By Stephen G. Fellajuah
Liberia is standing at a critical climate crossroads, confronted by two major threats that are increasingly shaping the nation’s future: rising sea levels and unpredictable, destructive rainfall. These climate pressures are already disrupting lives, livelihoods, and national development.
Speaking on January 8, 2026, in Monrovia, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Executive Director Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo warned that the first danger comes from the sea. Scientific projections show that global sea levels could rise between 0.6 meters and 1 meter by the year 2100. With more than 560 kilometers of coastline and nearly 60 percent of the population living along or near the coast, “Liberia faces the risk of mass displacement and serious damage to roads, hospitals, and coastal communities.”
Equally troubling, he noted, is the dramatic shift in rainfall patterns. Rain no longer comes when expected, and when it does, it often falls in intense and destructive bursts. This trend poses a severe threat to agriculture, which depends almost entirely on natural rainfall.
Although climate change is driven by global forces, Dr. Yarkpawolo explained that local environmental practices are worsening its impacts. Heavy dependence on charcoal and firewood, the use of old and fuel-inefficient vehicles, industrial emissions, deforestation, destruction of wetlands, poor waste management, and pollution from mining activities are steadily weakening Liberia’s natural defenses against flooding and extreme weather.
“These climate realities are already undermining national development. Road projects face delays, maintenance costs are rising, feeder roads are being washed away, and urban flooding is becoming more severe, rendering development plans based on old climate assumptions ineffective,” Dr. Yarkpawolo maintained.
According to him, farmers are among the most severely affected. Erratic rainfall causes seeds to rot, crops to fail, and harvests to decline, affecting rice, cassava, vegetables, and tree crops, while driving higher food prices and deepening food insecurity.
Addressing the nation at the agency’s headquarters, recalled that Liberia’s seasons once followed a predictable rhythm, with clearly defined rainy and dry seasons that guided farming and construction. That rhythm, however, has been disrupted, especially in 2025 and early 2026, as persistent rains, strong winds, and flooding displaced thousands of people and destroyed homes across the country.
Even in early January 2026, he explained, heavy rains and strong winds have continued, raising questions among citizens about the changing climate. He stressed that climate change is not a distant or future threat.
“It is happening now, and Liberia is already experiencing its effects. Rising global temperatures are warming the oceans and the atmosphere, increasing moisture in the air and disrupting normal weather systems. For Liberia, this means heavier rainfall, rainfall outside traditional seasons, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding,” he said.
In response, Liberia has secured a US$10 million grant from the Global Environment Facility’s Least Developed Countries Fund and is implementing a US$10 million Climate Information and Early Warning Systems project to improve weather prediction and guide farmers. The government is also advancing coastal defense projects and collaborating with the International Atomic Energy Agency to reduce rice production time from 120 days to 80 days.
Meanwhile, the EPA is strengthening environmental governance in line with the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development. The agency emphasized that government action alone is insufficient, urging all Liberians to protect forests and wetlands, reduce pollution, and adopt sustainable practices to build resilience and secure a climate-resilient future.
