By: Domingo Dargbeh;

Email: Dargbehdargbehdomingo@gmail.com | +231777579503 / 880676296

Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, Executive Director of Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Mr. Desmond Thompson, Project Liaison Officer, have concluded a two-day training session on project oversight and management in Accra, Ghana. The event took place from April 10–11, 2025.

The training gathered National Operational Focal Points (OFPs) from several West African nations. Hosted at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, it was organized by the Tropical Biology Association in partnership with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Ghana’s GEF OFP Office, and Everything Sciences Consultancy.

Part of the GEF-8 Country Engagement Strategy, the training aimed to enhance participants’ ability to oversee and execute GEF-supported projects effectively. Key topics included project design, tracking progress, conducting evaluations, and managing oversight resources.

The first day featured presentations from GEF officials, the Tropical Biology Association, and other environmental leaders. Discussions focused on improving project results, identifying ongoing challenges, and sharing best practices.

Day two included a visit to e-waste recycling facilities under Ghana’s Africa Environmental Health and Pollution Management Program (AEHPMP). The regional initiative tackles pollution and health threats posed by hazardous chemicals and electronic waste.

Dr. Yarkpawolo commended Ghana’s handling of e-waste, particularly the involvement of informal workers who recover valuable components like copper, which are sold instead of being burned. This not only safeguards the environment but also creates income for youth.

He noted that after initial collection, these materials are brought to primary centers and then transferred to secondary sites, where they are auctioned to large recycling companies that repurpose them into new products.

GEF provides support for the initiative, which is sustained by legislation requiring taxes on imported electronics. These funds finance recycling efforts when the devices reach their end of life.

“This is a brilliant concept,” Dr. Yarkpawolo said. “I intend to replicate this model in Liberia. We will dispatch a team to study the system further and explore ways to apply it to our own e-waste problem.”

Ghana enacted two key laws in 2016 — the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Act (Act 917) and its accompanying regulations (LI 2250). These laws mandate that importers and producers register with Ghana’s EPA and pay an eco-tax, supporting e-waste management while integrating informal workers into formal systems.

The Global Environment Facility is a coalition of 186 countries, international organizations, NGOs, and private sector actors. Since 1991, it has financed environmental action through billions of dollars in grants for projects combating issues such as climate change, land degradation, and biodiversity loss.