Environment and Climate Reporting

New Narratives supports dozens of investigations into extractives industries and climate, land and water justice in West Africa each year. We shine a spotlight on the impacts on real people here on the frontlines of climate change. In Ghana our work has focused on the dramatic impacts of air pollution. In Liberia and Sierra Leone we have shone a spotlight on mining and oil industries as well as climate justice. We have highlighted the work of changemakers and supported the work of civil society organizations bringing transparency to these crucial sectors. See some of our work here. We thank our donors – the Clean Air Fund, American Jewish World Service, the Swedish and US embassies in Liberia, and German Development Cooperation – for supporting this work.

Liberia: $10 million Weather Warning System Delayed Four Years by EPA “Lack of Competence”, Inflated Salary Claims and Refusal to Follow Donor Rules, Says Report

By Aria Deemie with New Narratives VARNEY GOWAH TOWN, Montserrado – Kulah Tokpah arrives home from her farm, exhausted, her arms burdened with firewood for the meal she is preparing for men clearing her new plot of land. Her once fertile farm is now a patchwork of withered crops, cracked soil, and dead plants. Kulah…

Aria Deemie
Frontpage Africa

Radio: Deforestation is Leaving Rural Dwellers More Vulnerable to Increasingly Devastating Windstorms

Deforestation is Leaving Rural Dwellers More Vulnerable to Increasingly Devastating Windstorms by New Narratives | Listen online for free on SoundCloud This story was a collaboration with New Narratives. Funding was provided by the American Jewish World Service and the Swedish Embassy in Liberia. The funders had no say in the story’s content. Prue Clarke contributed…

Siaway T. Miapue
Kool FM

Negotiators Strike a Controversial $300 Billion Climate Finance Deal at COP29 as Carbon Trading is Approved

By Evelyn Kpadeh Seagbeh with New Narratives A day after the official end of this year’s United Nations COP29 gathering of countries committed to halting climate change, negotiators struck a last-minute deal for wealthy countries to help poorer countries like Liberia deal with global warming. The so-called “finance COP” held this year in Baku, Azerbajain,…

Evelyn Kpadeh Seagbeh
Frontpage Africa

Liberia: As Climate Change Impacts Worsen, National Climate Summit Aims to Encourage a New, More Resilient Approach to Farming

ActionAid Liberia coordinator on climate change, Norwu meeting with stakeholders in Monrovia. By Evelyn Kpadeh Seagbeh With New Narratives Monrovia, Liberia — Stakeholders in Liberia’s agriculture sector are coming together this week for a three-day summit designed to kick start a new approach to the growing threat of climate change. The summit “Climate Financing for Agroecology and…

Evelyn Kpadeh Seagbeh
Frontpage Africa

Liberia: This Year’s Rainy Season Was Worst in Memory But Experts Say Worse is to Come; Call for Massive Government Investment in Adaptation

By Evelyn Kpadeh Seagbeh with New Narratives ROBERTSPORT, Grand Cape Mount County – Francis Gray points to a small mound under a banana tree with a yellow flower planted on the top. The tiny grave holds the remains of his 19-month-old daughter, Linda. Linda was the center of Francis’ and her mother Amie Sheriff’s world…

Evelyn Kpadeh Seagbeh
Frontpage Africa

Liberia: Unusual January Rains Signal Deepening Climate Crisis, Environmental Agency Warns

Summary By Aria Deemie, climate change reporter with New Narratives Liberia’s normally dry season has been disrupted by rainfall, flooding, and strong winds, raising fresh concerns about the country’s vulnerability to climate change and the growing risks to agriculture, infrastructure, and coastal communities. For generations, Liberia’s weather followed a predictable pattern, with rains beginning in…

Aria Deemie
Frontpage Africa

Liberia: A Successful Greenhouse Venture Offers Climate Promise for Devastated Farmers, but Aid Withdrawal Clouds the Sector

By Aria Deemie, climate change reporter with New Narratives Summary erratic rainfall, drought, and rising pest infestations that are devastating harvests. WUNGKO FARM, Salala – The afternoon sun comes out after a sudden downpour on this farm, 50 miles from Monrovia, heating the nursery as workers gently lower seeds into tiny pots lined in long,…

Aria Deemie
Frontpage Africa

Ghana’s buses are filling with toxic fumes — and experts say passengers are paying the price

Adeeza’s breaths came in short, rapid bursts. As the bus rumbled from Bolgatanga toward Accra each inhalation felt like fire in her lungs. For the asthma patient, these moments signaled mortal danger — her body screaming that something was triggering her compromised respiratory system. Adeeza scanned the bus, desperately searching for the regular culprits. Strong…

Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith
A1 Radio 101.1

Residents pay price as Ofankor-Nsawam Highway project delays; health workers warn of rise in air-pollution related illnesses

The Ofankor-Pokuasi-Nsawam Highway was once a vital transportation artery for the local economy, but legal battles and government debt owed contractors have delayed the reconstruction by two years as surrounding communities face a range of problems. Key among them is their health. Experts warn the delayed project has become a major health hazard for over…

Prince Owusu Asiedu
Adom Online

Video: What is COP30?

This story is a collaboration with New Narratives. Funding was provided by the American Jewish World Service. The donor had no say in the content of this story….

Aria Deemie
Frontpage Africa