PAYNESVILLE, Montserrado County — After sunset, when mosquitoes descend on homes in Whein Town, residents say spending time outdoors becomes almost unbearable. During the day, swarms of flies hover around food and businesses, while foul-smelling water and the presence of rodents and snakes fuel fears about what living beside a massive garbage dump may be doing to their health.

By Gerald C. Koinyeneh

For families in this community outside Monrovia, the struggle is not simply about living near garbage. It is about the growing cost of securing clean water, protecting children from insects and trying to maintain a livelihood in an environment they say has become increasingly difficult to endure.

The source of much of their frustration is the Whein Town Landfill, a facility established as a temporary solution to Liberia’s urban waste problem but still receiving garbage years beyond its intended lifespan.

Residents say the continued dumping has left them feeling abandoned by authorities responsible for managing the waste generated by Monrovia and Paynesville.

“We are being used as sacrificial lambs,” said Amos Moore, a resident who accused the government of failing to honour its commitment to close the landfill after its original five-year lifespan expired.

“It is a shame that the government will unleash such suffering on a large group of its people.”

For residents such as Moore, the central question is why a facility intended to provide a temporary answer to an urgent sanitation problem has become a seemingly permanent feature of their community, while promises of relief remain unfulfilled.

Their concerns have drawn renewed attention from public health and environmental experts, who warn that poorly managed landfills can expose nearby populations to serious risks, particularly when waste exceeds a facility’s intended capacity.

The Monrovia City Corporation, which manages the facility, acknowledges that the landfill has outlived its usefulness. However, it says it is taking what it describes as “immediate, aggressive action” to address the situation.

For residents, those interventions have yet to resolve their most pressing concern: ending the dumping.

The Cost of Living Beside the Dump

Samuel Kofi Jones III, Secretary General of the Whein Town Community Leadership, said residents have complained about the landfill for years and have previously protested activities they considered harmful to their community.

Jones recalled an incident around 2012 or 2013 when authorities allegedly brought seized drugs to the area and burned them near the landfill. He said fumes spread into the community, prompting residents to protest and demand greater oversight of activities at the facility.

Following the incident, he said, a community monitoring team was established to observe activities at the landfill.

The team initially comprised eight residents who worked in shifts, including overnight, to monitor what was happening at the site.

But financial constraints eventually reduced the number of monitors to four, Jones said, adding that their stipends have not been paid consistently.

Two groups of community monitors have completed their assignments, while the latest group had worked for about two months awaiting payment, he said.

The monitoring arrangement, intended to give residents a measure of oversight, has not addressed their broader concerns about the continued operation of the facility.

“If you ask me what I want them to do, I would tell you to close the dumpsite,” Jones said.

He maintained that residents remain willing to engage the government but believe authorities have repeatedly failed to follow through on commitments made to the community.

The landfill was established in 2011 under the Emergency Monrovia Urban Sanitation Project as a temporary, five-year emergency waste-disposal facility managed by the MCC. It was intended to improve the collection and disposal of solid waste in Monrovia and Paynesville.

Although accounts of the facility’s development cite both 2011 and 2012, residents agree that its continued operation has far exceeded the original period they understood it would serve.

Fifteen years later, they say, the consequences have become part of everyday life.

When Clean Water Becomes an Added Expense

For Leon Miaway, one of the most persistent problems is the mosquito population.

He said residents struggle to remain outdoors after 5 or 6 p.m., when mosquitoes become particularly troublesome, forcing many families to rely on mosquito nets to protect themselves at night.

Flies create a different problem during the day, especially in the rainy season, when Miaway said they frequently come into contact with food.

For households already struggling with daily expenses, the concerns extend to water.

Miaway said changes to the area where garbage is deposited have raised fears that liquid leaking from waste may be reaching nearby water sources. He believes the absence of adequate containment measures at the newer dumping area has worsened the situation.

The extent of any contamination has not been independently established, but residents say the uncertainty has forced some households to spend additional money on water for drinking and cooking.

“Before you prepare any good food now, it means you have to spend more, even to buy water,” Miaway said.

For families with limited incomes, the added expense can mean making difficult choices between buying water they consider safer and meeting other household needs.

Miaway also said malaria is common in the community and expressed concern about children walking barefoot around areas where stagnant water collects.

He complained that residents had not seen regular visits by government agencies or humanitarian organizations to collect household data or distribute mosquito nets and other supplies.

“It has been a long while, like, over two, three years now,” he said.

The absence of consistent assistance, residents say, has reinforced their belief that they are being left to manage the consequences of the landfill largely on their own.

The residents’ renewed complaints come as President Joseph Nyuma Boakai launches the Presidential Clean Cities Initiative, a nationwide sanitation programme intended to support urban cleanliness, improve environmental health and create employment opportunities for young Liberians.

For residents of Whein Town, however, the campaign presents a troubling contradiction: while the government is mobilizing young people to clean cities and communities, their own neighbourhood continues to receive mountains of garbage from Monrovia and Paynesville, despite longstanding concerns about the landfill’s capacity and environmental condition.

They fear that unless the government addresses the continued operation of the Whein Town landfill, the clean cities campaign will fail to achieve its intended purpose for communities bearing the greatest burden of urban waste disposal.

Without addressing the conditions in Whein Town, residents fear the Clean Cities Initiative could improve the appearance of urban centres while leaving an already burdened community to continue paying the environmental price

“As long as the landfill is not closed, this cannot be a clean cities’ campaign. This is more pollution, more suffering and more sickness,” said Elijah Johnson, a student of the University of Liberia. We have complained for years that this is a death trap, yet still no solution.

‘They Are Still Dumping Every Day’

Princess Dennis, another resident, said families living near the landfill are increasingly worried about illnesses they associate with the surrounding conditions.

She cited malaria and other infections as concerns, particularly for children, and said previous mosquito-net distributions did not reach everyone.

Dennis alleged that some distributions stopped around a telecommunications junction, leaving residents in other parts of the community without nets.

But she stressed that receiving mosquito nets or other relief items would not resolve what residents consider the underlying problem.

“I’m upset about the dumpsite here,” she said, appealing to the authorities to stop the continued dumping of waste.

Dennis said garbage trucks continue to bring waste to the facility every day despite the community’s complaints.

She also operates a business along the road near the landfill, where she said flies affect customers and force her to cover her goods.

For a small business owner, the problem is both a public health concern and an economic burden: maintaining basic hygiene becomes more difficult when flies are constantly present.

Water insecurity compounds the difficulty.

Dennis said some residents sometimes consume water they consider unsafe because they cannot afford alternatives.

“When we don’t get money, we can drink the water,” she said.

Her account illustrates the difficult choices confronting households that cannot consistently pay for alternative water supplies but fear the possible consequences of using nearby sources.

Residents have raised concerns about illnesses ranging from malaria and diarrhoeal diseases to more serious conditions they believe may be associated with environmental pollution. However, establishing whether the landfill is responsible for particular illnesses requires clinical evidence and independent environmental testing.

For residents, the lack of clear information about water quality and potential exposure remains a source of anxiety.

Residents Fear Another Confrontation

Despite their frustration, some residents are reluctant to organize direct action against the landfill.

Miaway recalled previous protests during which residents blocked roads and some participants were arrested. He said the community does not want a repeat of those incidents and prefers its leadership to negotiate with authorities on its behalf.

The hesitation reflects a difficult position: residents want the dumping to stop but fear that confrontations could lead to arrests without delivering a lasting solution.

They have instead continued to press their case through community meetings, local leaders and calls for government intervention.

Their demand is not limited to mosquito control, water provision or occasional medical outreach. They want the landfill closed or relocated.

That demand has also been reflected in previous petitions to the Legislature, in which residents sought intervention over the facility’s continued operation and the lack of basic services in the community.

For them, years of complaints and temporary interventions have not delivered the change they seek.

Experts Warn of Environmental and Public Health Risks

Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, a former Director General of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia and an infectious disease expert, said landfills can become serious environmental and public health hazards when they are overfilled and inadequately managed.

Dr. Nyan said the Whein Town facility has affected wildlife, may have contributed to rodent infestation and has reduced available living space in the surrounding area, contributing to community congestion.

He warned that congestion can facilitate the spread of infectious diseases, particularly when sanitation and other basic services are inadequate.

Dr. Nyan also cited findings from empirical studies conducted around 2022–2023 by public health students at the African Methodist Episcopal University. He said the studies indicated contamination of soil, streams, wells and other groundwater sources around the area.

Those findings, he said, raise concerns about possible exposure to gastrointestinal infections and other illnesses.

FrontPage Africa has not independently reviewed the studies’ methodology or results. Further investigation would be needed to establish the extent of any contamination and determine its sources.

