. It provides financing for small infrastructure projects selected by the communities, helping residents see tangible progress quickly while the longer-term objectives of the Programme unfold. Communities manage and implement the projects themselves, helping them mobilise and engage with local authorities in the process.
The CUF has become institutionalised in Liberia and has funded projects including water kiosks and a kindergarten in Greater Monrovia. The projects are supporting economic vibrancy, providing better access to services, and empowering the communities.
About the Cities Alliance Liberia Country Programme
The Cities Alliance Liberia Country Programme (LCP) provides long-term, programmatic support to help Liberia realise its developmental objectives in a way that benefits the urban poor. Launched in 2016, the Country Programme is an ambitious, multi-level urban development initiative that aims to improve the lives and opportunities of up to 400,000 slum dwellers in Greater Monrovia. Its strategic areas of work currently include waste management, water provision, urban governance, gender equality and resilience.
