Poster #24 - Climate Resilience and Collective Action in Monrovia’s Coastal Communities

• In Event: Friday Poster Reception

Abstract

Like many low-lying coastal nations, Liberia faces severe threats from sea level rise, coastal erosion, and flooding. These threats are particularly acute for residents of informal slum communities, who are relegated to high-hazard areas that lack basic infrastructure and are frequently overlooked by government officials. While some countries have developed a variety of policies and strategies to help their coastal communities adapt to these threats, Liberia’s limited national institutional capacity has left adaptation up to coastal residents and other local stakeholders. In addition, Liberia’s limited national institutional capacity has left adaptation to coastal residents and other local stakeholders. This research examines how collective action shapes coastal climate adaptation strategies in two of the largest slum communities in Liberia, West Point and New Kru Town. Drawing on 40 semi-structured interviews with residents, local leaders, government officials, and civil society representatives, this research investigates how residents experience and respond to coastal hazards, the role of government and civil society actors in supporting adaptation, and barriers to effective collective action. The study reveals disparities in government attention between the two communities, with New Kru Town receiving more infrastructural support than West Point, as well as gaps in government-community collaboration, funding limitations, and fragmented policy frameworks that undermine coastal resilience efforts. Despite these challenges, the communities sustain resilience through a variety of grassroots efforts such as local ownership of adaptation initiatives, informal early warning systems, and local activism. This study highlights the need for durable, government-backed solutions and stronger institutional accountability to support frontline communities in low-income, climate-vulnerable urban settings.

Authors

• Mohammed W Bah, University of California, Irvine
  Presenting Author

• Nicola Ulibarri, University of California, Irvine
  Non-Presenting Co-Author