Liberia: Water Everywhere, But Not Enough to Drink: Liberia Turns to Climate-Resilient Investment

MONROVIA – Liberia may be blessed with abundant rainfall, rivers, streams and groundwater, but for many Liberians, having water nearby does not necessarily mean having safe, reliable and affordable water at home.

---

By Patience M. Jones

---

That contradiction is now driving a new push by the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) and the African Union Commission (AUC) to rethink how Liberia plans, finances and manages its water infrastructure in the face of a changing climate.

The two institutions on Monday, September 14 opened a five-day Climate-Resilient Water Investment Planning Training Workshop in Monrovia, bringing together government institutions, development partners, water and sanitation actors, climate experts and African Union officials.

The September 14–18 workshop, which is being held at the Bella Casa Conference Hall, is being conducted under the theme: “Strengthenin which is being g Collaboration for Climate-Resilient Water Investment in Liberia and Africa.”

The initiative comes at a time when Liberia is experiencing the paradox of having significant water resources while many communities continue to struggle with access to safe and dependable water services.

Opening the workshop, LWSC Managing Director Mohamed Ali said Liberia’s water challenge is not simply a question of whether the country has water, but whether it has the infrastructure, institutions, financing and technical capacity to turn those resources into reliable services for its people.

“The availability of water resources does not automatically translate into water security,” Ali said.

He warned that climate change is adding another layer of pressure to an already difficult situation, with flooding, changing rainfall patterns, coastal vulnerability and other climate-related threats affecting water sources, treatment facilities, transmission systems and sanitation infrastructure.

Ali said the workshop is the result of an engagement that began nearly a year ago when he sought AUC support during the Africa Water Investment Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, in October 2025.

He said the request was based on Liberia’s urgent need to move beyond simply identifying infrastructure gaps and instead develop projects that are technically sound, climate-resilient, financially viable and capable of attracting investment.

The LWSC Managing Director followed up on the request during the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in February 2026.

He said the arrival of the AUC delegation in Liberia represents the culmination of those engagements.

The six-member AUC delegation is headed by Nyambe Harsen Nyambe, Director of Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy under the AU Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment.

Nyambe said the challenge extends far beyond Liberia, noting that more than 400 million people across Africa lack access to clean water, while more than 700 million people do not have access to safe sanitation.

For him, the figures are troubling for a continent endowed with substantial water resources.

He attributed the growing pressure to climate change, deteriorating infrastructure and rapidly expanding cities, including informal settlements, which continue to increase demand for water and sanitation services.

Nyambe said African leaders have responded by developing the Africa Water Vision 2063 and its related policy framework, while 2026 has also been designated as a year of focus on water and sanitation.

‘Water Everywhere’

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Deputy Minister for Fiscal Affairs Anthony G. Myers, challenged participants to look differently at Liberia’s water resources.

Liberia, he noted, is surrounded by water, with rivers, streams, rainfall, groundwater and the Atlantic Ocean forming part of the country’s natural wealth.

But he cautioned that abundance today should not create complacency about tomorrow.

Myers said changing rainfall patterns are already showing signs that Liberia cannot simply depend on its reputation as a country with abundant rainfall.

He urged stakeholders to consider water as a resource that must be strategically stored and managed, much like financial reserves.

He proposed greater consideration of systems for collecting and storing excess water in areas where it is abundant, with mechanisms to distribute reserves when rainfall declines or certain communities experience shortages.

He also highlighted growing pressure from population growth, urbanization, industries, construction, agriculture, hospitals, schools and the hospitality sector.

As these competing demands increase, Myers warned that Liberia could eventually face a situation where water is physically present but increasingly difficult to access.

He drew on the famous imagery from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner to make the point: “Water, water everywhere, and not a single drop to drink.”

“We don’t want that,” Myers said.

Planning for the Water Liberia Will Need Tomorrow

For Grand Bassa County District #5 Representative Thomas Goshua, who chairs the Legislative WASH Caucus, the decisions being made today will determine whether Liberia’s water systems can withstand the climate realities of tomorrow.

Goshua said Liberia must move away from designing water infrastructure solely around historical climate conditions.

Investment decisions, he argued, must take into account future climate scenarios, population growth, urbanization, economic development and changing demand for water.

He also stressed the need for investments to benefit women, children, vulnerable communities and populations that have historically been underserved.

“Water is life, and rightly so, water is at the centre of our climate and development challenges,” Goshua said.

He called for stronger institutions, better data, innovative financing and greater coordination among government, development partners, the private sector, civil society and communities.

Goshua also stressed that climate-resilient water investment cannot be limited to Monrovia.

He said planning must reach all 15 counties, including rural communities, secondary cities, rapidly growing urban areas, schools, health facilities, markets and other public institutions.

From Plans to Projects

Assistant Minister for Rural and Urban Affairs Jocelial Taplah said the government is committed to strengthening collaboration among the WASH Commission, LWSC, development partners, local authorities and other stakeholders.

She urged participants to “plan better, invest smarter” and ensure that water, sanitation, drainage, roads and other infrastructure are treated as interconnected components of national development.

For Liberia, the workshop is therefore more than a technical training.

Its central question is increasingly a human one: How can a country blessed with water ensure that every family, school, hospital, business and community can depend on safe and reliable water—even as the climate changes?

The AUC and LWSC say the answer will require stronger institutions, better investment planning, climate-informed infrastructure and innovative financing.

The ultimate test, however, will not be the certificates participants receive at the end of the five-day workshop.

As LWSC Managing Director Mohamed Ali put it, success will be measured by whether Liberia can translate the knowledge gained into investment-ready projects, mobilize financing and ultimately improve water and sanitation services for its people.

The workshop continues through September 18, with stakeholders expected to develop practical approaches for strengthening Liberia’s water security and building infrastructure capable of serving present and future generations.