Published: August 7, 2025
GBARNGA, BONG COUNTY – ActionAid Liberia will convene a two-day climate justice dialogue in Bong County from August 7–8, 2025, aimed at amplifying rural voices on the frontlines of climate change. The forum, part of the organization’s Strengthening People’s Action (SPA II) initiative, is expected to gather 30 participants including local farmers, women leaders, youth activists, civil society groups, and county officials.
The dialogue, to be held at the Bong County Administrative Building, will feed directly into Liberia’s upcoming National Climate Justice Summit in Monrovia this September. That summit will serve as a precursor to the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2), scheduled for September 8–10, 2025, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“This Is About Dignity and Survival”
Norwu Harris, Programs Coordinator at ActionAid Liberia and lead on the SPA II Climate Justice project, said the Bong County event is designed to ensure that national climate planning reflects the lived realities of those most affected.
“We are here to listen to communities—farmers, women, and young people—on renewable energy access, land rights, green jobs, and disaster preparedness,” Harris told Super Bongese Radio. “Their voices will shape a people-centered position paper for national advocacy.”
She stressed that climate justice is more than an environmental issue—it’s a fundamental human rights concern.
“This is about safeguarding access to food, land, energy, and shelter,” Harris said. “That’s why we’re putting people, not just policies, at the center of this conversation.”
Focus Areas and Local Innovation
The Bong dialogue will center on five key themes: sustainable agriculture and recycling, renewable energy access for rural communities, inclusive green employment for women and youth, community-led disaster preparedness, and equitable climate finance.
Harris also highlighted local innovations to be showcased at the forum, such as the use of recycled plastic to manufacture pavement tiles—a practical, eco-friendly solution gaining traction in rural Liberia.
Grounding Liberia’s Strategy in Adaptation
Though Liberia contributes less than 0.01% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it remains among the most climate-vulnerable countries. From unpredictable rainfall impacting rice production to worsening urban floods and deforestation, the risks are mounting.
“Our strategy is deeply grounded in adaptation,” Harris said. “We’re mobilizing and training women and youth not just as beneficiaries, but as leaders in climate response.”
ActionAid Liberia is also supporting the government’s revision of its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. Insights from the county-level forums will directly shape national climate policies.
From Grassroots to Policy Tables
While the Bong County event emphasizes grassroots inclusion, the national summit in September will bring together government officials, civil society leaders, business actors, and representatives of the extractive sector.
“Those contributing to environmental harm must be part of the dialogue—and the solution,” Harris asserted. “We need collective responsibility for a sustainable future.”
A formal communiqué will emerge from the summit, articulating community demands and shared national positions. It will be presented to policymakers, regional platforms, and at international convenings including the Africa Climate Summit and future COP negotiations.
About SPA II
The SPA II project is part of ActionAid’s global campaign for climate justice, focused on just climate financing, inclusive adaptation, and gender-responsive governance across the Global South. In Liberia, the program operates in Bong, Bomi, and Grand Gedeh counties through partnerships with grassroots organizations.
Discussion about this post