Liberia is under pressure from both sky and sea as massive downpours and rising sea levels displace thousands from their homes.
With unpredictable rain patterns and coastal degradation on the rise, authorities in Liberia are left looking for solutions to a much bigger problem.
What's happening?
The New Dawn wrote: "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 [Liberian] population living along or near the coast."
On top of disappearing coastlines, there is also the issue of increasingly heavy rains that no longer follow a set seasonal trend.
Instead, rain falls at random and in heavy bursts, causing damage to local agriculture, roads, and structures.
Why is this important?
The unfortunate truth is that many practices in Liberia mirror those around the world, still hanging on to energy sources that cause atmospheric pollution.
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Such pollution, much of it caused by burning fossil fuels, contributes to a larger global issue.
Human activity is often the direct cause of self-detriment, and people like those in Liberia are paying the price.
Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia, spoke on climate change not as a distant future, but as a current concern.
He emphasized that "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," per The New Dawn.
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No way 👎 What's being done about this?
It is important to remember that while systemic change takes longer to achieve, communal cooperation and education are possible and crucial for improving the environment — not just for ecological reasons, but for people to live comfortably without the threat of extreme weather events and heightened tides.
Thankfully, preventative measures are underway to mitigate further destruction in Liberia, including a $10 million grant put toward a project to better predict future weather patterns and help agriculture flourish despite the heavy downpours.
Additionally, the EPA stressed 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."
This sentiment applies to even the smallest local actions that compound to make a difference.
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