Monrovia is facing another devastating rainy season as climate change brings heavier and more unpredictable rainfall, worsening flooding across low-lying communities. Thousands of families have been affected by flooded homes, disrupted schooling, lost livelihoods, illness, and even deaths. Experts say the crisis is being fueled not only by climate change, but also by blocked drainage…
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate and environment reporter with New Narratives Summary LOFA COMMUNITY, Montserrado County – Paulina Manloh knows the water is coming before she sees it. She has lived in the Lofa community since 2019, long enough to recognize the pattern: rain falls, and within hours the ground around her home disappears beneath brown…
A powerful El Niño weather pattern could expose serious gaps in Liberia’s ability to warn and protect communities from extreme weather, according to experts. With flooding, stronger storms, and other climate-related threats expected, thousands of people could be at risk if early warning systems fail to reach vulnerable communities in time. The warning highlights the…
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate and environment reporter with New Narratives Summary The sea off Liberia turns a deceptive shade of calm every year around this time as the rains give way to the dry season – warm, glassy, inviting. But Nathaniel Blama, Liberia’s former chief environmental regulator, has learned to read that as a…
In Liberia, health experts are sounding the alarm as childhood acute malnutrition has nearly tripled, driven by aid cuts, rising food prices, and growing poverty. Families in rural communities are struggling to feed their children, while clinics report shortages of lifesaving nutritional treatments that once helped keep vulnerable babies alive. Officials warn that without urgent…
Liberia has nearly US$300 million in climate adaptation funding approved by international donors, but receiving and using the money will depend on the Boakai administration’s ability to implement reforms, strengthen public institutions and manage the funds transparently. The opportunity could help protect vulnerable communities, improve infrastructure and build resilience against flooding, coastal erosion and other…
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate correspondent with New Narratives Summary Last year, the Boakai government made an ambitious promise to its people and the world: Liberia would cut emissions of the so-called “greenhouse” gasses that are causing climate change, by 64 percent by 2035, and make the radical adaptation efforts needed to protect the forests, farmers…
During the raid, EPA officials found evidence that the mine was operating without proper authorization and using cyanide, a highly toxic chemical banned in Liberia due to its devastating impact on water sources and human health. The agency described the situation as “unacceptable,” stressing that such practices not only endanger local communities but also undermine…
Liberia’s economy has stabilized in recent years, with growth accelerating to over 4.6% in 2025 and inflation easing due to stronger fiscal discipline and monetary management. The government’s reforms have narrowed deficits and improved external balances, while mining, agriculture, and infrastructure spending continue to drive expansion. However, the country’s future hinges on securing sustainable financing…
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, reporter with New Narratives Summary Liberia’s economy has shown real signs of improvement. Inflation has come down. The government has narrowed its budget deficit. Growth has picked up. But according to a new report from the African Development Bank, stability by itself won’t be enough to carry Liberia forward. The report is the…
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate and environment reporter with New Narratives Summary GEORGE MOKO TOWN, Montserrado County – When the Environmental Protection Agency Executive Director Emmanuel Urey Yarkpawolo stepped onto the sprawling mining site here in Todee District, he was stunned by what he saw. Before him lay acres of freshly cleared forest, excavators still at…
Liberia is experiencing a surge in solar energy adoption, with a record number of panels entering the country. This expansion is helping more households and businesses gain access to electricity, particularly in rural areas where the national grid is limited. However, experts caution that challenges remain, including affordability, maintenance, and ensuring equitable distribution of solar…
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate and environment reporter with New Narratives Summary Every morning before sunrise, Karrus Hayes loads a pickup truck in Paynesville and points it toward the interior. The road to Bapolu County is long. The road to Sinoe is longer. But he goes to those rural counties anyway because people there are waiting…
“Sherman’s journey reflects a broader shift taking place on Monrovia’s streets. A small but growing group of women is entering Liberia’s male-dominated transport sector through a fleet of electric kehkehs. The vehicles are helping Liberia address two persistent challenges: limited economic opportunities for women and worsening air pollution from thousands of gasoline-powered vehicles. For the…
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate and environment reporter with New Narratives Summary Teta Sherman was sitting at home, bored, watching television when a friend told her about a company looking for women to drive kehkehs, three-wheeled taxis that carry the majority of Liberians throughout the country’s capital every day. Her first reaction was disbelief. Driving a…
Liberia is gradually adopting the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), a proven farming method that experts say could help the country grow more food and reduce its dependence on imports. Farmers using the system report yields rising from just one to two tons per hectare to as much as five or even seven, according to…
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, New Narratives climate and environment correspondent Summary Liberia is slowly adopting what experts say is a proven rice farming method that could help the country grow more food and reduce its dependence on imports. The program known as “System of Rice Intensification” has been used successfully in other countries to increase…
The African Development Bank has firmly rejected claims that its financial support to Liberia was contingent on the country adopting a carbon trading policy. In a statement, the Bank clarified that its recent financing package focused on fiscal sustainability and governance in the mining sector, with no mention of carbon trading. “Carbon market trading decisions…
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, climate and environment reporter with New Narratives Summary On the evening of April 23, a group of ministers and stakeholders – including civil society and community leaders – gathered at a hotel in Monrovia for a stakeholder dinner with the goal of approving Liberia’s draft carbon market policy. The timing was urgent, they were told….
Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency has begun a nationwide crackdown on noise pollution, targeting churches, mosques, bars, and entertainment centers that exceed legal sound limits. Backed by police and city authorities, the campaign includes fines and confiscation of loudspeakers, with officials stressing that noise pollution is not just a nuisance but a public health issue. Experts…
By Nemenlah Cyrus Harmon, New Narratives climate and environment reporter Summary For decades, noise in Liberia has functioned almost like an unwritten right. Churches and mosques broadcast sermons across entire neighborhoods before the sun is even up. Nightclubs shake communities deep into the night. Generators roar through blackouts. Street parties spill into public space with little regard…