Dr. Nyan said residents have also reported respiratory symptoms that warrant clinical documentation and investigation to determine whether exposure to polluted air is contributing to their health problems.

He warned that the landfill could also be contributing to greenhouse gas emissions as organic waste decomposes, adding to the broader environmental consequences of poorly managed waste.

His most serious concern is the possibility of a landslide or collapse at the site, which he said could result in loss of life and property.

Dr. Nyan called on the government to enforce the landfill’s closure and invest in recycling, reuse and waste-reduction programmes.

He also urged Liberia to consider stronger restrictions on plastic use as part of a broader effort to reduce the volume of waste reaching disposal sites.

For Dr. Nyan, continued dumping at a facility believed to have reached its capacity raises questions about how long the government can delay a more sustainable solution without exposing communities to additional risks.

‘The Environmental Burden Is Borne by Nearby Communities’

Mohammed W. Bah, a Liberian researcher and PhD student in Urban and Environmental Planning and Policy at the University of California, Irvine, said a landfill that exceeds its intended capacity can create serious environmental and public health problems when waste is no longer properly contained.

Bah, whose research focuses on climate adaptation, coastal vulnerability, climate-related displacement and relocation, said exposed garbage can attract flies, rodents and other disease vectors.

Poorly controlled waste and leachate—the liquid that drains from decomposing garbage—can contaminate soil and surface or groundwater, while open burning and landfill fires can worsen air quality.

“These risks are particularly concerning when residential communities are located close to the site, as in Whein Town,” he said.

Bah also described the situation as an environmental justice issue, noting that communities located near waste facilities often bear disproportionate environmental and health burdens associated with services used by larger populations.

He said residents should have access to information about the landfill’s condition, environmental monitoring results, closure plans and measures being taken to protect them.

As an immediate response, Bah called for uncontrolled dumping to stop, exposed waste to be properly contained and covered, and disease vectors such as mosquitoes, flies and rodents to be controlled.

He also recommended assessments of water and soil contamination, improved drainage and leachate management, and access to safe drinking water for surrounding communities.

Given reports that the facility has exceeded its intended capacity and design life, Bah said an independent assessment should determine whether it can continue operating safely.

“If the site has exceeded its designed lifespan and can no longer be safely operated, the solution cannot merely be to continue adding waste indefinitely,” he said.

He called for a planned transition to an alternative disposal facility, accompanied by the proper closure and environmental remediation of Whein Town.

But Bah cautioned that moving the landfill would not, on its own, resolve Liberia’s wider waste-management problems.

The government, he said, must improve garbage collection, promote waste separation and recycling, encourage reuse and strengthen enforcement against illegal dumping.

“Whein Town demonstrates why environmental planning has to be proactive rather than reactive,” Bah said.

“Once a temporary solution becomes permanent without necessary infrastructure, monitoring and long-term planning, the environmental burden is often borne by nearby communities.”

MCC Acknowledges Landfill Has ‘Outlived Its Usefulness’

The Monrovia City Corporation says it recognizes the challenges at Whein Town and is pursuing measures to address them.

In a statement to FrontPage Africa, the MCC said it was taking “immediate, aggressive action” to tackle technical challenges at the facility, acknowledging that the landfill “has outlived its usefulness” and that the rainy season has compounded the situation.

“The MCC considers the health concerns of the residents as a top priority; as such, we are constantly fumigating the facility and providing routine health care interventions to the residents,” the corporation said.

The MCC also said mosquito nets had been distributed in the community and that it conducted a free medical outreach between March and April 2026.

Addressing allegations that garbage was being dumped directly on the ground, the corporation said it remained committed to responsible waste disposal and “would do nothing to endanger the health of the people of Whein Town.”

The corporation further disclosed that it was at an advanced stage of concluding a public-private partnership framework with a private-sector company for the joint management of the sanitary landfill.

However, the statement did not specify when the proposed partnership would be finalized, what immediate changes it would bring to waste disposal practices, or whether the arrangement would lead to the landfill’s closure.

The MCC’s acknowledgment that the site has outlived its usefulness is significant, but residents remain concerned about the continued arrival of garbage and the absence of a publicly established closure timetable.

Its claims of fumigation, medical outreach and mosquito-net distribution also contrast with residents’ accounts of inconsistent assistance and the persistence of mosquitoes, flies and concerns about water quality.

The different accounts underscore the need for transparent information about the frequency and coverage of the corporation’s interventions, alongside independent monitoring of environmental conditions.

Beyond Fumigation: A Lasting Solution

The MCC’s proposed partnership could offer a route toward improved management, but experts say the long-term solution must address the landfill’s capacity, environmental condition and eventual closure if it can no longer be operated safely.

A credible response would also require reliable access to safe drinking water, independent testing of nearby wells and other water sources, and public disclosure of the results.

For residents, such steps would provide more than reassurance. They would help establish whether the water they use is safe, clarify the health risks they face and identify which interventions are urgently needed.

The government must also explain the status of alternative waste-disposal arrangements and how it intends to prevent an indefinite continuation of the current situation.

Liberia’s growing urban population requires an effective waste-management system. But residents of Whein Town argue that the need to dispose of garbage from Monrovia and Paynesville cannot justify leaving one community to shoulder the risks without adequate safeguards.

Their experience highlights a broader challenge: waste infrastructure cannot be considered successful if the environmental costs are transferred to the people living closest to it.

For Jones, Miaway, Dennis and Moore, the immediate issue remains personal. It is about whether families can eat without flies hovering over their food, obtain water without worrying about contamination and allow children to move around their neighbourhood without fearing the conditions surrounding them.

The MCC says it is taking action. Experts say the risks warrant urgent assessment and intervention. Residents, however, say they have heard promises before.

“We are being used as sacrificial lambs,” Moore said.

For Whein Town, the test of the government’s response will not be another promise or a temporary distribution of supplies. It will be whether the dumping ends, the environmental risks are properly assessed and the community finally receives the protection and basic services its residents say they have been denied for years.

MONROVIA — Former Foreign Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah Sr. has called for a fundamental shift in global climate governance, urging governments and international institutions to move young people beyond symbolic participation and give them a meaningful role in climate negotiations, policymaking and implementation.

By Gerald C. Koinyeneh

Delivering the keynote address at the opening of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC)-COP31 Simulation Conference 2026 on Saturday, October 24, Kemayah argued that young people must be recognized as active partners in addressing climate change rather than treated merely as future leaders who will inherit its consequences.

“The future of our planet is being shaped by decisions we make today, and young people must have a meaningful voice in those decisions,” Kemayah told participants at the two-day online conference held under the theme, “Global Youth, Climate Diplomacy, and a Sustainable Future.”

The conference brought together students, young professionals, diplomats, scholars and civil society representatives to explore international climate negotiations and the challenges of reaching agreements on climate finance, technology transfer, energy security and climate-related displacement.

Kemayah, who served as Liberia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Dean of the Cabinet, said climate change had evolved beyond an environmental concern into a global development challenge affecting food security, public health, livelihoods, economic growth and human dignity.

Quoting former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, he reminded delegates: “There is no Plan B because there is no Planet B.”

He said the interconnected nature of climate risks requires coordinated international action, adding that no country or generation can afford to ignore the consequences of a warming planet.

Climate Justice for Vulnerable Countries

Kemayah placed particular emphasis on the challenges facing developing countries, many of which must confront climate vulnerability while struggling with poverty, unemployment, inadequate infrastructure and limited financial resources.

He cited changing rainfall patterns, droughts, coastal erosion, flooding and extreme weather events as threats to agricultural productivity, infrastructure, water supplies and public health systems.

For vulnerable countries, he argued, responding effectively to climate change requires more than commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It also demands adequate financing, access to technology, stronger adaptation programs and international cooperation that reflects differences in national circumstances.

He pointed to the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities under the international climate framework, including the Paris Agreement.

These principles recognize that countries differ in their historical contributions to greenhouse gas emissions, financial and technological capacity, and exposure to climate risks.

“A fair international response must therefore combine environmental ambition with development needs,” Kemayah said, emphasizing that climate justice should provide vulnerable countries with a realistic pathway toward sustainable development.

His argument reflects a longstanding challenge in international climate diplomacy: how to reconcile the urgency of reducing emissions with developing countries’ demands for financing and support to adapt to climate impacts and pursue economic growth.

Youth Inclusion Must Go Beyond Conferences

A central theme of Kemayah’s address was the gap between inviting young people to climate conferences and giving them the power and resources to influence decisions.

He identified young people as researchers, entrepreneurs, community organizers, technical professionals and emerging diplomats whose contributions could strengthen climate planning and implementation.

University students, he said, could investigate local climate risks, while young entrepreneurs could develop renewable-energy solutions and sustainable businesses. Young diplomats and professionals could contribute technical expertise and help bridge differences among countries during negotiations.

