UN HQ, Manhattan, New York, United States | September 28, 2025: At a High-Level climate roundtable held on the margins of  the General Debates of the 80th Session of the United Nations General

Assembly, the Government of Liberia issued a call to the international community to support a major new initiative aimed at building climate resilience for millions of women in agriculture across Africa and Asia.

The event, organized by BRAC under the theme "Big Bet on Adaptation for Women in Agriculture," was highlighted by an intervention from Dr. Emmanuel Yarkpawolo, Executive Director of Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Dr. Yarkpawolo articulated Liberia’s endorsement for the “Big Bet on Climate Change Adaptation for Women,” a program designed to directly support two million women smallholder farmers and their households, representing over nine million people.

In his address, Dr. Yarkpawolo emphasized that the initiative is in direct alignment with Liberia’s national development and climate priorities, including the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, the National Adaptation Plan, the National Agriculture Policy, and the recently submitted NDC 3.0.

“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,” stated Dr. Yarkpawolo. “This initiative is the kind of bold, practical action that makes adaptation real for those who need it most.”

Highlighting the critical need for resources, Dr. Yarkpawolo appealed directly to nations and partners with the “will, the means, and the influence” to join the effort. He commended the Kingdom of Denmark for its leadership and outlined Liberia’s own bold steps, such as lifting taxes and import duties on agricultural inputs and renewable energy equipment, demonstrating strong national political will.

Looking ahead, he portrayed the upcoming COP30 in Brazil as a pivotal moment to showcase the plan and mobilize support. “The Conference of the Parties is where global ideas are tested, and where solutions are scaled. We see this Big Bet as a pilot that could grow into a regional and global movement, giving women farmers who bear the greatest burden of climate change the hope of a better life,” he said.

The roundtable was convened by BRAC, which has over a decade of impactful work empowering rural communities in Liberia. The event brought together stakeholders from partner countries including Uganda, Tanzania, and Bangladesh.

“Big Bet on Climate Change Adaptation” is a multi-country programme co-created with governments to support three million women smallholder farmers and their households—around 14 million people in total—across Bangladesh, Liberia, Tanzania, and Uganda to reduce their climate vulnerability by 2030. The programme aims to deliver a scalable, cost-effective model for inclusive, locally-led adaptation that can inform wider efforts in similar contexts. It adopts the approach of encouraging direct input from women farmers, informed by global evidence, government priorities and experience. The program includes a bundled set of interventions—access to climate information, production support, financial services, and post-production services— to address the constraints women face. 

BRAC is an international nonprofit which focuses on empowering people and communities in situations of poverty, illiteracy, disease, and social injustice.