MONROVIA, Aug.11 (LINA) – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director General, Prof. Wilson Tarpeh, has warned citizens against the constant habits of destroying the wetland, urging them to desist, as it poses threat to the State.
Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, the EPA head disclosed that give the importance of this unique ecosystem that the country is blessed with, wetlands are under severe threat mainly from human activities such as: cutting of the mangrove’s forests, growing wave of illegal human settlement, Indiscriminate dumping of wastes as well as the usage of dynamite to kill fishes and many others harmful practices.
He pointed out that the increasing waves of destruction of their wetlands, especially in Monrovia and its environs, adding that the action on the part of the people continues to undermine the integrity of this fragile ecosystem of importance.
The EPA Executive emphasized that the actions are having severe consequences on the environment, such as pollution of wells, giving rise to vector borne diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever, and cholera, among others.
He further said that the Johnsonville community, Tweh Farm, Dwazon, Jie Bloh Town along the Robertsfield highway and many others are being flooded as they witnessed last month during the eight days uninterrupted rainfall in Monrovia and its environs, urging local administrators to stop citizens who are in the act of damaging the ecosystem.
Prof. Tarpeh cited that Liberia is a contracting party to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, and the EPA is the Government arm charged with the responsibility to protect and manage the environment and to ensure that Liberia honors her international obligations in protecting and managing the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
“As you may be aware, our country is endowed with six (6) major wetlands of international importance; all of which play an important role in the ecosystem,
“For example: wetlands serve as habitat for the plants mangroves, water lilies, and wetlands serve as the sponge of the environment; wetlands serve as the liver of the environment in helping to detoxify materials within the environment absorption capacity, as well as a major shore stabilizer to prevent flooding,” he asserted.
Prof. Tarpeh explained that the EPA has advised people to stop all these harmful practices that continue to degrade the wetlands thereby compromising their health and livelihood,.
He also assured the public that the EPA will continue to halt all actions that are destroying the wetlands.
He noted that presently, the EPA has its technicians in Monrovia and its environs carrying on awareness about the importance of protecting the wetlands and also collecting flood data.
For the last several years, the EPA has embarked on several actions to protect the wetlands, some of these actions include Developed National Wetlands Policy (DNWP), Jingles developed and aired for radio stations to increase the awareness about the importance of protecting and managing wetlands in a sustainable manner and also Instituted Stop Order to inhabitants wanting to construct in the wetlands.
P. Vangerline Kpotoe
