Liberia

Disclaimer: Copyright infringement not intended.

Context:  In Liberia group of senators have submitted a proposal to the government to relocate it's capital city Monrovia.

Details

About

Location	Western Africa.
Type of Government	Presidential republic.
Capital	Monrovia.
Border countries	Guinea 590 km; Cote d'Ivoire 778 km; Sierra Leone 299 km.
Population	Total: 5,437,249.
Coastline	North Atlantic Ocean, 579 km.
Area	111,369 sq km.
Climate	Tropical; hot, humid; dry winters with hot days and cool to cold nights; wet, cloudy summers with frequent heavy showers.
Terrain	Mostly flat to rolling coastal plains rising to rolling plateau and low mountains in northeast.  The coastline is characterized by lagoons, mangrove swamps, and river-deposited sandbars; the inland grassy plateau
Elevation	Highest  point: Mount Wuteve 1,447 m Lowest  point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Natural resources	Iron ore, timber, diamonds, gold, hydropower.
Land use	Agricultural land: 28.1%,  Forest: 44.6%.
Industries	Mining (iron ore and gold), rubber processing, palm oil processing, diamonds.
Natural hazards	Dust-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to March). Flash floods in urban areas.
Environment issues	Tropical rain forest deforestation; soil erosion; loss of biodiversity; hunting of endangered species for bushmeat. Pollution of coastal waters from oil residue and raw sewage; burning and dumping of household waste
People and Society	Ethnic Group: Kpelle 20.2%, Language: English 20% (official) and 27 indigenous languages. Religion: Christian 84.9%, Muslim 12%, Traditional 0.5%, other 0.1%, none 2.6%.  Urban population: 53.6% of total population.
Transnational Issues	Proximity to major drug transit routes contribute to trafficking cocaine and heroin, to and through Liberia

Recent Development

• A group of senators in Liberia, situated along the coast of western Africa, has proposed to relocate the country’s capital city Monrovia due to recurring flash floods.

Reason behind this proposal

• Rising sea levels and Coastal erosion : In the West Point slum of Monrovia alone, sea level rise and coastal erosion displaced more than 6,500 people, and destroyed 800 houses between 2013 and 2018.
• World Bank Report: By 2030, the Greater Monrovia District is expected to witness a sea level rise of 16 cm. This would put nearly 675,000 people and 9,500 hectares of land at risk.
• Projections show that the frequency of intense rainfall will spike in the country, which will contribute to flooding.

Indonesia changing its capital

On January 18, 2022, Indonesia passed a bill to move its capital from Jakarta to East Kalimantan.

The reason behind this is Jakarta is sinking.

The northern part of Jakarta that meets the Java sea has been sinking 25 centimetres a year and it is affecting the 10 million people living in the city.

Rising Sea Level

• As temperatures across the world continue to soar, more and more glaciers and ice sheets are melting and adding water to the ocean.
• Global warming is also making the ocean warmer, which is leading to something called thermal expansion ,when water becomes warmer, it expands in volume. This is contributing to sea level rise as well.

Instances of adaption and mitigation of sea level rise.

• In New Zealand, climate adaptation policies are being designed to ensure public housing is not built near areas prone to climate hazards.
• Sea walls, surge barriers and other coastal defences are being built and strengthened in several countries including Denmark, Germany and the United Kingdom.
• South Korea and the islands of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean are experimenting with floating homes.
• China, India and other nations are finding ways to absorb and store storm water for reuse.
• More drastic action is taking place in Fiji, where government officials are making plans to relocate whole villages because of rising sea levels - 42 villages have been recommended for relocation in the next five to 10 years, while six have already been moved to safer ground.

Sources:

TheHindu.

PRACTICE QUESTION Q.  Discuss the reasons for rising sea levels with some data showing the rise and  implications of rising sea levels on coastal regions of India. 150 words