A new Afrobarometer survey has revealed that a significant majority of climate-aware Liberians are calling for swift and decisive action to address the worsening impacts of climate change.
The data show a growing awareness among citizens about the challenges posed by climate change and a strong demand for both national and international interventions, even at significant financial cost.
According to the survey conducted recently, 68% of Liberians say they have heard of climate change which is a notable increase in public awareness over recent years.
Among this informed group, 71% believe that climate change is already making life in the country worse. Of these, 38% say it is making life “much worse,” while 33% say it is “worse.”
A substantial 71% of respondents attribute climate change primarily to human activities, such as deforestation, pollution, and the burning of fossil fuels.
Another 7% believe it is the result of both human and natural causes.
Only 20% consider natural processes alone to be responsible for the changes in Liberia’s climate.
This growing understanding of the human role in environmental degradation appears to be fueling public demand for urgent action.
Now that many seem to be aware of this global situation, Liberians want the government and global partners to step up with a comprehensive approach mechanism to save the country’s environmental space.
About 82% of the respondents in the Afrobarometer survey believe that the Liberian government must act now to curb climate change, even if the required measures are costly or may lead to economic disruptions such as job losses.
The same percentage also insists that rich, developed countries must do their part to tackle climate change, regardless of the costs involved.
Moreover, 84% of respondents say that wealthier nations, which have historically contributed most to global emissions, have a moral obligation to support Liberia’s climate adaptation and response efforts.
The findings come at a time when Liberia, like many other nations in Africa, is facing the severe consequences of climate change from unpredictable weather patterns and flooding to agricultural disruptions and coastal erosion.
Following the release of the survey report, the Center for Democratic Governance as the implementer of Afrobarometer activities in Liberia validated the responses noting that the global situation is real to Liberia and other countries.
“This survey confirms what many Liberians are already experiencing in their daily lives: climate change is real, it’s here, and it’s making life harder,” said a release issued by the Center for Democratic Governance (CDG), Afrobarometer’s national partner in Liberia.
“Citizens are not only aware, but they are demanding bold steps from both local leaders and the international community.”
According to CDG, the data was collected through face-to-face interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,200 adult Liberians between July 30 and August 21, 2024.
The margin of error for the survey is ±3 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Afrobarometer is a trusted pan-African research network that has been gathering public opinion data on democracy, governance, and quality of life since 1999.