However, he warned that meaningful participation requires more than representation at international gatherings.

Governments and international institutions, he said, must provide young people with access to information, technical training, mentorship, financing and opportunities to participate in national climate consultations, international negotiations and environmental research.

He also stressed the importance of including rural youth, young people with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students and those living in climate-vulnerable communities.

“The principle is straightforward: young people should not simply inherit the consequences of climate decisions. They should help shape those decisions,” he said.

Climate Diplomacy Must Produce Results

Kemayah also challenged governments to measure the success of climate diplomacy by tangible outcomes rather than the number of declarations signed or promises announced.

He acknowledged that international negotiations are complicated by competing national interests, different energy systems, economic priorities and unequal financial capacities.

Some countries prioritize rapid emissions reductions, while others must balance climate commitments against the need for affordable electricity, industrial development, employment and poverty reduction.

Effective diplomacy, he argued, must recognize these differences without weakening the urgency of climate action.

He outlined four essential requirements for effective climate negotiations: sustained dialogue and mutual understanding, credible scientific evidence, equity in international cooperation, and stronger implementation and accountability mechanisms.

The ultimate test, he said, should be whether agreements produce cleaner energy, stronger climate resilience, protected ecosystems, effective adaptation and improved access to climate finance.

“The ultimate purpose of climate diplomacy is not simply to reach agreement. It is to reach agreements that make a measurable difference,” Kemayah said.

He described the IHRC-COP31 Simulation Conference as an opportunity for participants to develop negotiation skills, understand competing national interests and explore solutions that are equitable, practical and capable of implementation.

Five Priorities for Youth-Led Climate Action

To translate climate commitments into practical results, Kemayah proposed five strategic priorities for governments, educational institutions, development partners and young people.

The first is strengthening climate education and research. He called on schools, universities and professional institutions to equip young people with the knowledge and skills needed to assess climate risks, evaluate evidence and develop solutions.

Second, he urged greater investment in renewable energy and sustainable innovation, including affordable energy systems, energy-efficient technologies, sustainable agriculture and improved waste management.

Third, he called for stronger protection of forests, water resources and biodiversity through reforestation, watershed protection, ecosystem restoration and community environmental education.

Fourth, he emphasized investment in climate-resilient communities, including early-warning systems, resilient infrastructure, improved water management, disaster preparedness and climate-resilient agriculture.

Fifth, he called for transparency and institutional accountability, urging governments to report progress on climate commitments, businesses to assess their environmental impacts and institutions to monitor how climate resources are used.

He said young people could contribute to these efforts through research, responsible advocacy, public consultations and civic engagement.

According to Kemayah, the five priorities are interconnected: education builds knowledge, innovation develops solutions, conservation protects natural systems, resilience reduces vulnerability, and accountability helps ensure that commitments deliver results.

Stewardship and Responsibility to Future Generations

Beyond policy and diplomacy, Kemayah framed climate action as an ethical responsibility to protect the natural environment and preserve opportunities for future generations.

He argued that forests, water, energy, agriculture and infrastructure must be managed with consideration for their long-term effects on human well-being and environmental security.

Referring to environmental protection as a responsibility to care for God’s creation and one’s neighbors, he said sustainable development should not be treated as a choice between economic progress and environmental preservation.

Instead, he argued, development must be pursued in ways that protect human dignity while sustaining the ecological systems on which life depends.

“Environmental stewardship is an expression of our responsibility to care for God’s creation and our neighbors,” he said.

Focus Turns to COP31 in Türkiye

The IHRC-COP31 Simulation Conference was held online on October 24–25, 2026, ahead of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly known as COP31, scheduled for Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9–20, 2026.

According to the conference background materials, the simulation was designed to give university students, youth leaders, young professionals and civil society representatives practical experience in international negotiations.

Participants were assigned roles representing countries, international organizations, businesses and civil society groups to discuss issues expected to shape the global climate agenda.

The simulation featured four negotiation areas: fossil fuel transition and energy security; critical minerals and green industrial competition; climate finance and adaptation; and loss and damage and climate displacement.

The exercise aimed to strengthen participants’ understanding of global climate governance, international cooperation and climate justice while developing their negotiation and public-speaking skills.

Kemayah urged participants to use the opportunity to move beyond theoretical discussions and develop practical proposals that could inform international climate action.

He concluded with three central messages: climate change requires international cooperation and responsible governance; young people must have meaningful influence in climate policymaking; and commitments must translate into measurable improvements in environmental protection and human well-being.

“Let us learn with intellectual discipline, negotiate with integrity, and take action with determination,” he said.

For Liberia and other climate-vulnerable countries, the issues raised in the address carry particular significance. The challenge extends beyond participating in international discussions to ensuring that global commitments translate into resources, policies and practical interventions that strengthen communities against climate risks.

As the world prepares for COP31, Kemayah’s message was that young people must be equipped not only to understand the climate crisis but also to influence the decisions, negotiations and investments that will determine how countries respond to it.

YEREVAN, Armenia – The Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Emmanuel King Urey Yarkpawolo, has accepted an invitation to spearhead advocacy for increased financial contributions to the Global Environment Facility (GEF), positioning the country to play a greater role in international efforts to mobilize resources for biodiversity conservation, climate resilience and environmental protection.

By Selma Lomax, selma.lomax@frontpageafricaonline.com 

The decision followed a high-level meeting Thursday between Dr. Yarkpawolo and the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer and Chairperson of the GEF, Diego Mesa Puyo, in Yerevan, Armenia, where world leaders, environmental experts and policymakers are participating in the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17).

During the discussions, the GEF leadership invited the Liberian environmental official to engage directly with international donors and development partners to encourage stronger financial commitments to the institution, which supports environmental projects in developing countries.

Dr. Yarkpawolo accepted the invitation, taking on an advocacy responsibility that could strengthen Liberia’s participation in global environmental financing discussions while highlighting the difficulties confronting countries with significant natural resources but limited financial capacity to protect them.

The engagement comes amid growing international concern over inadequate financing for biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation and sustainable natural resource management, particularly in developing countries where environmental degradation continues to threaten livelihoods and economic development.

Liberia, home to a substantial portion of the remaining Upper Guinean tropical rainforest, has consistently emphasized the importance of international financial assistance in protecting its forests, wildlife habitats and other natural resources while pursuing economic development.

Dr. Yarkpawolo’s anticipated engagement with donors is expected to highlight the importance of translating international environmental commitments into financial support capable of producing measurable improvements in vulnerable communities.

His decision to accept the advocacy responsibility also reflects an emphasis on strengthening cooperation between environmental financing institutions and countries experiencing the consequences of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation.

The Liberian environmental official is expected to draw attention to the country’s conservation responsibilities, particularly the challenge of protecting tropical forests while ensuring that rural communities have access to sustainable livelihood opportunities.

Dr. Yarkpawolo said: “Countries like Liberia are protecting environmental resources that are important not only to our people but to the entire world. However, conservation cannot succeed on commitments alone. We need stronger financial partnerships, predictable funding and practical investments that allow vulnerable communities to protect nature while improving their livelihoods.”

Beyond the donor mobilization discussions, Thursday’s meeting provided an opportunity for Dr. Yarkpawolo to brief the GEF leadership on Liberia’s

ongoing environmental initiatives and identify priority areas requiring additional international support.

Among the projects discussed was the Strengthening Agricultural Resilience through Transformational Livelihood Adaptation in Liberia (SARTLA) initiative, which has received its first disbursement of funding.

The project is designed to strengthen the ability of agricultural communities to withstand climate-related challenges while promoting livelihood adaptation and improving resilience among vulnerable populations.

Agriculture remains an important source of employment and household income across Liberia, particularly in rural communities where families depend heavily on farming for their survival.

However, changing rainfall patterns, flooding, soil degradation and unpredictable weather conditions continue to create difficulties for farmers, threatening agricultural productivity and household food security.

The SARTLA initiative is intended to help address some of these challenges by supporting adaptation measures that strengthen agricultural livelihoods and reduce vulnerability to environmental shocks.

During the meeting, Dr. Yarkpawolo provided updates on the project’s financing progress, underscoring the importance of sustained support for initiatives designed to protect vulnerable communities against climate-related threats.

The discussions also focused on a proposed US$10 million Urban Resilience Project, which Liberia is seeking to advance as part of broader efforts to address environmental risks affecting urban communities.

The proposed project comes as several urban settlements in Liberia continue to experience flooding, drainage problems, environmental pollution and infrastructure challenges associated with rapid population growth and unplanned development.

In Monrovia and surrounding communities, seasonal flooding remains a recurring concern, often disrupting transportation, damaging properties and exposing residents to health and sanitation risks.

