BUCHANAN, May 27 (LINA) – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is calling on the media to do in-depth reporting on climate change and other environmental issues.
EPA Chief Technical Advisor, Professor Benjamin Karmorh, made the call at the opening of a two-day training for journalists from 10 of Liberia’s 15 counties being hosted in Buchanan, the capital of Grand Bassa County.
Serving as proxy for EPA Executive Director, Professor Wilson Tarpeh, Mr. Karmorh said it is important to communicate the numerous environmental problems the nation is experiencing to the public and the international community.
This, he pointed out, will demonstrate good stewardship in terms of informing stakeholders and advancing appropriate actions through the solicitation of technical and financial support.
He reminded the trainees that Liberia is a signatory to several multilateral environmental instruments that proffer solutions to the many environmental problems that include Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss, destruction of wetlands, Water and Air pollution and plastic waste, among others.
The journalists benefiting from the Thursday May 26 – Friday May 27 capacity building training are from Rivercess, Margibi, Montserrado, Bomi, Lofa, Nimba, Bong, Grand Cape Mount, Gbarpolu counties and the host Grand Bassa County.
The workshop is being held under the Global Environmental Facility-UNDP funded Cross Cutting Capacity Development (CCCD) Project that focuses on the multilateral environmental agreements with strong emphasis on the three conventions on Biodiversity, Climate Change and Desertification.
The Environmental Protection Agency is the Liberian Government institution charged with the responsibility to protect people and the environment from significant health risks, sponsor and conduct research, and develop and enforce environmental regulations.
« Media practitioners are very important in helping to raise awareness among the public regarding responsibilities ascribed to the EPA through the Act creating the institution since 2003, part of which is to domesticate the multilateral environmental agreements, supervise the conduct of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and promote sustainable development, » Prof. Karmorh explained.
Over the years, EPA has continued to host training workshops to build the capacity of media practitioners to adequately report on environment, climate change and sustainable development as a means of raising awareness, and influencing the development of policy actions, plans, standards, regulations to ensure a safe and clean environment and also influence the behavior of people in a positive manner in helping to protect and manage their environment.
The training also availed a field trip opportunity for the participants relating to content gathering about the environment with focus of waste, pollution, erosion and other issues affecting the communities and people.
