Greenville Rising: How Local Partnerships Are Powering a Cleaner, Resilient City
In the coastal city of Greenville, change is quietly unfolding through collaboration, innovation, and local leadership. For years, the city faced the growing challenge of poor waste disposal, open dumping, burning, and the absence of structured collection systems. Today, through the Sinoe Building Climate Resilience Project (SBCRP), the city is taking bold steps toward a cleaner and more resilient future.
At the center of this transformation is a strong partnership between the Greenville City Corporation (GCC) and BASA Development Initiatives (BDI), with technical and financial support from Conservation International (CI) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The partnership recognizes that effective waste management is not just an environmental issue but also a matter of public health, youth employment, and local governance.
A New Kind of Local Partnership
Following a rigorous selection process, Econtrak Solutions Liberia, a local enterprise, was chosen to manage the city’s new waste collection and recycling efforts. Out of four applicants, Econtrak stood out for its clear operational plan, previous experience, and commitment to community involvement. The company will work hand in hand with GCC to implement an efficient, community-centered waste management system.
This collaboration marks a turning point for Greenville. The city, which has long struggled with open dumping and unmanaged waste sites, now has a structured plan to introduce sorting, collection, and proper disposal of waste. More importantly, the initiative will create jobs for young people and women, allowing the community to take ownership of its environment.
Waste Management as a Path to Resilience
The SBCRP’s waste management component is designed to link local solutions to national environmental goals. By promoting cleaner urban spaces and building local enterprise capacity, the project is contributing directly to Liberia’s ARREST Agenda – particularly under the pillars of Resilience, Environment, and Sustainable Growth. Cleaner communities are better equipped to handle the health and climate risks associated with flooding, pollution, and waste accumulation.
For the residents of Greenville, this partnership is more than a policy milestone; it’s a tangible change in how the city manages its future. The involvement of local actors ensures that waste management becomes a shared responsibility, not a top-down directive.
According to project reports, the Memorandum of Understanding between BDI and GCC has paved the way for immediate coordination and future scaling of the initiative. Econtrak Solutions Liberia’s engagement will also support data collection on waste volumes, types, and recycling opportunities, feeding into Liberia’s Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) system, an important national framework for tracking the value of environmental assets.
A Cleaner Future Begins at Home
While the project is still in its early implementation stage, the community response has been encouraging. Residents and local youth groups have expressed willingness to participate in awareness activities and contribute to keeping Greenville cleaner. These local voices form the heart of SBCRP’s approach: empowering citizens to be part of the solution.
As one city official put it during a stakeholder meeting, “Greenville cannot be clean unless we all take responsibility for how we handle waste.” That sentiment now echoes throughout schools, households, and businesses, signaling a shift in mindset that could have lasting benefits.
Beyond the Bins - Building a Model for Liberia
What is happening in Greenville could serve as a model for other Liberian cities facing similar environmental pressures. The project’s inclusive approach, combining private enterprise, local government, and civil society, is demonstrating that sustainable waste management is possible when everyone plays a role.
BDI’s continued engagement with the City Corporation, coupled with support from CI and GEF, ensures that the foundation being laid today will contribute to a greener, more resilient Greenville tomorrow. In the months ahead, the focus will be on strengthening systems, supporting the enterprise, and increasing public awareness through radio programs and school-led campaigns.
The story of Greenville’s transformation is a story of shared action; proof that when local partnerships align with national vision, a cleaner and more sustainable future is not just imaginable, it’s achievable.
Classrooms are part of the solution. Trained students will lead awareness drives in neighborhoods. Meet the young climate leaders in this story.
