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.

As Environmental Protection Agency to Release Report on Latest Fish Die Off Near Bea Mountain Mine Expert Warns of Long Term Contamination

By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, environment reporter with New Narratives Summary: . Cyanide contamination first struck the Mafa River in 2022; four years later, a second spill has again been traced to the Bea Mountain gold mine concession but unusual chemical has raised suspicions toxin was planted intentionally. · The Environmental Protection Agency has promised a report…

Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon
Frontpage Africa

Inside Accra’s Mallam Market, traders breathe pollution twelve times higher than safe limits, but many don’t know the risks.

By Clankson Acheampong MALLAM MARKET, Accra –  By 7:30 a.m., Gladys Ahugah has already arranged her onions, ginger and garlic neatly on a wooden table under the scorching sun here at Accra’s biggest food market. Behind her, a pepper grinding mill roars to life. Dust rises. Vehicles crawl past on the busy Mallam-Kasoa road, releasing…

Clankson Acheampong
Asaase The Voice of Our Land

Experts Say Electric Vehicles Are The Future But Rollout In Liberia Faces Challenges; A New Policy May Change That

Electric vehicles are slowly appearing on Liberia’s roads, but experts warn the country risks falling behind without clear policies and infrastructure. The government is now drafting its first zero-emission vehicle policy to attract investment, cut pollution, and reduce dependence on imported fuel. With plans for tax breaks, charging stations, and safety standards, advocates say the…

Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon
Video

Experts Say Electric Vehicles Are The Future But Rollout In Liberia Faces Challenges; A New Policy May Change That

By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, New Narratives climate correspondent On the busy roads of this capital city, something is changing. Alongside the old pickup trucks and exhaust-spewing taxis, a quieter kind of vehicle has appeared: electric cars, motorcycles and three-wheeled tricycles that hum instead of roar. They charge on electricity instead of burning gasoline and leave…

Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon
Frontpage Africa

In Rural Liberia, Climate Change and Gold Mining Are Converging to Threaten Livelihoods

Rural communities in River Cess County, Liberia, are facing a dangerous convergence of climate change and unregulated gold mining that is threatening their livelihoods. Once-reliable rivers and creeks have become polluted and muddy, forcing residents to walk long distances or pay for treated water, while local clinics report rising cases of waterborne diseases. Experts warn…

Eric Opa Doue
Video

As Latest Hunger Index Shows Liberia Remains One of the Countries Most at Risk for Hunger; A New Push to Grow More Rice Could Change That

The latest Global Hunger Index ranks Liberia in the “serious” category, showing stalled progress despite decades of interventions. Experts point to the country’s heavy reliance on imported rice, low yields, and climate challenges as key drivers of food insecurity. In response, the government and partners are launching initiatives to boost local rice farming, drawing lessons…

Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon
Video

Experts Say Protecting Nature Is Key to Surviving Climate Change

Liberian climate experts are sounding the alarm: with storms and floods intensifying, they say the country’s best immediate defense is protecting nature. From restoring wetlands and mangroves to planting trees as windbreaks, low‑cost, community‑driven solutions can help shield vulnerable communities while the government works to secure long‑term climate financing. The message is clear — protecting…

Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon
Video

Experts Say Protecting Nature Is Key to Surviving Climate Change

By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate correspondent with New Narratives Summary A few nights before a high level climate dialogue convened in Monrovia last week, a violent windstorm tore through Gomue Village, Zota District, Bong County in, what experts said, was an ominous reminder of the stakes for Liberians across the country as climate change worsens. Roofs were shredded;…

Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon
Frontpage Africa

Experts Say Liberia Must Strengthen Governance to Unlock Global Climate Funding as Government Moves to Implement Climate Commitments

Liberia is at risk of losing millions in global climate funding as experts warn the country must urgently strengthen its environmental governance, after years of stalled projects left coastal communities, farmers and vulnerable families exposed to rising seas and unpredictable weather; now, with leaders and partners meeting in Monrovia to chart a new path, many…

Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon
Video

Experts Say Liberia Must Strengthen Governance to Unlock Global Climate Funding as Government Moves to Implement Climate Commitments

By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate change correspondent with New Narratives Summary Liberia risks missing out on millions of dollars in international climate financing unless it strengthens its environmental governance systems, a Liberian climate expert has warned. Isaac Nyaneyon Kannah Teah, a Liberian climate expert with a master’s degree in geoscience from Cadi Ayyad University in Morocco,…

Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon
Frontpage Africa

Experts Warn of Health Risk as Hungry People Eat a Dead Whale

A dead baby whale washed ashore at Sheri Beach in Congo Town on February 11, its head tightly entangled in a fishing net, drawing more than a thousand people who quickly cut the carcass apart for food before authorities arrived the next day. The incident exposed major gaps in Liberia’s coastal protection system—weak enforcement of…

Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon
Video

Experts Warn of Health Risk as Hungry People Eat a Dead Whale

By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, environment correspondent with New Narratives  Summary CONGO TOWN, Monrovia-The morning of February 11 started like most mornings at here at Sheri Beach on the shoreline of the capital – the slow crash of Atlantic waves, the smell of salt and diesel. Then someone spotted something enormous at the water’s edge: A baby…

Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon
Frontpage Africa