Environmental experts have repeatedly emphasized the need for investments in drainage infrastructure, improved urban planning and climate-resilient development to reduce the vulnerability of densely populated settlements.

The proposed Urban Resilience Project could provide an opportunity to strengthen Liberia’s response to these challenges if the necessary financing is secured and the project moves into implementation.

Although no new funding approval for the proposed initiative was announced during Thursday’s meeting, its inclusion in the discussions demonstrated Liberia’s interest in expanding cooperation with the GEF to address emerging environmental challenges.

Another important component of the engagement centered on Liberia’s priorities under the ninth replenishment cycle of the Global Environment Facility, known as GEF-9. The replenishment process is important because it determines the financial resources available to support future environmental projects across eligible countries.

For Liberia, access to GEF financing remains significant because domestic resources alone are insufficient to address the country’s extensive environmental protection and climate adaptation needs. The country faces the difficult responsibility of preserving globally important ecosystems while responding to economic pressures, infrastructure deficits and the development needs of communities dependent on natural resources.

Its forests provide habitats for endangered wildlife species, support biodiversity conservation and contribute to broader international efforts to address climate change.

At the same time, forest-dependent communities require sustainable economic opportunities that can reduce pressure on natural resources without undermining their livelihoods.

The EPA Executive Director’s anticipated donor advocacy could therefore reinforce Liberia’s position that environmental financing must go beyond international declarations and provide practical assistance to communities confronting environmental threats.

Such assistance could include strengthening agricultural resilience, improving urban environmental management, supporting biodiversity conservation and building the institutional capacity required to implement environmental programs.

He added: “My commitment to engaging donors is driven by the urgent need to close the financing gap confronting developing countries. We must demonstrate that every investment in biodiversity conservation, climate resilience and sustainable development is an investment in the future of humanity. Liberia is prepared to play its part, but international solidarity must be reflected in concrete financial support.”

The GEF chief welcomed the updates presented by Dr. Yarkpawolo and expressed confidence in continued support for Liberia’s environmental protection and climate resilience efforts.

Mr. Mesa Puyo’s response highlighted the continuing relationship between Liberia and the international financing institution, which has supported initiatives aimed at addressing environmental degradation and strengthening national capacity to manage natural resources.

The Global Environment Facility serves as a major international financing mechanism for projects addressing biodiversity loss, climate change, land degradation, international waters and pollution.

Its financial contributions are particularly important to developing countries seeking assistance to implement environmental commitments under international agreements.

Thursday’s meeting also produced another significant development, with Dr. Yarkpawolo extending an invitation to the GEF chief to visit Liberia and personally assess projects supported by the institution.

Mr. Mesa Puyo accepted the invitation, creating an opportunity for future engagement with government institutions, project implementers and communities benefiting from GEF-supported interventions. Although a date for the proposed visit was not disclosed, the planned engagement could allow the GEF leadership to observe the implementation of environmental projects and better understand the challenges confronting beneficiary communities.

The visit could also provide Liberia with an opportunity to present additional financing needs and demonstrate how international environmental investments contribute to community development and ecosystem protection.

For Dr. Yarkpawolo, the proposed visit represents an opportunity to strengthen the connection between decisions made by international financing institutions and the realities experienced by communities implementing environmental projects.

Direct interaction with project beneficiaries could help demonstrate the benefits of existing investments while identifying gaps that require additional financial and technical support. Such engagement is particularly important in Liberia, where environmental challenges frequently intersect with poverty, limited infrastructure, agricultural dependence and inadequate access to essential services.

Dr. Yarkpawolo said Liberia stands with the African Group on four priorities. First, he wants global targets paired with real implementation support. He said reviews of progress should look not only at conservation results but also at whether developing nations were given the means to deliver

By Selma Lomax, selma.lomax@frontpageafricaonline.com

YEREVAN, Armenia – Liberia has told the global biodiversity summit in Armenia that wealthy nations must back their conservation promises with funding, technology and training, or the effort to halt nature’s decline will stall in the places that need help most.
The message came on Wednesday from Dr. Emmanuel King Urey Yarkpawolo, head of Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency, who addressed the high-level segment of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. He spoke on behalf of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr.

Wildlife deaths as a warning

Dr. Yarkpawolo anchored his appeal in two recent cases at home. In Caldwell, a crocodile was killed by residents who feared for their safety. In Monrovia, a dolphin that had become stranded was reportedly killed on October 25, before fisheries officials could reach it.
He said the cases point to a shared failure: ordinary people have little guidance on handling dangerous or distressed animals, and the state lacks the means to respond quickly. The crocodile killing, he noted, reflected a real safety worry, while the dolphin’s death showed how thin the country’s emergency capacity is.
Protecting wildlife, he argued, cannot come at the expense of families’ security. Communities need to be equipped with knowledge and official backing so they never feel forced to choose between the two.

Four asks, aligned with the African Group

Dr. Yarkpawolo said Liberia stands with the African Group on four priorities. First, he wants global targets paired with real implementation support. He said reviews of progress should look not only at conservation results but also at whether developing nations were given the means to deliver.

Second, he called for biodiversity finance that is sufficient, predictable, timely and easy to reach. Liberia backs Africa’s push for a permanent financial mechanism answerable to the Conference of the Parties, with simpler application procedures and direct access for developing countries. Many African governments have complained that cumbersome funding rules slow projects and hamper responses to emerging threats.

Third, he pressed for stronger capacity and technology transfer. In Liberia, that would mean training wildlife emergency teams, expanding research and monitoring, equipping laboratories, and running public education campaigns in languages people actually speak.
Fourth, he urged fair sharing of the benefits drawn from biological resources, including digital sequence information, the genetic data increasingly used in research and commercial products. Liberia supports meaningful contributions from companies that use such data to the Cali Fund, a mechanism designed to channel benefits back to providers. Developing countries, Indigenous peoples and local communities, he said, should see real returns.

Dr. Yarkpawolo told delegates Liberia has already revised its national biodiversity targets and updated its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan to match the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the 2022 accord aimed at halting and reversing biodiversity loss. He described the changes as a base for better coordination among government bodies, conservation groups, communities and foreign partners.

Yet he cautioned that rewriting policy will achieve little without money and sustained follow-through.
Liberia holds large stretches of what remains of the Upper Guinean forest, along with wetlands, rivers, coastal zones and marine habitats that support livelihoods and provide vital services. Those assets are under pressure from habitat loss, overexploitation and uneven enforcement.

Conservation beyond the environment ministry

The EPA chief also urged governments to weave biodiversity into agriculture, fisheries, public health and national development plans, rather than leaving the job to environmental agencies alone. Conservation, he said, is tied to public safety, education and economic opportunity.
He asked COP17 to deliver outcomes that strengthen awareness programs, emergency response systems and income opportunities that give communities a reason to take part in protecting nature.

In closing, he called for information to reach people before fear drives them to destroy wildlife, for help to arrive before threatened animals are lost, and for conservation to offer tangible value to ordinary citizens. He ended with a short line of solidarity: Liberia stands with Africa for action, accessible financing and fairly shared benefits.

His speech adds to a wider African call at the Yerevan talks for a global framework that acknowledges developing countries’ financial limits and ensures that communities living closest to natural resources share in conservation gains. Negotiations and high-level meetings are continuing.

When Liberia joins other countries at the United Nations climate conference in Antalya, Türkiye, in November, it will be asking for many of the things climate-vulnerable countries have demanded for years: more climate finance, support for adapting to a changing climate, action on loss and damage and greater accountability from countries that have contributed most to global warming.

By Aria Deemie

But months before the 31st Conference of the Parties, Liberia found itself on the opposite side of a major international climate vote.

On May 20, Liberia was the only African country among eight nations that voted against a United Nations General Assembly resolution welcoming the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion on climate change. The resolution received 141 votes in favor, eight against and 28 abstentions.

The vote was surprising because Liberia is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, while contributing very little to the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming. The government later said the vote was an error.

So, what exactly was Liberia voting against, why did the vote matter, and what does it mean for a country preparing to demand stronger international action on climate change?

The International Court of Justice is the United Nations’ highest court, established to resolve legal disputes between sovereign countries. In July 2025, it issued an advisory opinion on climate change after being asked by the United Nations General Assembly to clarify the obligations countries have under international law to protect the climate system.

The Court said countries have obligations under international law to protect the climate and environment from human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. Countries that breach those obligations may face legal responsibility, including an obligation to prevent the harm from continuing, ensure it does not happen again and provide full reparation for harm caused.

The opinion was important because it strengthened the legal basis for arguments around climate responsibility and accountability. It does not operate like a normal court judgment ordering a particular country to take a particular action, but its findings can influence governments, negotiations and climate-related legal cases.

