By Matthias F. Larbeindee with the Liberia Forest Media Watch–LFMW/Internews Environmental Reporting Fellow
MONROVIA – On November 2, 2003, Liberia became a party to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, designating five sites as Wetlands of International Importance to be managed according to international best practices. The designated wetlands include: the Mesurado Wetlands (Montserrado County), Lake Piso Wetlands (Sinje, Robertsport, Grand Cape Mount), Marshall Wetlands (Margibi County), Kpatawee Wetlands (Bong County), and the Gbedein Wetlands (Nimba County). Article 1, Section 1, of the Ramsar Convention defines wetlands as “areas of marsh, fen, peatland, or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish, or salt, including areas of marine water where the depth at low tide does not exceed six meters.”
Despite Liberia’s commitment to the Ramsar Convention, investigation has found out that wetlands have been abused in Liberia contrary to zoning regulations and environmental laws guiding wetlands. The continuous degradation of the mangrove ecosystem, and the unregulated dumping of garbage into the wetland are compromising the integrity of the Mesurado and other Wetlands near coastal settlements, a visit to three locations in Paynesville, Doe Community and Caldwell Township has established.
Paynesville
Paynesville is geographically larger than the city of Monrovia. It expands eastward along the Robertsfield Highway and northeastward beyond Red Light Market. Paynesville has a population of about 4,818,977 people, with a land area of 111,370.0 km2. The distance from Paynesville City to Liberia’s capital Monrovia is approximately 11.8 km/7.3 mi. Like many parts of Monrovia, Paynesville is also experiencing constant abuse of wetlands by residents, which is destroying the mangroves and other aquatic lives. Huge piles of garbage are often seen around the Police Academy Junction near the wetland, thereby undermining its potential. This, according to regulatory authorities is due to a lack of education and deliberate act by the inhabitants to dump waste into the wetlands, which has the propensity to alter the water chemistry and affects marine life.
As the improper dumping of garbage continues in the Mesurado Wetlands, so does the cutting of mangroves for various reasons, choking life out of the wetlands and disabling them from serving as buffers against floods and erosion. Sixty-eight-year-old Nelson Kamah owns a lot of swamp (wetland) land in Paco’s Island Community in Paynesville. Kamah is aware of the implications of building in the swamp but told journalists that this is what he can afford at the moment. He said he too wants to be property owner in the nation’s capital, Monrovia. He said, “Even though it’s risky, I just have to take the place because there’s no land, and if you find one, it’s expensive.” Kamah said to prevent water from disturbing his construction project, he just needs to “buy some red dirt mixed with rocks to backfill the swamp,” which entails cutting down the mangroves to make way for the “red dirt” that would make the ground solid for the construction project to proceed.
In a subtle way of blaming the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), when asked about the environmental implications of building a house on the wetlands, Nelson Kamah asserted that since the construction process began, no one from the EPA has told him to halt the project. He also mentioned that there are other gigantic structures standing in the same swamp just a stone’s throw from his project (as seen in the photo above). A tour of the community revealed how residents are carrying out massive construction works in the swamp without guidance.
Doe Community
Doe Community is a slum opposite Bali Island, separated by the Du River. A cluster of housing constructions is blocking waterways, drainages, and alleys, causing constant flooding in the area even with a little rain. As the population in the area increases, so do human activities continue to make life difficult for the inhabitants. James G. Foday, a resident of Samalima Village in Doe Community, hinted that 30 to 40 years ago, they were not troubled by flooding or erosion compared to now. He reflected, “My mother used to plant crops like pepper, cassava, and other things here in whatever seasons. Now all of that cannot happen because I observe that water is bothering us badly because people have built over the drainages.”
A tour of the area uncovered that even the drainages or waterways are not open to free flow of water/erosion. Those drainages that are open are often infringed upon by residents constructing structures. Some of the main drainages are used as dumping sites leading to total blockage much to the disadvantage of residents themselves. At the same time, residents go on Bali Island, cut down the mangrove, tie it into bundles, and sell it to women who use it to dry fish. A bundle of mangrove tree is sold for 100 LRD. “So, when you get 15 bundles, that’s enough to serve your family for a while,” said James G. Foday, a resident of Samalima Village.
