CUTTINGTON UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL & PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

TUBMAN BOULEVARD, CONGO TOWN

SCHOOL OF HEALTH SCIENCES (ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE)
MONROVIA, LIBERIA

Sam P. Jallah
GP15968
Candidate M.Sc. ENSC

DISASTER MANAGEMENT – ENSC 610

PROB: Preliminary Report

BUILD A DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE COASTLINE OF LIBERIA

LECTURER: Mr. T. Catfish Brownell

DUE: May 8, 2018

 BUILD A DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE COASTLINE OF
LIBERIA

SCOPE
In fulfillment of activities of a course titled “Disaster Management (ENSC 610)”, students were
given a research work to “Build a Disaster Management Plan for the Coastline of Liberia”.

As a result of this and in accordance with disaster management coupled with the desire to better
provide for the wellbeing of the citizens and their counties along the coastline of Liberia, the study
is going to focus on Coastal Erosion along the 580 km (360 miles) coastline of Liberia but into two
sections as North-Western (Grand Cape Mount to Montserrado Counties) and South-Eastern
( Margibi to Maryland Counties). Coastal Erosion is considered for this research plan because it is
at an alarming rate amongst disaster causing factors along the coastline of Liberia due to
uncontrolled economic activities (Sand mining, construction, etc) and increase population pressure.

The study will focus on a 30-day (one month) time period and considers a current coastal erosion
issues, as well as potential future erosion that is associated with Sand Mining and removal of
vegetation ( Mangroves and Savannah) from selected beaches along the two divided sections
(North-West & South-East). These conditions (Sand Mining and Removal of vegetation) will be
used to identify the Erosion Prone Areas and to determine potential threats to surrounding
communities, infrastructure, and individuals.

If significant assets such as land, beaches, roads, buildings and other facilities will be located within
the erosion prone area, attention will be given to the protection of them through prevention,
mitigation, and preparedness in this research study from erosion. Additionally, this research will be
making assessment on beaches and dunes as they play a significant role in coastal erosion due to the
ecological, social, recreation, and economic opportunities they provide (UNDP Technical report #5,
1972).That is, according to the UNDP Technical Report #5, beaches play an important buffering
role in protecting coastal communities, infrastructure, etc from an erosion management perspective.

Finally, the scope of this research studies will not include practically and by field assessment the
following due to its limitation financially, technologically, equipment wise and transportation wise:.
1. All natural causes on coastal erosion;

2. Detail consideration of land where no significant permanent infrastructure is at threat from

erosion where it is appropriate for natural processes to run their course;

3. Threats posed by flooding associated with storm event;

4. Sediment (sand) sampling and testing;

5. Measurement of littoral parameter ;

6. Granulometric analysis;
 7. Scientific sedimentary processes (waves, wind direction, currents, etc)

The geographic scope of this study will include the entire coastline of Liberia but, as stated, divided
into two sections as NW – SE which contain features such as sandy open coast at the North-West,
some rocky promontory at the South-East, a minor indentation by the St. Paul and Mesurado rivers,
rocky shores, raised beaches, powerful surf, lagoons and sandbags deposited by a strong northwest
longshore drift, mangroves, etc (UNEP, 2014).

OBJECTIVES
The study is aimed at conserving the coastline of Liberia affected by coastal erosion as a result of
human activities (Sand Mining and Vegetation Removal) that are causing the reduction of sediment
(sand) and thereby damaging valuables and at the extreme, the loss of life.

Consequently, the objective of this research studies is to build a Disaster Management Plan for the
Coastline of Liberia by identifying the affected sites of Coastal erosion caused by Sand Mining and
removal of vegetation since these factors contribute greatly to the reduction of sediment and
changes on the coastline of Liberia that lead to coastal erosion.

BOUNDARY
The study will focus on the coastal Zone of Liberia which is 580 km (360 miles) long, according to
E. T. Wilson, 2016 but into two segments because it is heterogeneous. Because the coastline is
heterogeneous, the study will separate the coastline into two sections as NORTH-WESTERN
SECTION (Grand Cape Mount to Montserrado Counties) and SOUTH-EASTERN SECTION
(Margibi to Maryland Counties) and taking to account selected affected sites.

METHOD
Before starting the actual field assessment for data, a preliminary field survey visits will be made of
beach areas along the two sections (North-West & South-East) to identify focus areas for the
collection of information to meet the research objective.