The United Nations General Assembly resolution adopted in May did not create the Court’s opinion. Vanuatu, a small Pacific island nation on the frontlines of the climate crisis, led a cross-regional “Core Group” of like-minded countries to author the draft text. They introduced the resolution to welcome and operationalize the International Court of Justice’s landmark 2025 advisory opinion. By the time it was put to a vote on May 20, 2026, Vanuatu’s initiative had attracted 90 co-sponsoring countries before passing with an overwhelming majority of 141 votes.

The United Nations General Assembly welcomed the Court’s findings and called on countries to take them into account.

This is why Liberia’s vote drew attention. For a country like Liberia, climate change is not simply an international debate. It is already affecting people’s lives.

Farmers are dealing with changing rainfall patterns, extreme heat and crop losses. Communities are increasingly exposed to flooding, while the country continues to face major gaps in the systems needed to forecast and respond to extreme weather.

Liberia’s contribution to global emissions is very small, yet the country is among those that need international support to adapt to climate change.

That has made climate justice an important part of Liberia’s international climate position.

“It was a complete contradiction to what we stand for,” said Ezekiel Nyanfor, Programs Coordinator and Climate Justice and Humanitarian Inspirator at ActionAid Liberia.

Nyanfor said Liberia has a moral obligation to protect the environment for present and future generations, but is also among countries with very low readiness to respond to climate change. He described the vote as a misalignment with Liberia’s principles, national policies and national priorities.

Nyanfor was among the civil society representatives who met with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Environmental Protection Agency on July 3 to seek an explanation for the vote.

During the meeting, government officials said the negative vote had been cast in error. They said Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti had instructed that Liberia’s vote be withdrawn and replaced with an affirmative vote supporting the Court’s advisory opinion. Government officials also said administrative measures had been taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Civil Society representatives welcomed the clarification but called on the government to issue a public statement formally clarifying the circumstances surrounding the vote.

In August, Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti publicly said at a Ministry of Information Culture Affairs and Tourism press briefing that Liberia had officially written to correct its position and that the correction was registered. She said Liberia’s position was consistent with its membership in the African Group and its climate priorities at the United Nations.

The official United Nations voting record for Resolution 80/263, however, still lists Liberia as having voted “No” on May 20.

But civil society representatives did not consider the matter settled. They called for a fuller public explanation of what had happened, how the error occurred and what corrective measures had been taken. Three months after the meeting, they said that fuller clarification had still not been provided.

“An explanation is different from accountability and institutional learning,” said Dayugar Johnson, Chairman of the Management Team of the NGO Coalition, who also attended the meeting.

In an interview with this reporter, Johnson said civil society wants to know how the error occurred, what position Liberia had intended to communicate before the vote, who was responsible for communicating that position and what safeguards are now in place to prevent a similar incident.

For the civil society representatives who attended the meeting, the issue is therefore not simply that the government said the vote was an error. It is that the government has yet to publicly clarify in detail how the error occurred and what corrective steps were taken.

The original vote remains part of the official voting record, but a delegation can communicate a correction to its voting intention after a vote. United Nations guidance says such corrections should be addressed directly to the Secretariat after voting has concluded. The United Nations Delegates Handbook also says a footnote can be added to the verbatim record to reflect how a Member State intended to vote.

This means a government can clarify its intended position without changing the original tally of votes cast.

This is not the first time Liberia has had to explain an unexpected vote at the United Nations.

In December 2023, Liberia voted against a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution passed with 153 countries voting in favor, 10 against and 23 abstaining.

The administration of former President George Weah subsequently said Liberian diplomats had voted without the President’s backing, and the Foreign Ministry requested that the vote be reversed and registered in favor of the ceasefire.

The Gaza vote and the climate vote concerning the International Court of Justice concern very different issues and happened under different administrations. But both resulted in Liberia later saying that a vote recorded at the United Nations did not reflect the position the government intended to take.

The two episodes also highlight the importance of how Liberia communicates and verifies its positions before important international votes.

For climate advocates, that issue is particularly important as Liberia prepares for the 31st Conference of the Parties.

Liberia will be going to the climate talks with several competing interests to navigate. The country needs more support for adaptation and loss and damage, while also pursuing opportunities through carbon markets and forest finance.

Those opportunities could provide resources for a country facing significant climate and development challenges. But they also raise questions about whether the benefits reach the communities that depend on Liberia’s forests and other natural resources and how those communities are protected.

“Liberia’s preparation for the 31st Conference of the Parties offers an opportunity to reinforce our position on climate justice,” Nyanfor said.

He pointed to preparations involving young people, who are expected to engage government on their priorities ahead of the climate conference.

He also said President Joseph Boakai’s recent international statements have helped reposition Liberia on climate justice. In his address at the United Nations, the President said climate responsibility must be paired with climate justice and called on developed countries to meet their financial obligations to vulnerable countries, including through the operationalization of the loss and damage fund.

For Nyanfor, those statements demonstrate that Liberia is again publicly positioning itself as a voice for climate justice.

But he said the government still needs to fulfil the commitment made during the civil society-government meeting by informing Liberians about the corrective action taken after the Court vote.

When floodwater enters a home, a farmer loses a harvest, or the sea washes away land, families suffer. Children miss school, businesses lose income, and communities struggle to recover. Climate change increases these risks. Understanding it helps us protect ourselves and our country.

By Dr. Emmanuel King Urey Yarkpawolo
Executive Director, Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia

Climate change means lasting changes in the Earth’s temperatures and usual weather patterns. Weather is what happens today: sunshine, rain, or wind. Climate is the pattern we expect over many years, including our rainy and dry seasons.

The Earth is warming mainly because human activities release gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. Burning coal, petrol, diesel, and gas produces these gases. Cutting and burning forests adds to the problem because trees absorb carbon dioxide, one of the main gases warming the planet. These gases act like an extra blanket around the Earth, holding in more heat.

Liberia contributes very little to global emissions, yet we are highly vulnerable. Many Liberians depend on farming, live near the coast, or lack strong roads, proper drainage, and reliable basic services. These conditions make climate pressures harder to withstand.

Along our coast, rising sea levels increase the danger of flooding and erosion, threatening homes, roads, businesses, and livelihoods. For farmers, changing rainfall makes planting decisions harder. Heavy rain, dry spells, and higher temperatures can damage crops and reduce harvests. When farmers produce less, their incomes suffer and food supplies come under pressure.

Health and daily work are also affected. Extreme heat makes outdoor work more difficult. Floods can contaminate drinking water and damage roads, disrupting access to clinics, schools, and markets. Families with fewer resources often have the greatest difficulty recovering.

Not every flood or damaged shoreline is caused by climate change alone. Blocked drains, poorly planned construction, and destruction of wetlands can worsen the damage. We must address both climate change and the local practices that make communities more vulnerable.

We cannot end climate change overnight, but we can slow it down and reduce its harm. This means cutting the gases that cause warming while preparing for changes already happening. Cleaner energy, forest protection, stronger infrastructure, and better weather warnings all have a role.

The Government of Liberia, through the EPA and its partners, is already acting. Coastal protection projects in Sinoe County and metropolitan Monrovia are being implemented to reduce risks from coastal flooding and erosion and protect livelihoods. The Climate Information Systems project is strengthening weather monitoring and early warnings so that farmers, fishermen, and communities can better prepare for dangerous weather.

Government is also turning waste into a resource. Working with the Monrovia City Corporation, the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, and international partners, the EPA has helped establish a composting facility in Fiamah. It is designed to turn food scraps and other organic waste into compost that improves soil for farming. This shows how better waste management can support cleaner communities and agriculture.

The EPA is also enforcing environmental laws. Nationwide inspections have covered mining operations, industrial sites, coastal areas, and waste facilities across all 15 counties. Actions include stopping illegal operations, ordering corrections, and imposing fines. Protecting rivers, forests, wetlands, and farmland also helps communities withstand climate pressures. Development must provide jobs without sacrificing people’s health and livelihoods.

However, the needs exceed available resources. Coastal protection, drainage, weather services, and nationwide monitoring require sustained funding, equipment, trained personnel, and maintenance. Families also need affordable alternatives to activities that damage the environment.

Large emitters carry a greater responsibility. Countries and industries that have released the most warming gases, especially over many decades, should make deep and rapid emissions cuts. Financing tree planting elsewhere should accompany real reductions from their own factories, power plants, and transport systems.

Wealthy developed countries also have responsibilities to help poorer countries respond. The Paris Agreement requires developed countries to provide financial support to developing countries for reducing emissions and preparing for climate impacts. Liberia needs accessible funding, useful technology, and training that reach communities most at risk.

Major emitters should also support people facing losses that cannot be prevented, including destroyed homes and lost livelihoods. Liberia should not carry an unfair financial burden for a crisis it contributed little to creating. This is a matter of fairness.

