By: R. Joyclyn Wea with New Narratives MONROVIA-Corruption has plagued Liberia since its founding and threatens to engulf the Weah administration still reeling from the US Treasury’s dramatic move to place three top ministers on the Magnitsky Sanctions List. It is well proven that corruption constrains economic growth entrenching the majority of Liberians in extreme…
Environment, Climate and Resources Reporting
As Climate Change Hits Farmers Find Success in Lowland Farming
Farmers in Liberia are moving away from subsistence farming with the help of international partners. As climate change is causing higher temperatures and unpredictable rainfall, donors are trying to help Liberians adapt. Subsistence farmers – as much as 80 per cent of the population – are already facing a food crisis from the changing climate. …
Farmers Say Food Crisis is Looming From Climate Change
The impacts of climate change are no longer possible to ignore. Wildfires in California and Australia; devastating flooding in Asia, make headlines every day. Rich countries battle over plans to solve it.Meanwhile poor countries like Liberia are on the frontlines, facing rise sea levels, higher temperatures, more extreme weather that are threatening people’s health and…
Radio Panel on Community Land in Nimba Country
A community representative, civil society actor and local land administrator discuss customary land rights in Nimba County, Liberia. The panel was sponsored by New Narratives with funding from the America World Jewish Service (AJWS)….
NEW NARRATIVES LIVE PANEL DISCUSSION ON GBARNGA
A civil society actor, paramount chief and land administrator discuss customary land rights in Bong County, Liberia. This story was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of our Land Rights and Climate Change Reporting Project. Funding was provided by the American Jewish World Service. The funder had no say in the story’s content….
Barconnie and Harmonville Community Forest Struggles with Conversation
When the Forest Reform law was passed in 2006, Liberia’s 51 community forests were offered a chance to conserve or commercialize their forests in logging and other deals with companies.44 chose the money. But conservation groups persuaded seven to pursue conservation – protecting their forest resources and promoting biodiversity.It’s not been an easy road. Varney…
Buchanan Seaside Communities Beg for Rock Wall
BUCHANAN, Grand Bassa – Forty years ago Atlantic Street was one of this port city’s busiest streets, humming with stores and chop shops. Today it is almost deserted. The encroaching shoreline has swallowed up structures and is threatening to take out the street itself. Bobby Gibson’s father used to run a popular store known as Gibson…
Buchanan Seaside Communities Beg For Rock Wall To Protect Them for the sea
Coastal erosion caused by climate-induced rises in sea levels and intense tropical storms have already destroyed the homes of hundreds of Liberian families and put critical fisheries at risk. Nine of the country’s fifteen counties sit along the sea coast putting 60 per cent of the population at threat and causing tens of millions of…
This Gas Station Violates the EPA’s Wetland Protection Policy. Why Won’t the Agency Shut it Down?
MONROVIA-It has been four years since a gas station and minimart owned by George Kailondo, the businessman and politician with the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change political party, were constructed on SKD Boulevard in Paynesville. The building, constructed on wetlands protected by the Liberian government under an international agreement to help save an important and…
Farmers Say Food Crisis is Looming from Climate Change
SINYEA, Bong County – After two years of poor harvests the Sumo family was nervous this year. Rain had been unpredictable. The sun felt hotter. The soil on their five-hectare plot here was dry. They planted bitter ball, pumpkin, pepper, corn, okra and rice and followed the rules they had followed their whole lives as subsistence…
New Narratives and Okay FM discuss NN’s investigation on the Kailando gas station built on wetlands and forestry disputes
Join OkFM host and New Narratives Fellow Varney Dukuly as he discusses forestry and wetlands challenges in Liberia with Bonathan Walaka, Secretary General of the National Union of Community Forest Bodies and former Mines Minister Eugene Shanonn plus New Narratives’ Anthony Stephens and Mae Azango. This story was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of our…
Grand Bassa Officials Sign Bogus Logging Agreement with ‘Serbian’ Company
Editor’s Note: This story is the first of a two-part series on an illegal logging agreement between Vambo and Marloi townships in Grand Bassa County, and African Trades Entrepreneur Enterprises Incorporated. VAMBO – Officials of Grand Bassa County have signed an illegal deal with a company to pave a dusty road through two townships in…
Is Climate Change the Biggest Crisis Facing Liberia?
The changing climate is grabbing headlines across the globe. Bushfires in California and Australia, floods in Asia, heatwaves in Europe.The same forces are ravaging Africa – including Liberia – threatening food security and collapse of our agriculture industry and the displacement of millions of people as sea levels rise. After the global COP 26 Climate…
Poor enforcement of Forestry Laws Paralyzes Forestry Industry
Across Liberia forestry operations are at a standstill as logging companies and small scale loggers square off over their right to operate.At the heart of the problem is poor implementation of regulations governing the industry. The logging companies are licensed by the national authorities, but local authorities are issuing permits to small scale loggers.Eric Opa…
Forestry Industry Paralysed by Poor Regulation
NEEZWEIN, River Cess — A power struggle is playing out here deep in the forest and the stakes for the local people are high. Logging companies with concession agreements that include thousands of dollars of benefits for local communities say their work is being hamstrung by informal loggers who disrupt their operations. Informal loggers say they…
Barconnie and Harmonville Community Forest Struggles with Conservation
When the Forest Reform law was passed in 2006, Liberia’s 51 community forests were offered a chance to conserve or commercialize their forests in logging and other deals with companies.44 chose the money. But conservation groups persuaded seven to pursue conservation – protecting their forest resources and promoting biodiversity.It’s not been an easy road. Varney…
Conserving With Pride, Living With Scarcity
(Last Updated On: January 6, 2022) PHOTO: Harmonville Village credit: William Selmah By William Selmah,[email protected] with New Narratives Barconnie and Harmonville Community Forest, Grand Bassa County – Powerful forces push the people of the 21 towns that make up this community forest area to abandon their efforts at conservation every day. Big money offered by foreign and local…
Monrovia and Paynesville are Drowning in Plastic; One Company Tries to Help
MONROVIA – Waste plastic is becoming a scourge around the world but it is especially true here in Liberia’s capital city and its satellite sister, Paynesville. Discarded plastic is choking waterways, blocking drains, killing fish, and leaching harmful chemicals into the water and soil. By Tina S. Mehnpaine, with New Narratives With poor or limited waste management…
Liberia Drowning in Plastic Pollution
This story was a collaboration with New Narratives as part of its Land Rights and Climate Reporting project. Funding was provided by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office and the American Jewish World Service….
Liberia’s Fragile Wetlands are in Crisis
Across the world people are experiencing different impacts from rising global temperatures. Governments are racing to protect natural environments that will help stop the worst changes.But with Liberia’s fast growing population, more and more people are moving to coastal cities, especially Monrovia, looking for means of survival.That is putting a pressure on one of Liberia’s…
Buchanan Seaside Communities Beg for Rock Wall to Protect Them from the Sea
Coastal erosion caused by climate-induced rises in sea levels and intense tropical storms have already destroyed the homes of hundreds of Liberian families and put critical fisheries at risk. Nine of the country’s fifteen counties sit along the sea coast putting 60 per cent of the population at threat and causing tens of millions of…