Subsequently, an investigative field survey works will be carried out at selected sites along each
section based on the objectives of the research for a duration of four (4) days each over the one
month period for data/information that will inform the Disaster Management Plan.

Additionally and though there is not much published information or literatures on Disaster
Management for the Coastline of Liberia, the few literatures available will be used for the purpose
of conceptual framework while primary and secondary data from both the field and the literatures
collected will be used for drawing conclusions.
Primary data will be gathered with the help of well structured questionnaires that will engage the
opinions of citizens of the counties in the selected areas along the coastline of Liberia that will
include information on different aspects of the research problem while secondary data will be
collected from various sources such as books, journals, websites, and passed studies.

For the purpose of this study, a random sample from the two coastline segments mentioned above
consisting of citizens from different age groups and occupations will be considered and the
purposive techniques will be used to collect data.

Finally, the raw data collected will be arranged in an understandable form through classification,
tabulations, and graphical presentations and will be analyzed by using statistical tool and techniques
like Mean, Mode and percentages, etc.

REPORT
Based on some desk studies done on Building a Disaster Management Plan for the Coastline of
Liberia, my report will be captioned with the following headings: Geomorphological Characteristic,
Hydrographic and Hydrodynamic Characteristics and Coastal Risk.

A. GEOMORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTIC
The Atlantic coast of Liberia is about 580 km (360 miles) long, generally oriented NORTH WEST
(NW) – SORTH EAST. It is home to about 58% of the country’s population; it include four
seaport and nine cities, ranging from Grand Cape Mount (NW) to Maryland (SE) (TEEB, Liberia);
see figure 3:

Facing the Atlantic Ocean, the coastal plain is characterized by the following morphologies:
 From Sierra Leone to Liberia ( Robert sport ): from Sulima, a village on the south coast of
Sierra Leone to Robert Sport, West Liberia; the Sierra Leone- Liberia border ia s straight
coastline, sandy terraces, narrow cordon-lidos separating channels parallel to the show.
 The territory of Liberia: it is characterized by a coastline alternating rocky headlands scree,
sandy lops, small low terraces, lagoons, and estuaries. Monrovia is a digested plateau
penetrated by hydro-morphological zone.

After the border with Sierra Leone, inland Liberia; Liberia is the intrusion of basic rocks of Robert
Sport Pier, with vast lagoon of about 100,000 hectares subject tides with associated wetlands at
Lake Piso. From the east of Robert Sport to Monrovia, the coastline remains rectilinear, slightly
undulating until the estuary of the Lofa from where the shoreline is very narrow. There is a very
narrow fluviomarine terrace at Monrovia; presence of lagoons and mangroves with coastal
instability extremely sensitive to any coastal development. The coastline becomes complex and
fragile from Dolota, east of Monrovia to Buchanan.

Buchanan-Rivercess in Greenville: is characterized by a coastline in capes and coves. A dense

network of coastal rivers and five major rivers open out onto the shoreline into more or less
extensive estuarine wetland complexes of Buchanan, Rivercess, Greenville and Grandcess.
Rivercess is made up of complex estuarine site. Greenville in Grandcess has an almost deserted
coastline, very marked capes with rocky banks advancing in the sea and reefs. Grand-Cess in Cape
Palmas is vast group of wetlands, coastal white sands and estuarine lagoons. And from Grandcess
to Harper presents one to two rocky capes of interest and several complexes of estuarine zones and
Lidos.
 From Ivory Coast to Liberia (Cape Palmas): characterized by medium terraces, is straight
sandy shoreline with cliffs cut at attitude between 20 and 100 m in the basement plateaus
(Paleoproterozoic crystalline and metamorphic rocks) and sands.
 Liberia to Sierra Leone: straight sandy coastline with low terraces.

According to Anthony (1991), the most important area of sandy progradation is the southern coast
of Sierra Leone, where vast expenses range from Sherbro Island to Liberia as a barrier complex.
Double 60 to 120 Km long, separated by fluvio-lagoon deposits. Each barrier consists of several
dozens of beach rays (beach ridges) and exhibits intricate plan-view pattern. These barriers formed
in a major coastal basin that stretched from Liberia to the ehenge peninsula, Sierra Loene.
Mineralogical and sedimentological analyzes and beah-plan ranges show that these barriers have
been formed from both regressive shoreline sands and drift-drift inputs from rivers and associated
banks (Anthony, 1991). The redistribution of these sands in the progradant coastal zone occurred
under the influence of long – distance currents generated by spatial difference in refraction. These
mostly regressive barrier sands are more than 15 m thick on their flanks margin and thin towards
the ground at inner edges of the first barriers where they show a transgressive relation to fluvio-
lagoon sludge (Anthony, 1991).