Our small contribution to global emissions does not remove our own responsibilities. Citizens should join government’s efforts by reporting pollution, protecting public facilities, keeping rubbish out of drains and streams, avoiding waste burning, saving electricity, and following official weather warnings. Keeping drains clear will not stop global warming, but it can reduce local flood damage.

Businesses must respect environmental permits, reduce waste, and correct damage from their operations. Schools, religious institutions, traditional leaders, and the media can explain climate issues in everyday language and local languages. Communities should help shape projects affecting their homes and livelihoods, while holding government accountable for results.

Every Liberian deserves a safe home, clean water, dependable food, and a secure future. Government is taking action, but lasting progress requires citizens, businesses, and international partners to contribute. Large emitters must fulfil their responsibilities, and we must fulfil ours. Protecting Liberia is a shared responsibility.

Summary

• Heavier and less predictable rainfall, intensified by climate change, is combining with clogged drains and construction in wetlands to worsen flooding across Monrovia’s low-lying communities.
• Nearly 20,000 families have been affected, displaced, disrupted schooling, lost income, illness and with 7 deaths as floodwater surrounds their homes and remains for days in two counties.
• Residents want blocked waterways reopened, while officials call for stronger forecasting, better drainage, wetland protection and increased disaster-response funding.

By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate and environment reporter with New Narratives

LOFA COMMUNITY, Montserrado County – Paulina Manloh knows the water is coming before she sees it. She has lived in the Lofa community since 2019, long enough to recognize the pattern: rain falls, and within hours the ground around her home disappears beneath brown water.

When the rain is very heavy things get even worse.   

“The water can get full until sometime entering the house,” she said, sitting near the swamp that has come to define six months a year of her family’s life. “So now we’re not able to get outside to go look for food or do other activities.”

Across Monrovia, seasonal flooding is becoming a persistent threat to thousands of families. An estimated 5,950 people in Lofa Community alone are affected by flooding, according to the community leader, while families face displacement, disrupted schooling, lost income, illness and death as floodwater surrounds their homes and remains for days. Scientists and government officials say climate change is bringing heavier and less predictable rainfall to a city already struggling with decades of unplanned growth, clogged drains and weak enforcement of environmental laws.

This year Kawi Badio, director for risk and early warning at the National Disaster Management Agency, the body responsible for coordinating disaster preparedness, emergency response and recovery efforts,  said 19,986  people have already been affected by flooding across Montserrado, and Grand Cape Mount with seven deaths recorded.

Authorities warn that the crisis will worsen unless the government acts. Anthony Saah Tengbeh, chairperson of the Department of Environmental Studies and Climate Change at the University of Liberia, said flooding in Monrovia and its environs is not caused by climate change alone. He said heavier rainfall is colliding with inadequate drainage, blocked waterways, construction on wetlands and poorly planned urban development, leaving fewer places for floodwater to go.

Some families are displaced for a week at a time. Children cannot reach school, and parents cannot reach work. In June, Harris S. Quoiduo, a block leader in the Lofa community estimates that flooding affects about 85 percent of the roughly 7,000 people living across the community’s four blocks. A four-year-old girl drowned after she was swept from a flooded bridge while crossing to find her mother.  

“It makes the community feel very, very sad,” he said. “Just imagine your child was not sick, you left the child home just to go and come back, and then you find out the child drowned.”

For Manloh, the consequences are immediate. She has five children, and when the water rises, their world shrinks to whatever dry ground remains. School stops. Errands stop. Sickness moves in. “It can really make me feel bad,” she said. “You struggle for money, pay your children’s school fees, but the water does not allow them to go to school.”

In Monrovia’s 13th Street community in Sinkor, Lansanah Mbawo, a 25-year-old teacher, described in July a newer version of the same problem. Water near his home no longer drains, he said, after a shop was built over what residents believe was the community’s drainage channel.

“We did not use to walk in water,” Mbawo said. “But now it is not really easy.” He said neighbors have fallen ill after wading through stagnant water to reach food, work or family.

Following repeated complaints to the Ministry of Public Works, the structure was eventually demolished.

A City Built on Water

Much of the damage can be traced to where and how Monrovia grew. “Monrovia was built not for the population that dwells in it today,” said Ansu V.S. Dulleh, the agency executive director. The drainage network installed decades ago was designed for a much smaller city.

As informal settlements expanded into wetlands and swamps, homes, shops and roads blocked the natural routes water once used to escape. “You know the water is very jealous,” Dulleh said. “Once the rain comes down, the water will try to find a way to its original inhabitants.” Until the city redesigns its drainage system and stops construction in wetlands, he said, flooding will continue.

Emmanuel Urey Yarkpawolo, executive director of the Environmental Protection Agency, put it more bluntly: “Monrovia is a sinkhole” – low-lying, where water naturally collects. The EPA can issue fines and enforce wetland protections, he said, but a land-starved population continues to push into swamps that flood every rainy season.

Enforcement is also constrained by limited resources.

Wetland destruction is part of the worsening flooding situation

Tengbeh said wetlands, (also known as mangroves because of the plants that grow there) act as natural storage areas for excess rainwater. But construction on top of them across the city is reducing their ability to absorb floodwater.

“When we build on the wetland, we build in the swamps, the swamp now will not play its role as a sponge.” Then the consequence: “And that excess water that should be absorbed by the swamp will now go to the dry land and now start to cause problem for us.”

But stopping construction in wetlands remains difficult. The EPA depends on police to carry out eviction orders, Yarkpawolo said, and officers can act only when they have sufficient manpower and logistics.

“Monrovia is overcrowded,” Yarkpawolo said. “The land space in Monrovia is not enough.”

Uncollected trash is also a major issue. With no money to hire heavy equipment, residents have tried to clear the clogged waterways themselves, sometimes with their bare hands and without gloves or boots. Quoiduo said the government should send two or three excavators to reopen the channel.

“That is the most important thing,” he said. “Giving an individual money will not help. They will give the money today, you use it, and the next day you experience the same thing.”

Rainfall Is Becoming Harder to Predict

Residents’ sense that the weather is changing is supported by government forecasters. Albert Momolu Sherman, director of meteorological services at the Ministry of Transport, said Liberia’s historical data shows rainfall becoming more intense even as its timing grows less predictable.

“What we used to experience previously, we do not have now,” Sherman said. “It is like two to three days of rainfall falling in a few hours.” Liberia’s drainage systems were not engineered for that intensity, he said.

Tengbeh said researchers at the University of Liberia are studying whether Liberia’s traditional understanding of two seasons still accurately reflects changing weather patterns.

He holds the view that Liberia has more than three seasons, “all we need to do is to take into consideration the climatic condition over a number of years and have consistent data to determine what is happening in our country.”

The country also lacks the computing capacity to model storms independently. Forecasters instead rely largely on international satellite data supplied through the African Union and European Union. That gives them about two or three days’ warning before a major storm.

That is enough time to issue an alert, Sherman said, but not enough to constitute a complete national early-warning system. He said the deeper problem is institutional. Liberia does not have a fully resourced national service. Responsibility for weather-related work is scattered across several ministries.

FrontPage Africa/New Narratives documented suspected corruption and a lack of capacity under the Weah administration that led to four-year delays in the US$10 million Climate Information System project, which was funded by international donors and intended to warn communities about hazardous weather.

The Boakai administration began the work to move the project forward, but it has faced obstacles. “That project also has its activities to make sure that the met service and the hydrological service go autonomous. We still have yet to see that project kicking off fully,” said Sherman.

Living With Standing Water

Still, the broader frustration remains: forecasts are issued, ministries meet and officials visit, but the same low-lying neighborhoods flood year after year. The disaster agency, created in 2016, coordinates the national response but relies on a small, mostly volunteer workforce.

Dulleh said only 30 to 40 volunteers serve nationwide, and the agency’s budget is too small for the scale of the problem. He is pressing the World Bank to help establish a national disaster trust fund.

Flooding is only one of the hazards the agency is tracking. This year, windstorms have also torn roofs from homes in Gbarpolu, Bomi, Bong and Nimba counties. When floodwater does not recede, Dulleh said, disease often follows, creating additional demands for health workers, food assistance and relocation support. “We cannot continue to go in a cycle,” he said. “Every time there is flooding, we move there.”

Residents Want Waterways Clear, Not Money

Residents living with the water say they are not asking first for relief packages or temporary compensation. They want blocked waterways reopened before the next storm.

“When they open the waterway, it will help us,” Manloh said. Residents repeatedly clear the channel near Lofa, she said, only to see it blocked again by new construction. “I want the government to help us open the waterway,” she said. “The main problem is the waterway.”

The worst may not be over. Dulleh said the seasonal forecast points to especially heavy rainfall through September, with Montserrado, Bomi and Lofa counties among the most exposed. Flash flooding has already affected West Point, Clara Town and Doe Community in Monrovia.

