Liberia: Climate Change and Liberia: What It Means and What We Must Do

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…