B. HYDROGRAPHIC AND HYRODYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS

The coast of Liberia is home to many river mouths, of which six (6) are considered major rivers.
These rivers enter the coastal zone from a vast network of river basins carrying a large amount of
sentiments and other materials to the coastal zone. Most large drainage basins are perpendicular to
the coast line (North-East to South –West) and alternately opens into the Atlantic ocean ( UNEP,
2004). The continental shell at North-South (NS) towards Sierra Leone is uniformly narrow, less
than 50 Km wide and dominate by waves. It is also relatively deep, with 50% of its surface being
more than 55m deep and its near-shore profile relatively deep. The South-Eastern (SE) side of the
continental shelf in Liberia, between Rivercess and Maryland, to the Ivory Coast board expands to
more than 56Km. The slope break at about 200m. This spatial variation is important in the
explanation of coastal morphology (Anthony, 1991).

According to Anthony (2006), the distribution of long stretches of the wave dominated coast line
and the much smaller estuarine-dominated esturaine sector is evident by width of the continental
shelf; this last sector being subjected to a significant dissipation of the wave energy on a wide
platform with a low radiant.

A coastal strip composed of isolated and acute rocks projecting from soft bottoms extends from the
capital in a southeasterly direction. This rocky strip widens gradually to cover the sea bed at depths
up to 80m off Cape Palmers, Maryland County. The remainder of the continental shelf, consistent
of soft sentiments, mud and sand in varying proportions, extends in parallel bands along the coast.
Variations in marine processes along the coast depend on the relative contributions of wave energy
and tidal currents (Anthony, 1991). Analysis of data collected from the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) show that the Liberian coast is exposed all year round to
mixture of wave climate and long swells.

Wave energy varies from low to moderate, according to NOAA. The wave energy increases from
June to November and the tides are semi-diurnal with two full seas and two law seas per day. The
coast of Liberia generally characterized by a narrow plateau, has a spring tide that does not exceed
1.55m. The tide has spatial variation that can be explained by changes in the geometry of the
continental shelf.

Liberia is located in the zone of permanence of the ‘Guinea waters’ ; therefore the current of Guinea
which circulates on its coast is a superficial current directed NO-SE and is located at an average
depth 25m. Its speed is variable and can exceed 50cm/s. It constitutes an extension of the North
Equatorial counter –current. This wind-strengthent current includes an important upwelling zone
from July to October. But in some cases, the drift if seasonally reversed and gives East-West (EW)
orientation for much of the coast of Liberia and Sierra Leone (NALOA, 2007). Two currents bring
their water to Guinea current : the equatorial counter current moving east and the canary current.

The waves that dominate the coast of Liberia range from 1 to 3m high in a SSW direction. These
waves are observed throughout the year and become more energetic from April to September. The
most dangerous and destructive along the Liberian coast are those that exceed 3m in height. The
begin from April to December and intensify sharply during the month of August and also have a
dominant SSW leadership.

Outside the main direction (SSW) of these waves that dominate along the Liberian coast; a
secondary direction is observed. All wave heights are also visible in the South direction, but are
temporary and last up to 20 days. This is the same case of the SSE direction where we observe
waves with frequencies of maximum duration of only 10 days.

C. COASTAL RISKS IN LIBERIA

According to the United States Agency for international development (USAID, 2012), Liberia’s
coastal is home to about 58% of the country’s population and is a key location for agricultural,
fisheries, recreational activities, etc. Coastal erosion is a problem along Liberia’s coast line and 9 of
the country’s 15 counties have their main settlements on the coast (E.T. Wilson, 2016). According
to Boko, et al. (2007), the variability of climate change could lead to flooding of low elevation
lands, with consequent impact on coastal settlements. Sea level rise is expected to continuously
increase the hard socio economic and physical vulnerability of cities and coastal settlements in
coastal states such as Liberia ( Boko et al , 2007).
According to the Liberia Environmental Protection Agency (EPA,2007), the main climate risks
facing Liberia are coastal flooding and sea level rise. Currently, coastal cities are experiencing the
consequences of climate change. Above all, beach erosion and coastal flooding are currently
devastating properties, businesses and livelihoods. According to Werrell and Femia (2014), Liberia
is mow facing a new unconventional enemy; climate change.

