'We are all afraid now', say Liberians

Flooded fields near Monrovia, Liberia

Liberia on Africa's west coast is in desperate need of help as it suffers from the effects of climate change.

The country, which has been devastated by years of civil war, is now facing a second major threat - the ocean.

The United Nations Development Programme say the changing climate means the sea level is rising and the rainy season is getting longer. This has led to a rapidly eroding coastline and more instances of flooding.

Martha Nah, who lives in one of the capital Monrovia's seaside shanty towns, New Kru Town, say the effects of this are clear - homes have been swept away.

The exact rate of coastal erosion is unclear because historical records were destroyed during the civil war. But the government estimates that in one coastal city, Buchanan, the sea has moved 250 metres in almost 40 years.

People living in Buchanan tell a different story. They talk in much bigger terms. Joseph Sekum, a lawyer, has lived in Buchanan for all of his 85 years. He showed the BBC's Rob Young where his house used to be, and says it was washed away six months after the sea first lapped against its walls.