No deaths had been confirmed in those communities this season, he said, but families had been displaced and officials were preparing for disease outbreaks linked to standing water.

This story was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the Investigating Liberia Project. Funding was provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The funders had no say in the story’s content.

Summary

• Scientists warn that a historically severe El Niño – a climate pattern that disrupts weather around the world – could bring erratic rainfall, and severe flooding, extreme heat, fishing and agricultural disruption to Liberia in coming months.
• Experts say the government needs to invest in preparedness strategies now to protect people from to extreme heat and weather in coming months with extreme heat alone predicted to kill 450,000 people globally by February.
• Liberia lacks adequate weather stations and relies heavily on global models, limiting its ability to issue accurate, community-specific warnings and meaning millions of Liberians will be left vulnerable.

By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate and environment reporter with New Narratives

The sea off Liberia turns a deceptive shade of calm every year around this time as the rains give way to the dry season – warm, glassy, inviting.

But Nathaniel Blama, Liberia’s former chief environmental regulator, has learned to read that as a warning rather than an invitation.

“When you see the water very warm during that period, it’s time to be afraid because having storm surge, the movement of the current is completely different than normal,” he said. “A lot of people, children, go on the beach. They don’t come back.” Houses and livelihoods are also swept away.

But this year is shaping up to be much worse. New data by climate researchers shows the world is experiencing an exceptionally powerful weather pattern called El Niño—likely the strongest in at least 1,000 years—layered on top of human-caused climate change from burning fossil fuels. This combination means 2027 is expected to be the hottest year ever recorded by scientists.

The climate crisis is already making extreme weather more intense and deadly. Rising heat is now killing one person every minute globally. The El Niño will make this worse, intensifying heatwaves, droughts, and floods across the planet, including Africa. Newly released data from the U.S. based Climate Impact Lab estimates that more than 450,000 people are projected to die globally from the additional heat brought by the super El Niño by February, more than 30,000 in Nigeria alone.

“So, in many places around the world we will see never-before-experienced heat extremes, with all their consequences on health, food security and water stress,” Prof. Friederike Otto of Imperial College London told The Guardian.

In West Africa, where millions rely on rain-fed agriculture, those shifts can be especially damaging. For Liberia, changes in the timing and intensity of rainfall could threaten crops, worsen flooding and increase pressure on already vulnerable communities.

“Farmers could face unreliable rainfall, while hotter, drier conditions threaten crops, water supplies, hydropower and increase the risk of bushfires in places like Wologizi and Foya,” said Isaac Nyaneyon Kannah Teah, a Liberian climate expert.

El Niño is a natural climate pattern that occurs when waters in the Pacific Ocean become unusually warm, disrupting weather patterns across the world. It can shift rainfall, intensify heat and bring drought to some regions while causing heavy rains and flooding in others.

Some experts are calling this a “monster” weather event. Temperatures in the Pacific at the heart of El Niño reached a record 3.05C in September. Forecasts project the warming could peak at about 4 C in November and December. A rise above 2C is classified as a very strong, or “super,” El Niño.

Teah said the full impact of the developing El Niño on the country’s current rainy season, ending this month, remains uncertain, but changes in weather conditions in coming months appear certain.

“El Niño may contribute to a hotter and drier January-to-March dry season, placing pressure on water supplies, agriculture, forests and electricity generation,” Teah said. It could also make the beginning of the farming season less predictable, including false rainfall starts followed by prolonged dry spells that damage newly planted crops.

Nearly seven out of 10 Liberians depend on farming for what they eat, so disrupted rainfall could threaten both food and income. Four in every five Liberians is already facing food insecurity. Just 1.6 percent is irrigated, leaving farmers heavily dependent on the rains.

At Liberia’s Meteorological Service, forecasters are already watching the signal build, but they are severely limited by a lack of sophisticated equipment. “We are not even having a marine weather station to give us the actual sea surface temperature,” said Albert Momolu Sherman, director of Liberia’s Meteorological Service, which operates under the Ministry of Transport. “We normally rely on global models.”

Those global models are consistent enough to worry him. He described how an intensifying El Niño fools farmers into planting too early.

“Farmers think that, ‘Okay, the rainy season has started,’ not knowing that this is just a false start,” Sherman said. Then, once the West African monsoon reasserts itself, the rain that finally does come arrives harder and more suddenly than usual, raising the risk of seedlings being waterlogged and communities swamped by flash flooding in a country whose drainage systems were never built for it.

Unlike other countries in the region, the Liberian government does not have a mechanism for warning Liberians about coming heatwaves and heavy rains. The Meteorological Service publishes a ten-day agricultural bulletin meant to guide farmers’ planting decisions. But reaching the people who need it most – in communities without reliable radio, internet or electricity – depends on partnerships with the Liberia Telecommunications Authority, the National Disaster Management Agency and the Red Cross that have yet to fully materialize.

It should not have been like this. International donors made a fund of $10 million available to establish a warning system six years ago. FrontPage Africa/New Narratives documented the suspected corruption and lack of capacity under the Weah administration that led to four-year delays in the project. The Boakai administration reports that it has got the project moving but it has also faced delays.

Teah said it is still too early to determine its effect on Liberia’s entire 2027 season but even if the farmers are spared, they’ll be hit by impacts elsewhere. Because Liberians depend on imports for 80 percent of their food, they could also face higher food prices as El Nino reduces agricultural production in countries from which we import rice and other foods.

Excessive heat will add another dimension. In addition to impacting farming, heat makes it harder for people to work—farmers, fishermen, and construction workers will tire faster in extreme temperatures, earning less money to buy food. Water sources dry up or become contaminated, spreading waterborne diseases that weaken children’s bodies and make malnutrition even more deadly.

For the millions of Liberians who are already food insecure, already eating less nutritious food because they cannot afford better, an intense heat wave could push families from precarious to catastrophic: crops will fail, prices will spike, work will become impossible, and children will face acute hunger. The rural communities hit hardest by heat—with no air conditioning, limited access to clean water, and no cushion of savings—will be the most vulnerable.

The knock-on effects reach further than the farm gate. St. Paul River which supplies the Mount Coffee Hydropower plant near Monrovia can run low as evaporation increases, threatening the electricity supply. It has already reduced electricity generation in recent years as dry-season water levels in the river fell, contributing to widespread power cuts across Liberia. This coming dry season could be worse.

Offshore, artisanal fishers face a quieter but no less consequential disruption: warming waters altering fish stocks and pushing dangerous sea conditions closer to shore, threatening both catches and the fishers themselves.

Rising heat brings its own toll for humans: heat stress and other health complications for a population with limited access to cooling or medical care. It will be dangerous for the elderly, infants and those weakened by illness.

Experts said the government has a role to play in helping communities prepare for possible weather-related challenges. 

“Closely monitor forecasts from the Liberia Meteorological Service and strengthen preparedness for heat, water shortages, bushfires, agricultural losses and possible flooding,” says Sherman.

The government can also put in measures to save lives including including cooling centers where people can shelter, increased staffing for medical facilities at the hottest times and protections for outdoor workers.

President Joseph Boakai will be immersed in discussion of climate change and the super El Nino during his time at this month’s UN General Assembly. The issue has been a central topic of the meeting with world leaders approving a new declaration to tackle sea level rise with 770 million people live in coastal areas affected by sea level rise. 230,000 Liberians will lose their homes by the end of the century, according to UN models.

Experts said they hope the president comes home from the assembly with a renewed vigor and new ideas to protect Liberians in coming months.

This story was produced in collaboration with New Narratives as part of the Investigating Liberia Project. Funding was provided by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The funders had no say in the story’s content.

In an effort to mitigate the increasingly harmful or destructive effects of climate change around the world, including Liberia, a “Strategic Alliance Agreement” has been signed between Interstellar Inc., also known as InterstellarM2M, and WorldTel Corporation.

According to a press statement issued over the weekend, the strategic alliance brings together an expanding team that will use market forces to solve the funding challenges that would ensure tree planting, forest regeneration, and soil health, for sustainable climate friendly agriculture.

The press statement notes that the purpose of the alliance is primarily the development of a “go to” carbon market digital trading platform that allows sellers and buyers of national and global carbon credits an informal voluntary open market place.

The press statement further states that the Alliance Agreement brings together traders, agents, registries, sellers, and buyers to the platform, allowing for the rescaling, tracking, and retiring of each trade. It adds that the software operating system known as “Ceario Trader” has been designed to support international, regional and national climate carbon credits regulations.

It may be recalled that InterstellarM2M signed an innovative tripartite agreement on September 9, 2024, with Liberia Credit Carbon Development and Trading Corporation, LibCarbon.com, and Africa Environmental Watch, aimed at developing “nature solution” under a program to grow “the right trees” to combat climate change.