According to FrontPage Africa (FPA, 2016 ), more than ever in Liberia, many inhabited coastal
cities are heavily impacted by the Atlantic ocean. From Grand Cape Mount county (North-West) to
Cape Palmers, Maryland county in the Southeastern part of the country, coastal erosions continue to
affect coastal features (FPA, 2016). In Monrovia, coastal erosion and flooding are expected to
worsen.

Liberia’s LFS predicts that a 1m c-level rise would completely flood about 1/6 of the land in the
country’s coastal zone (Wiles, 2014). These estimates place more than 1.8 million people at
immediate risk (UNDP, 2010, 2011).

It is not just the coastline that is affected, but the people, their homes, and other basic infrastructure
that provide the most needed social services. The situation of this phenomenon leaves thousands of
homeless people. According to Johnson (2016), some highly affected infrastructure projects at the
‘D Tweh high school’, built in 1975, is the only public high school in New Kru town and currently
venerable to coastal erosion. The Picture Sque Atlantic street in the port city of Buchanan is another
example of infrastructure that has been destroyed by coastal erosion.

According to a report by the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), between July 30 and
August 2 (2016), hard tide intensity damaged homes and properties in the fishing villages of the
Grand counties: Bassa, Cape Mount, etc. Since then, on August 14, a wave destroyed 8 homes in a
community in the capital, Monrovia, leaving 86 people homeless.

Located between the Montserrado and St. Paul rivers on a peninsula that projects out of the Atlantic
ocean, known as the community of West Point in Monrovia is home to about 75000 homes
primarily built with zinc (Baskin, 2017). Authorities said at least 1000 people at West Point were
lest behind homeless by coastal flood in April 2017, and they are allocating temporary shelter for
them. In November 2014, more than 450 homes were also destroyed and others flooded at West
Point (Dosso, 2016).

According to IRIN (2008), coastal erosion has affected dozens of homes and left at least 200
homeless people in Buchanan, Liberia’s second largest city. Government officials say the entire city
of more than 200,000 people is at risk. According to the authority, since 2006, the sea has
progressively encroached on Buchanan leaving more than a hundred homes destroyed and displaced
hundreds of people, and this is getting worse. The authority noted that if nothing is done
immediately, the whole city could be affected (IRIN, 2008).
On August 15, 2007, IRIN reported that more than 700 people were homeless in Liberia after ocean
wave hit coastal communities, destroying more than 100 homes and other structures.

The report of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP, 2007) on the Liberia Environment
published, described the exploitation of beach sand as ‘one of the most serious treats to the coast
and the marine environment’. The Head of the Liberia Environmental Protection Agency in 2007,
‘Mr. Ben Donnie’, said most people are not educated on the negative aspect f beach sand removal
(IRIN, 2007).

UNDP is active in Liberia to increase the climate resilience of venerable coastal areas. According to
UNDP (2010), displacement of coast communities is increasing and key economic sectors such as
fishing, trade, and agriculture are at risk. Several climate and erosion disasters have already
occurred in the country, displacing more than 2500 people in 2007, leaving various communities
under water (UNDP. 2010). The above climatic and human activity risks (sea level rise, coastal
flooding, coastal erosion, sand mining, etc) are very dangerous for Liberia since most of its
population (58%) reside in coastal areas that are at risk of being submerged or flooded.

The severe consequences on climate change faced by the country are recognized by the
international community, but more assistance is needed (technical, scientific, etc). UNDP is
working with EPA and the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UMIL) to increase resilience against
erosion and marine floods. However, these projects face many challenges and actions have been
limited. Liberia Lacks scientific and engineering capacity, reliable scientific data, financial
resources, and effective public institutions at the national level (UNDP, 2010): perhaps because of
the recent history of the conflict in the country.

Therefore, the increasing report of coastal erosion in recent times is a call for decisive, appropriate,
and long term action from broader perspectives involving holistic and realistic approaches that take
into account the practical solutions of the experts and also investments in long term research and
basic actions on the part of every citizen.