By Preston Slami Panyonnoh
Correspondent, Sinoe
Greenville, Sinoe County – The Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has concluded a critical field mission to Sinoe County, reaffirming their joint commitment to protecting Liberia’s fragile coastal communities from the intensifying effects of climate change.
The high-powered delegation, led by EPA Executive Director Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo and UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Mr. Louis Kuukpen, visited the coastal towns of Seebeh, Bannah, and Downtown Mississippi. These are communities that have long been on the frontline of Liberia’s climate battle, with rising seas and coastal erosion swallowing farmlands, homes, and sacred cultural sites.
At the center of their mission is the Enhancing the Resilience of Vulnerable Coastal Communities Project—a USD 8.9 million initiative funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The project, running until 2028, is not only erecting shoreline defenses but also promoting sustainable livelihoods, building institutional capacity, and ensuring that communities themselves are active participants in shaping climate solutions.
Sinoe’s coastline has endured decades of devastation. In communities like Bannah and Greenville, residents recall how the sea advanced inland year after year, washing away houses, coconut farms, and even burial grounds. By 2015, several families had been forced to relocate further inland after their ancestral homes were overtaken by the waves. The destruction left behind deep scars—not only economic, but also social and cultural.
“Some of our people lost everything—their farms, their fishing grounds, and even their history buried in graves washed away,” recounted an elder in Seebeh. “It felt like we were fighting a battle we could not win.”
Environmental studies conducted by the EPA in the past decade confirmed that Sinoe’s erosion is among the most severe in Liberia, with several meters of shoreline disappearing each year. The situation has been compounded by rising sea levels linked to global climate change, deforestation, and sand mining along the coast.
Now, with the EPA-UNDP intervention, hope is returning to these coastal settlements. Revetments are being constructed to shield vulnerable shorelines, and training programs are equipping locals with skills to diversify their livelihoods beyond fishing and subsistence farming.
In a landmark move, the Bannah community received a cheque of USD 25,000 as compensation for rocks sourced from their land for revetment construction. This act, residents say, sets a precedent for fair and inclusive development practices.
The project has also engaged a Human Resource firm to recruit 44 local workers—skilled and unskilled—for daily labor, with transparent recruitment prioritizing women and youth. This initiative is putting cash directly into households, while fostering community ownership of the project.
“This project is not only about protecting our environment, it is about restoring dignity, creating jobs, and building resilience for the most vulnerable among us,” Dr. Yarkpawolo told residents. “If the project succeeds, it can serve as a model for future interventions. But if it fails, it could create challenges for this and other communities.”
“Our priority is to protect the people of Sinoe from the devastating impacts of coastal erosion. We are grateful for the community’s strong support and to GEF for its generous contribution. Together, we can ensure no one is left behind.”
UNDP’s presence in Liberia, particularly through its climate resilience projects, has previously transformed lives in other counties such as Grand Bassa and Montserrado. In Sinoe, locals are beginning to see tangible improvements. Families that once lived in fear of losing their homes now feel reassured by the protective walls rising along the shoreline.
Women and youth are also benefitting from financial inclusion schemes and skills training tied to the project. These programs provide seed capital for small businesses and help households diversify income, reducing overdependence on fishing, which is increasingly threatened by dwindling catches and changing weather patterns.
For many, the greatest positive impact is psychological—the sense that their plight is being recognized and addressed. Acting Superintendent of Sinoe County, Mayah Padma, praised the approach:
“This compensation and employment scheme shows that development can be fair and inclusive. Our people feel seen, valued, and supported.”
Josephine Doe, a women’s leader in Bannah, was equally optimistic:
“For too long, we watched the sea take our homes. Today, we see the government and partners standing with us, not only protecting our land but also giving our people jobs and recognizing our resources. This gives us courage.”
As implementation continues, the project will also focus on strengthening Liberia’s institutional capacity for climate adaptation, promoting modern climate information systems, and testing hybrid solutions tailored to local realities—such as combining natural mangrove restoration with engineered sea defenses.
For Sinoe, a county that has borne the brunt of coastal erosion for decades, this partnership between EPA, UNDP, and the GEF is more than an environmental intervention. It is a promise of resilience, dignity, and renewed hope for communities that once felt abandoned by the sea’s advance.
With activities running through 2028, the initiative is poised to leave a lasting legacy: empowering local people, preserving the coastline, and serving as a model for climate resilience across Liberia and beyond.