However, the Chairman for Interstellar Inc., Mr. Gerald F.B. Cooper, has pointed out that “Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) or Not for Profit Organizations are not provided with open free market funding to those in need and willing to plant trees to mitigate the climate change problem.”

“Their model, and the mandatory intervention system are outdated and have
failed mankind in solving global warming caused by CO2 and other emission gases since the Kyoto Protocol adoption,” he said.
Mr. Cooper, who is also Chairman of Trinity Agro Corporation, which focuses on environmentally friendly farming, also states, “funding has been challenged to farmers willing to plant the right trees, particularly as mining for minerals and clearing forests to harvest cash crops like cocoa, become more attractive to communities in Africa.”

“This agreement marks an important step in InterstellerM2M’s mission to continue to provide customizable solutions to its clients via combining generational tech through the horizontal technology of “Internet of Things (IoT),” says Shon M. Cooper, visionary, designer and head of R&D at InterstellarM2M. “By working with WorldTel Corporation, we can bring together complementary strengths in technology, connectivity, and customer delivery to create meaningful end to end values for the organizations we serve.”

For its part, WorldTel states that it is pleased to formalize this strategic alliance with InterstellarM2M. Mr. Richard Butler, co-founder and Vice President of WorldTel Corporation states: “Together, we are positioned to deliver integrated solutions that support customers’ evolving communications needs and help them compete in an increasingly connected global carbon credits marketplace.”

InterstellarM2M, located in Reston, Virginia, USA, is focused on helping organizations modernize infrastructure to track assets, register and monitor assets, deploy advanced digital capabilities in monitoring assets, and build resilient platforms for growth.

WorldTel Corporation is a multi-division technology company, co-founded by Messrs Jason Roth and Richard Butler, which is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.

The partnership between InterstellaM2M and WorldTel is being announced as the world debated last week at Climate Week NYC 2026, and world leaders at the ongoing United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meet ahead of the UN climate summit (COP31) this coming November.

These international engagements are in line with efforts to mitigate the increasingly harmful and damaging effects of global climate change.

Summary

• Liberia has held its first national coordination meeting to plan implementation of its latest plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions that are causing global warming and help millions of Liberians adapt to floods, heat, and devastation wrought by climate change.
• But the plan says only 10 percent of the promised reduction can be financed domestically.
• The money is there. Nearly $300 million has already been approved but sits in global coffers. Experts say the question is whether the government can provide the capacity and the co-financing to unlock it.

By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate correspondent with New Narratives

Last year, the Boakai government made an ambitious promise to its people and the world: Liberia would cut emissions of the so-called “greenhouse” gasses that are causing climate change, by 64 percent by 2035, and make the radical adaptation efforts needed to protect the forests, farmers and coastlines that make the country one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable.

The pledge, contained in Liberia’s third Nationally Determined Contribution, or NDC 3.0, a requirement of the 2016 global Paris Agreement to halt climate change, was validated at a ceremony in Monrovia in September and submitted to the United Nations. This year, the hard part began.

Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency brought together leaders from each of the sectors that are included in the plan along with government ministries, United Nations agencies and development partners to work out how to deliver on the commitments it has made and, importantly, measure it.

“We must move from commitment to implementation, from intention to measurable results,” said Emmanuel Urey Yarkpawolo, the Agency executive director, in his opening remarks. Liberia’s climate progress, “will not only be measured by our commitment written on paper. It will be measured by our ability to translate those commitments into practical actions that improve the lives of our people.”

But behind those ambitious targets lies a sobering reality: Liberia can afford to finance only ten percent of what it has pledged and will rely on international partners for the rest.

Liberia has been here before. The Sirleaf administration submitted its first NDC in 2015, pledging to reduce emissions by 15 percent. The Weah administration submitted its second in 2021, setting a 64 percent emissions-reduction target by 2030.

But an analysis conducted on the Weah administration’s NDC, led by the Environmental Protection Agency, with support from UNDP, found that Liberia had achieved only 20 percent of its targets by 2024.

That failure has had serious implications for international funding. By 2020 the country had secured $US570 million in international climate-finance commitments from global funders, but less than half of that amount was disbursed in large part because of corruption, a lack of capacity and mismanagement on the part of Liberian bureaucrats. In many cases the EPA was trying to appoint Liberians into position for which they did not have the required skills.

FrontPage Africa/New Narratives has documented suspected corruption and lack of capacity under the Weah administration that led to four-year delays in the US$10 million Climate Information System project which would warn communities about hazardous weather, and the US$27 million Monrovia Metropolitan Climate Resilience Project which is intended to protect West Point’s coastline from sea-level rise– just two of the many projects that had been approved.

Hundreds of thousands of Liberians were left without rainfall and temperature warnings over four years that may have saved them from crop failure and flooding. On the coast many homes were swept away that would have been saved had the project proceeded as expected.

But there was some progress documented in the report. Between 2021 and 2024, Liberia reported 105 megawatts of hydropower capacity and 5.6 megawatts of solar-energy production. It also recorded 175 electric vehicles contributing to the NDC’s goal of cutting transport emissions  Nearly 46,000 hectares of forest were restored through natural regeneration on pace to meet its goal of reforesting an average of 12,285 hectares annually through 2030.

A Plan Liberia Cannot Fund Alone

The gap between ambition and capacity runs through nearly every part of NDC 3.0. Implementing the plan will cost as much as US$3 billion by 2035, according to experts. Of the 64 percent emissions reduction Liberia has pledged, only 10 percent are classified as “unconditional,” meaning they can be achieved using the country’s own resources.

In an interview Benjamin S. Karmorh, the EPA’s chief technical adviser and Liberia’s national focal point to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,

said the EPA had not completed its assessment to determine the full cost of its commitments, but he warned it would be big.

“For the next nine to 12 months, we will be able to come up with the real cost of our NDC,” he said, adding that implementing the second NDC alone required more than US$400 million.

Karmorh said the Boakai administration had moved quickly to catch up ground lost under the Weah administration where government failure to provide co-financing and meet the project deadlines required of donors blocked the release of global funds. He cited a 20-megawatt solar facility at the Mount Coffee Hydropower Plant, recently inaugurated to complement the plant’s 88-megawatt hydropower capacity.

He cited President Joseph Boakai’s visit to the Environmental Protection Agency to inaugurate its new headquarters and laboratory as evidence of “the strongest political will on the part of the government in ensuring that the EPA fulfills its mandate.”

The 2026 national budget allocated US$2.9 million to the EPA. It includes US$900,000 that the government is required to provide as co-financing for two initiatives backed by the Green Climate Fund. Louis Kuukpen, Deputy Liberia Representative for the United Nations Development Program, which is implementing the coastal defense project, confirmed to FrontPage Africa/New Narratives that the government had disbursed $800,000 co-financing required for the coastal defense project and progress should be seen soon.

Karmorh said the real evidence of the government’s commitment will come in next year’s budget. “We expect that there will be an increase for the EPA,” Karmorh said. “And with that increment, we expect that we’ll be able to do a lot.”

Lack of Data Collection Capacity Also a Handbrake on Global Funding

If money is the headline problem, data is the quieter crisis—and Yarkpawolo devoted much of his address to it.

“We cannot properly manage what we do not measure,” he told the meeting. “We cannot convincingly report progress without credible and consistent data.”

Without reliable data, he said, Liberia cannot determine where resources are most needed, meet its transparency obligations to the United Nations or make a credible case to international climate funders demanding proof of results.

Yarkpawolo said the sectoral officers responsible for gathering data across ministries—from transport and agriculture to energy—are being asked to work without adequate funding, transportation, equipment or reliable internet access.

“This is not sustainable,” he said.

He appealed directly to Liberia’s international donors to establish a dedicated fund for data collection and reporting, separate from project financing. He said such a fund would support field travel, data systems, training and verification—the less visible infrastructure that makes accountability possible and would allow them to employ Liberians to meet the requirements that would unlock funding.“Our partners should not only finance climate projects,” Yarkpawolo said. “They should also invest in institutions and people responsible for measuring and reporting their results.”

Mobilizing Government Ministries to Meet Climate Targets

Yarkpawolo outlined the EPA’s priorities for the year: finalize a 2026–2027 work plan, validate new coordination tools and reporting templates, and clearly identify which ministry is responsible for providing particular data and when. He said climate reporting is broader than the responsibility of the EPA alone.

“It is not solely an environmental issue,” Yarkpawolo said. “It is a development, economic, social, health, security, and government issue.” Addressing it, he said, will require “a whole-of-government and a whole-of-society approach.”

This story was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the Investigating Liberia Project. Funding was provided by the American Jewish World Service and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The funders had no say in the story’s content.