Managing Director Ali Outlines Armed Forces’ Importance Amidst Climate Change

The Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC), in partnership with the Ministry of National Defense, on Thursday, May 8, 2025, hosted a high-level one-day engagement in honor of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) Senior Command and Staff Course 46. The event formed part of the African Study Tour (AST) under the theme: “Climate Change, Environment, and Development: Implication for Security and the Role of the Armed Forces”. The AST is a strategic part of the GAFCSC curriculum, which exposes senior military officers to regional issues and fosters stronger civil-military partnerships across the continent. Liberia was one of the selected host countries for Course 46, focusing this year on environment and climate change Environment, and Development.

The session brought together over 25 Ghanaian military officers—ranging in ranks from Lieutenant Colonel and Major to Brigadier General—alongside 10 senior faculty members of the GAFCSC, was held at the Bela Casa Hotel in Monrovia. The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) was also represented, reinforcing the inter-military collaboration between Ghana and Liberia.

In a highlight of the event, Mohammed Ali, Managing Director of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, delivered a lecture on “Climate Change, the Environment, and Development: Implications for Security and the Role of Armed Forces.” MD Ali used the occasion to recount and acknowledge Ghana’s role in Liberia’s peacekeeping history:

“I want to thank you for your contribution to bringing peace to Liberia. Today, we are proud to celebrate 21 years of uninterrupted democratic peace. Your presence here signifies the shared responsibility we all have in confronting climate threats across the continent,” he said.

He then used Liberia’s recent history of devastating floods as a springboard to underscore the urgent realities of climate change. “Flooding now leaves parts of Monrovia underwater during the rainy season. This is a stark shift from the past. Human-induced environmental changes—coupled with climate variability—are making urban areas nearly impassable during heavy rains,” he noted.

Ali’s presentation outlined a broad nexus between environmental degradation, water security, and national stability. He highlighted how climate change, manifesting through irregular rainfall, sea level rise, and intensified droughts, is severely disrupting agriculture and public infrastructure. “Thirty to forty years ago, Liberia had predictable farming seasons. Today, farmers face erratic rains and longer wet seasons. These changes affect food production, push rural residents to urban centers, and place unsustainable pressure on basic services like water and sanitation,” he explained.

He added that climate-induced migration is accelerating urban overcrowding, which in turn strains aged public infrastructure—particularly LWSC’s water and sewer systems, originally designed in the 1950s for a population of just 200,000. Today, those same systems serve more than two million people. “We now operate in a crisis mode during both rainy and dry seasons. In the rainy season, we battle water contamination due to runoff and upstream mining. During the dry season, the water level drops drastically, forcing us to ration water and electricity across Monrovia,” Ali elaborated.

The LWSC head pointed out that Liberia’s vast forest cover—making up around 40% of the Upper Guinea Forest—is under threat due to both legal and illegal logging, as well as traditional shifting agriculture. “Deforestation is removing natural barriers to erosion and increasing the vulnerability of our ecosystems. Logging companies often leave without restoring roads or investing in communities. The consequence is environmental degradation with no accountability,” he lamented.

He also explained how the lack of reforestation practices and unregulated slash-and-burn farming are worsening soil erosion, increasing flood risks, and undermining livelihoods. Ali further emphasized that the link between climate change and security becomes even clearer when examining the public health risks caused by overstressed sanitation infrastructure. “We are seeing sewer overflows due to the increased urban population. This leads to widespread water contamination, posing serious health hazards. The very systems meant to protect lives are becoming overwhelmed,” he said.

He described a vicious cycle where climate pressures—deforestation, pollution, sea-level rise, erratic weather—are all combining to make the work of the LWSC more complex, expensive, and urgent. Mr. Ali concluded with a strong appeal for regional cooperation and military involvement in climate resilience and environmental protection. “The Armed Forces have a vital role to play—not just in defense, but in disaster response, civic education, infrastructure protection, and environmental monitoring. Climate security is now a shared responsibility,” he asserted.

Also speaking, General Barimah Brako Owusu, head of the visiting Ghana Armed Forces delegation, emphasized the significance of the African Study Tour for the course participants, who are a mix of PhD and master’s students. He revealed that students at the GAFCSC, are drawn from various African countries, are required to engage in academic research on contemporary issues such as climate change and its impact on security and development. General Owusu shared that each year, the students visit selected African countries to deepen their understanding of these challenges and how they can be addressed in military and defense contexts.

“We are from the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College. The college runs both academic and military programs,” said General Owusu. “We have students enrolled in PhD and master’s programs, and as part of their integrated course, they are expected to combine academic work with real-world military studies. A significant part of their training is to visit one African country annually to research and engage in topical issues like climate change and its impact on security.” This year, the delegation’s tour included stops in several African countries, with Liberia serving as the focal point for their discussions on climate change, environmental security, and development.

General Owusu acknowledged the importance of the theme, highlighting that climate change is no longer a distant issue or an academic cliché, but a global reality that affects all nations, irrespective of their military, political, or economic backgrounds.

“Climate change is no longer a cliché. It affects all of us, whether we are academics, military personnel, or civilians. It is a pressing issue that we can no longer gloss over,” General Owusu remarked. “This theme is very apt for our visit. When we requested to come here, we were looking for stakeholders who are actively involved in addressing climate change, and we found exactly that.”

The program included detailed presentations on Liberia’s efforts to tackle climate change, water security, and sustainable development. The Ghanaian delegation participated in a series of interactive discussions, asking questions and engaging in dialogue with local experts and officials. According to General Owusu, the experience was both enlightening and enriching for the students, who are now better equipped to address the climate challenges in their own countries.

“The questions and the subsequent answers we received during the presentation were invaluable. I am confident that our students have gained profound insights into the subject matter. We are leaving Liberia with a richer understanding of climate change and its broader implications,” he added.