Instructor of General Science and Civics at Tracon Elementary, Junior, and Senior High School, Mohammed Koliwah has lived in in Doe Community for over 15 years. He explained the negative changes that have taken place due to human activities. He said, “When I first came to Doe Community, we used to see white sand, and in the evening, the water would come, and after 2 to 3 hours, it would go back.” However, all that has changed due to an increase in population and improper human activities within the community.
As everyone fights to acquire land and build a house, they often disregard the environmental consequences of building on wetlands. The classroom teacher shared further observations, stating, “Across the Du River (Bali Island), we used to have a mangrove swamp. But now, people earn their living by digging the mud and sand to fill their areas and also sell to others to backfill their lands.” These actions are creating significant problems for the environment and its inhabitants.
Mangroves are the lungs of the swamp, serving as a barrier that prevents water (rainfall, flood, or erosion) from flowing into the community. However, due to misguided human activities across the Du River, community dwellers are constantly faced with problems. When the sea tide rises and dumps water into the river, it flows into the community, entering homes and causing sicknesses and displacement. With the increase in improper construction and the lack of a drainage system to control the water flow, water continues to spill into homes. Koliwah, who seems knowledgeable about proper practices, stressed that “I think the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) is not providing education to the people on how to construct their homes, so they build anywhere they feel like.”
He also criticized the EPA for allegedly failing to perform some of its statutory responsibilities, which he said require it “to provide education to community dwellers about the importance of the wetlands, but nothing of the sort is happening.” This statement appears valid because, according to one of the recommendations from the August 2022 report on the Mesurado Wetlands Assessment, presented by the EPA Inter-Department Wetland Assessment Team, the EPA is supposed to “increase massive awareness within communities around the Mesurado Wetlands,” but it is unclear whether this is being implemented.
Caldwell Township
From one community to another, the story of human activities on wetlands seems the same. In the Township of Caldwell, issues such as improper home construction and the cutting down of mangroves (the lungs of the wetlands) for construction or other purposes are also visible in what was once a largely green environment.
Former Commissioner of Caldwell Township, Francis Woods attributed the cause of flooding in the area to the closure of drainage built by Bong Mining Company during the construction of Caldwell Road. “The construction of the Caldwell Road is also contributing to flooding in the Township due to the closure of the drainages created by Bong Mines during its railroad construction project,” said Comm. Woods. While this assertion by the commissioner could not be verified, the remaining few drainages seen are also clogged by garbage created by residents or erosion. Flooding was “low several years back because the wetland used to absorb all the water, and even during August, many areas here used to be passable until now, with people building anywhere,” Comm. Woods added.
The wave of negative humans impacts on natural environment is alarming in Liberia. 2024 Report of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) shows that 53,017 people have been affected by flooding caused by human activities. The data covers Grand Bassa, Margibi, and Montserrado counties. According to the Director of Communications of NDMA, Archivego Doe, “of the 53,017 affected persons, 90 percent are from Montserrado,” suggesting that Montserrado is more affected by flooding than other parts of the country. He named “encroachment on wetlands, building on drainages, and blocking waterways” as human activities contributing to the increase in flooding in the country.
Also in August 2022, the Inter-Department Wetland Assessment Team of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted an assessment titled “Mesurado Wetlands Assessment.” Among other things, the assessment focused on monitoring mangrove depletion and how the EPA would collaborate with community leaders on protecting the mangrove wetland ecosystem. A full team of environmental technicians from the Department of Compliance and Enforcement (GIS, Conservation, and Inspectorate) Intersectoral and Ramsar were designated to assess the situation through community engagement, mapping, and drone imagery of all degraded mangroves and wetlands in the Mesurado Wetlands. The exercise which lasted for 16 days found that: Community leaders and dwellers are not fully informed about national wetland policies and regulations, township commissioners are heavily selling the wetlands and giving them as squatter rights, communities do not know the Mesurado Wetlands as a Ramsar site due to limited/rare awareness, the presence of current wetland security is not felt within affected communities and the EPA does not encourage community leaders who are vibrant in helping to preserve the wetland’s integrity.
Among other things, the team recommended that the EPA implement the following: Involve local authorities and all stakeholders in the Mesurado Wetlands’ planning and management, enforce the EPA wetland policy and regulations, erect billboards in communities around the Mesurado Wetlands, increase massive awareness within communities around the Mesurado Wetlands and conduct wetland training for Township Commissioners who provide squatter-right permits for wetland use.
