By: Sampat JMB Kpakimah
Monrovia: Courage Cooper, a contestant representing the University of Liberia in the Miss Inter-University pageant is urging the government and private stakeholders to increase investment in protecting Liberia’s coastal heritage, warning that erosion and climate change are threatening communities and cultural sites along the shoreline.
Speaking in an interview in Monrovia over the weekend, Courage Cooper highlighted the vulnerability of coastal counties, including Montserrado, Grand Bassa, and Sinoe. She pointed out the rapid erosion in West Point, the loss of historical landmarks, and the threats to mangrove ecosystems that local fishermen depend on.
“Liberia’s coastline is more than sand and sea. It’s our history, our livelihood, and our identity,” she said. “But every year we lose more land to the ocean. If we don’t invest now in sea defense, mangrove restoration, and community education”We will lose more than beaches we will lose our future.”
According to her, Liberia continues to face challenges from coastal erosion, which the EPA and UNDP have identified as one of the country’s most urgent climate threats, noting that experts have estimated that over 1.5 meters of coastline is lost annually in some areas.
She emphasized that the country needs to invest in three priority areas: sea defense infrastructure, building and maintaining seawalls and breakwaters in high-risk zones like West Point and Buchanan, and Hotel Africa; mangrove restoration, protecting and replanting mangroves that act as natural barriers against waves and storm surges; and community education and livelihood programs, training coastal communities on sustainable fishing and eco-tourism to reduce pressure on coastal resources.
She stressed that Liberia’s 560 km coastline supports over 30% of the population through fishing, trade, and tourism. With global climate funding increasing, advocates say now is the time for targeted investment to protect both people and heritage.
Courage Cooper is a young Liberian climate justice advocate and one of the contestants in the Inter-University pageant, which is expected to bring young females from different universities under one umbrella to compete for a crown that reflects academic excellence and represents the country at large.
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The Miss Inter-University pageant is an annual event, and this is the second edition that is expected to be officially launched in Monrovia, setting the stage for these females to show good representation for their institutions. The winner will serve as a youth ambassador for education and social causes across Liberian universities
The program which was held at Monrovia City Hall on Saturday, June 13, 2026, brought together several university students, professors, and Liberian creative talent across Montserrado. The pageant intends to showcase the minds of young Liberian students through beauty, culture, and intellectualism.Lib
